Vegan protein powder that dissolves in cold water: Cleanit Black Bean

The weather's gotten a lot warmer — is everyone out there dieting hard, haha? I'm still stuck in this cycle of eating clean then binging.. I lose 3kg on weekdays and gain it right back on weekends, so basically holding steady, hahaha. Today I want to introduce a vegan protein that's great as a breakfast substitute: Cleanit Black Bean! :)

Why choose Cleanit Black Bean over a store-bought protein shake?

Usually after working out I either have no appetite or can't get a proper meal in right away, so I reach for a protein shake to make sure I get enough protein! But most protein shakes on the market are loaded with synthetic additives. I've tried pretty much every protein that's supposed to be good, but it seems really hard to make protein taste good using just pure protein..

On top of that, the price felt a bit much too. Even with group buys it's still nearly ₩2,800-something per serving, ugh.. I've been trying to eat more natural whole foods when I can, so I've been holding back as much as possible.

And then it hit me — black beans!! Seoritae (black soybeans) have protein too!! That's how I came across Cleanit, a vegan protein with good ingredients that still lets you get your protein in, hahaha. Why didn't I think of this sooner..lol

So I ordered it right away! Delivery came in almost a day. You all already know how famous seoritae is. It's basically the poster child of black foods — great for people dieting since it gives you protein and can even help prevent hair loss! It's got protein of course, plus biotin and brewer's yeast, so honestly there's no reason not to eat it.

I already love black beans in general, so I've had a lot of black bean soy milk and seoritae soy milk, but store-bought versions tend to have a lot of sugar so I kept holding back. But since this comes as a powder, it's easy to store and all you have to do is mix it with water, so I thought it'd work great as a protein substitute.

Cleanit Black Bean ingredients, calories and sugar per 40g

The ingredients speak for themselves. Based on the 40g daily serving, it's only 170 calories, with 18g of carbs and a whopping 13g of protein. Also, since it tastes a bit sweet when you drink it, I figured the sugar must be high too — but wait, only 1.9g of sugar??... It's a low-sugar food, lol. We dieting folks love low sugar, right?

And look — it's a whopping 100% domestic roasted black soybean powder. So I felt like I could trust what I was eating. Since it's a powder, the shelf life is generous too, and unlike protein that needs refrigeration, this can be kept at room temperature without taking up fridge space, so it's great for stocking up.

Zippered pouch: no need to transfer the powder to another container

The packaging didn't cut corners either, lol. It comes in a zippered pouch, so there's no need to transfer it into a separate container — just take what you need and zip it back up. Perfect for someone lazy like me.

How much is 40g? How much water to use and how to mix it

So how much is 40g exactly — turns out it's about two heaping big spoonfuls. It says to mix it with 170ml of water or 200ml of soy milk, so I went with 170g of water. I measured the water out exactly, and now that I've got a feel for it I think I can just eyeball it next time. I weighed everything out and this was about the amount.

At first I doubted it would dissolve well in cold water.. but I just stirred it a few times with a spoon and it dissolved right away?? No gritty texture at all, so you really don't need hot water — cold water works fine too.

What does Cleanit Black Bean taste and feel like?

I like sweet things, so I mixed in allulose and ice and it was genuinely delicious. Kind of like drinking sweet misugaru (roasted grain powder drink)? If you have a baby, I think it'd be good to share with them too. And it's not overly sweet — just pleasantly sweet, so I think adults would like it too. If you're into sweet stuff like me, mixing in a sugar substitute works great. I tried adding allulose again the next day and it was even better;;; lol

When you scoop it with a spoon, this is about the texture. Goes down smooth, like you could just gulp it down? Not too thick, but not watery either.

Who is Cleanit Black Bean worth buying for?

If you're looking for a vegan protein, or if you're worried about what's actually in store-bought protein shakes, I'd recommend trying Cleanit Black Bean. I'm planning to finish this bag and repurchase :)