OWYN, which is an acronym for “Only What You Need,” is a protein shake brand that’s available in-person and online. The brand claims to use “plant protein,” “superfood greens” and “omega-3s.”

But is OWYN actually healthy? Does it provide enough protein to support muscle-building? What was our experience purchasing and trying it before working out? And why was its manufacturer sued?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in OWYN to give our take on whether or not it's likely to support muscle-building, and whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also share our honest experience purchasing and testing this protein shake, explain why the brand was sued, and compare OWYN to other popular vegan protein brands like Truvani to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

• Contains mostly healthy active ingredients
• Contains a few flavoring ingredients we consider unhealthy
• We don't currently recommend OWYN

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in the Dark Chocolate flavor of OWYN are shown below:

Pea protein and organic pumpkin seed protein serve as the primary plant protein sources, and this shake provides 20 grams (g) of protein per serving, which is a dose clinically shown to be effective for muscle building after exercise.

Organic flax oil is a vegan omega-3 fatty acid source, and a nutritious one, although it’s worth noting that vegan sources of omega-3 are not nearly as well-absorbed as animal sources, according to a 2022 medical review.

Soluble fiber is a healthy choice for an additional active ingredient, as fiber intake has been associated with weight loss in overweight and obese individuals in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition.

Broccoli, spinach and kale are included as part of a “Greens Blend,” but these ingredients are included at an equal or lower dose than salt, since ingredients on a Nutrition Facts label must be listed in order of relative concentration.

Since one serving of OWYN Dark Chocolate provides 350 milligrams (mg) of sodium, this suggests that there is 350 mg or less of these vegetables, and we haven’t come across any clinical research suggesting such a low dose of vegetables provides any health benefits.

We urge OWYN to publish the individual doses of these veggies, in the interest of transparency, given that the brand uses them in marketing materials.

The good news is that this is a substantially healthier formulation than commercial protein shakes like Muscle Milk that contain artificial sweeteners and artificial flavors.

OWYN’s protein shake does contain two inactive ingredients that may be questionable from a health perspective.

Added sugar is positively associated with increased mortality and increased cardiovascular disease risk, according to a 2014 medical review.

There is only 4 g of added sugar in OWYN, but health-conscious consumers may benefit from limiting added, refined sugar intake as much as possible.

Natural flavor may have toxic effects depending on the flavoring additives used, according to at least one medical review, as we discussed in our High Impact Protein reviews article on another protein shake brand that contains this ingredient.

Overall, we consider OWYN likely to support muscle growth and to be a healthier alternative to most commercial protein shakes, but we don’t currently recommend the brand due to the use of added sugar and flavoring additives.

We Tested OWYN

As the author of this article, I wanted to purchase and try OWYN myself to share my thoughts on the taste and overall product experience.

I purchased a 4-pack of OWYN Vanilla flavor from my local Whole Foods.

It's somewhat annoying that this brand seems to only be sold in 4-packs, because the option to purchase individually would be more convenient.

I liked the taste. This drink tastes like a vanilla milkshake, but isn't as sickly sweet as some of the other ready-to-drink protein shakes (Premier Protein comes to mind).

I like how convenient this product is. I took one on my way to the gym a few mornings in a row, and getting some calories and protein in seemed to improve my gym performance.

I wouldn't purchase this brand on a regular basis, but could see myself getting it while traveling because it's a healthier option than other ready-to-drink protein brands.

Overall, I'd rate OWYN 7/10.

Why Was OWYN Sued?

In 2020, OWYN was sued over allegations of misleading marketing.

The company marketed vanilla as the only flavoring ingredient, but natural flavors were also included in their formulations at the time, according to Truth in Advertising.

At the time of publishing this article, it's unclear if this lawsuit is ongoing, settled or was dropped.

We consider this to be a red flag of brand quality, but we do not consider this to be a serious risk to consumers, given that there are no allegations that the brand failed to list all of the ingredients on the Nutrition Facts label.

We recommend consumers read all of the ingredients in any food or health product they plan on using, rather than relying on marketing messages to make a purchase decision.

OWYN vs. Popular Vegan Protein Brands

Here's how OWYN stacks up against other popular vegan protein brands in terms of formulation quality and healthiness, in our opinion:

High Impact Protein

Contains a mineral at a relatively high dose which is frequently included in protein products, but which is clinically shown to have no effects on muscle growth.

Protein powder format (rather than liquid) gives it the edge in regard to healthiness due to potentially reduced risk of plastic and plasticizers leaching.

Winner: High Impact Protein

Truvani

This protein powder contains all organic ingredients, and is free from any additives we consider unhealthy, as we documented in our Truvani protein powder reviews article.

Also, protein powder format (rather than liquid in plastic bottling) may reduce risk of microplastic contamination.

Winner: Truvani

Orgain Protein

Vegan protein powder with all organic ingredients and no additives we consider unhealthy.

Winner: Orgain

Our Clean Vegan Protein Pick

Anthony's Organic Hemp Protein is our top vegan protein pick.

It's extremely nutrient-dense, providing 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron and 8% of the DV of potassium. This shake contains no additives.

OWYN Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Effective protein dose
• Should support muscle building
• Positive user reviews of taste
• Contains omega-3 fatty acids
• Contains green powders
• Contains fiber
• Lower sugar than competitors

Cons:

• Contains refined sugar
• Contains flavoring additives
• Expensive per-serving
• Doesn’t appear clinically tested
• Vegan omega-3 sources may be less bioavailable
• Questionable veggie doses

Conclusion

OWYN is a healthier option than the average ready-to-drink protein shake brand that we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health like Premier Protein Shakes and Muscle Milk, because it contains fiber and veggies, provides an effective protein dose and is relatively low in added sugar.

We don’t currently recommend this brand due to the refined sugar and the natural flavor. It’s also quite expensive per-serving.

OWYN should support muscle growth in athletes and can be a convenient protein option for vegetarians and vegans, given that it provides a dose of protein that’s clinically shown to support muscle growth.

We purchased and tried OWYN ourselves and found the taste to be decent, and noticed some subjective benefits to strength training at the gym.

We consider High Impact Protein, Truvani and Orgain Protein to be healthier options than OWYN.