Lentein is a type of protein made from water lentils that far surpasses other proteins that are plant-based.
But, let’s get this out of the way. I’m not vegan and I don’t plan on becoming one. I review the Pros and Cons of Veganism for you here.
However, having a diverse diet including plants like water lentils is something I do believe in.
So, how does it taste?
I have the chance to share with you my review of the Green Super Protein bar with Lentein by Nectis where I got a free sample.
This is the one and only protein bar made with Lentein® on the market today.
Green Super Protein with Lentein protein bar review
First, let me start with my baseline evaluation of most protein bars on the market today. Many are chock full of sugar and processed ingredients. In essence, most bars are like eating a candy bar with a little protein sprinkled in.
Second, the taste. Most taste rather like cardboard or syrupy sweet or both. In other words, I typically don’t like protein bars for taste either.
Green Super Protein with Lentein® Bars is different. They actually have real ingredients, starting with pea protein, Lentein®, quinoa, almond butter, prebiotic fibers, cashew butter, apples, sunflower lecithin, cinnamon, oats, and monk fruit. All of these are non-GMO and most are organic too.
As far as how they look, they look a bit more like a chocolate bar than you might imagine. On the website, they are depicted as looking green.
Meant to be a meal replacement bar, the Green Super Protein bar contains 330 calories, 20 grams of protein, 18 grams of healthy fats, 11 grams of fiber, 270 mg of potassium, 180 mg of calcium, 3.8 grams of iron.
This meets over 20 percent of the daily value for most of these major nutrients. Based on this, it really can be considered a valid meal replacement.
And for taste, even I can say that they taste pleasantly of spices without the cloying sweet stickiness of most protein bars.
This is because they don’t have any added sugars or hidden sugars. Zippo. None.
The texture of this bar is better than other protein bars too, because it tastes creamy from the almond butter, not tasteless like many protein bars out there.
I still would rather eat a meal, but if you do need a meal replacement, this one fits the bill, nutritionally speaking. Let’s get into more of that.
Why is Lentein better than other vegan proteins?
Compared to all other vegan proteins, Lentein® is essentially just pure water lentils.
Not actually a lentil at all, water lentils are a freshwater plant that is also called lemna or duckweed, so it is bright green as you might imagine. When eaten fresh, it tastes a lot like watercress, a vegetable.
Lentein® contains a full amino acid profile and is richer in cysteine and methionine, which are essential amino acids, than all other plant proteins. It is a complete protein compared to other vegan proteins too.
For comparison, this is similar to whey protein with an amino acid score of 0.93. For reference, whey protein has an amino acid score of 1.05 while lentils have an amino acid score of around 0.5 and soy is 0.9. These scores are corrected for protein digestibility.
And, Lentein® contains a much higher nutrition profile than lentils or soy too, with over double the iron, the fiber, the lutein, omega 3 fatty acids, and zinc, to name a few.
Other ways to eat green protein
Lentein® is also found in a few related products like protein powders on the market today. Keep in mind, water lentils have only been on the market for a few years, so products are just emerging.
True green protein powders from Lentein® include Clean Green Protein. Like all Lentein®, this contains a natural, full amino acid profile and is a whole food plant-based protein.
It also contains some pea protein, sea salt, vegetarian enzymes, stevia, and gum acacia (prebiotic fiber).
Be aware that if you search for water lentils on the internet, you may come up with regular lentils, which is not what you want for a complete protein source.
A note about Lentein sustainability
Unlike most plant proteins including legumes, Lentein® is carbon neutral and 98% of the water used in the process is recycled. Free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides too, this little plant protein regenerates itself every 48 hours.
In other words, the health of the planet is considered when making plant proteins like this one.
My take
Green Super Protein Lentein®meal replacement bar stands out for high nutrition marks and also for taste.
This is because water lentils themselves taste mild, yet pack a potent nutrient punch compared to other vegan protein sources.
As a sustainable food, water lentils are truly what they claim to be in comparison to many highly processed and so-called vegan health foods on the market today.