Sweetened only with monk fruit
Protein Powder Without Artificial Sweeteners
Both of our proteins skip sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, stevia and erythritol. The only sweetener is monk fruit.
4.9 average from 553 reviews
Sweeteners
Monk fruit is the only sweetener we use.
Choose your protein
Both are sweetened only with monk fruit. Pick by protein per serving and what else you want in the shake.
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Foundational Plant Protein
Plant protein plus organic greens, fruits and adaptogens in one shake.
- Protein
- 18g per serving
- Protein from
- Organic brown rice, pea and hemp
- Sweetened with
- Monk fruit
- Sugar
- Less than 1g
- Certified
- Non-GMO, gluten-free
Best for: one daily shake that covers more than protein.
$54.99$46.74 with subscribe & save
Shop now -
Optimal Plant Protein
Our simplest formula: organic pea and brown rice protein, vanilla and monk fruit.
- Protein
- 26g per serving
- Protein from
- Organic pea and brown rice
- Sweetened with
- Organic monk fruit
- Sugar
- 0g
- Certified
- Organic, Non-GMO, gluten-free
Best for: the most protein from the fewest ingredients.
$69.99$59.49 with subscribe & save
Shop now
What customers say
4.9 average from 553 reviews of our proteins. Quotes from verified buyers.
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My favorite protein ever!
“I absolutely love this protein powder! Not only is it plant based, but they don't add any artificial sweeteners (hard to find), nor do they add stevia (even harder to find)!”
Kimberly M.Verified buyer · Foundational Plant Protein -
So good!
“I love this protein powder. The ingredients are great and there's no stevia or gross after taste. Highly recommend!”
Andrea C.Verified buyer · Optimal Plant Protein -
Surprised at how good this is
“The surprise is that the monk fruit in this doesn't bother me at all. Normally, I'm sensitive to non-sugar sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit in protein powders especially, but this one is masked by the other additions like blueberry, cocoa, and pleasant umami-like flavor of the adaptogens.”
Yuliya B.Verified buyer · Foundational Plant Protein
- 6 high-intensity sweeteners approved by the FDA as food additives, from saccharin to sucralose1
- 1 sweetener in our proteins: monk fruit
- 26g Protein per serving of Optimal Plant Protein
What counts as an artificial sweetener?
There's no official definition. The FDA groups these ingredients as high-intensity sweeteners: sweeteners many times sweeter than table sugar. Six are approved as food additives: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), sucralose, neotame and advantame. Purified stevia leaf extracts and monk fruit extracts reached the market through GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") notices instead.1
When people say "artificial sweeteners," they usually mean that group of six, which are synthesized rather than extracted from a plant. Sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol are a separate group, often used alongside them.
| Sweetener | What it is | In fitppl protein? |
|---|---|---|
| Sucralose | Approved food additive | No |
| Acesulfame potassium | Approved food additive | No |
| Aspartame | Approved food additive | No |
| Stevia (steviol glycosides) | Leaf extract, GRAS | No |
| Erythritol | Sugar alcohol | No |
| Monk fruit | Fruit extract, GRAS | Yes, our only sweetener |
Why people skip them
For many people it's taste: an aftertaste they'd rather not have in a daily shake. For others it's the research. In 2023 the World Health Organization recommended against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or lower the risk of disease, noting that much of the long-term evidence is observational.2
The same year, the WHO's cancer research agency classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic" based on limited evidence, while a separate WHO expert committee kept its acceptable daily intake unchanged at 40mg per kilogram of body weight.3
Sugar alcohols raise their own questions. A 2023 study linked higher blood levels of erythritol to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, though it couldn't show cause and effect.5 Our guide to erythritol-free protein powder covers what that research can and can't tell us.
Why we use monk fruit
Both fitppl proteins are sweetened only with monk fruit extract, from the fruit Siraitia grosvenorii, also called luo han guo.1 It lets us add a little sweetness with no sugar, no stevia and nothing synthetic.
To be straight with you: monk fruit is still a non-nutritive sweetener, and the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise avoiding both added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners.4 If you want no sweetener at all, an unsweetened protein powder is the strictest choice. If you want some sweetness without sugar or synthetic sweeteners, monk fruit is where we drew the line.
What to check on the label
- The ingredient list. Sweeteners are listed there by name, so look for sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, stevia (or Reb A) and sugar alcohols.
- Front-of-pack claims. "No sugar" or "naturally sweetened" doesn't tell you which sweetener is used.
- Blends. Some products pair two or three sweeteners, so read past the first one.
- The rest of the formula. Neither fitppl protein uses gums or "natural flavors." Read why some people avoid stevia in protein powder.
If you're also cutting sugar, see our sugar-free protein powder.
Questions, answered
Artificial sweeteners, stevia and monk fruit, explained.
Which protein powders don't have artificial sweeteners?
Look for powders that are unsweetened or sweetened with a plant extract like monk fruit or stevia, and check the ingredient list for sucralose, acesulfame potassium and aspartame.1 Both fitppl proteins are sweetened only with monk fruit.
Is monk fruit an artificial sweetener?
No. Monk fruit extract comes from the fruit Siraitia grosvenorii, also called luo han guo, and is used in the U.S. under GRAS notices rather than as an approved food additive.1 It is still a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it adds sweetness without sugar.
Is stevia an artificial sweetener?
Not by origin. Purified steviol glycosides come from stevia leaves.1 Some people still avoid stevia because of its taste. Read more in Is stevia in protein powder bad?
Is sucralose bad for you?
Do fitppl proteins contain sugar alcohols like erythritol?
Neither contains erythritol. Optimal Plant Protein has just four ingredients: organic pea protein, organic brown rice protein, organic vanilla and organic monk fruit.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. High-Intensity Sweeteners.
- World Health Organization. Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline. 2023.
- UICC. Aspartame classified as a possible carcinogen, acceptable daily intake remains unchanged (IARC and JECFA evaluations). 2023.
- Elsayed S, Nelson M. Dietary Guidelines for 2025–2030: Recommendations From the USDA and HHS. American Family Physician, 2026.
- Witkowski M, Nemet I, et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nature Medicine, 2023.