Garden of Life Meal Replacement Shakes, Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder, Vanilla Protein Powder with Plant Based Pea Protein, Sprouts, Greens, Probiotics, Dairy Free 28 Servings

A few years ago, I tried ordering Shakeology, and actually loved the convenience of a healthy powder blend that I could use to whip up a healthy smoothie. The only problem? The price. It costs more than $130 for a 30 serving bag of the stuff! Also, I recently discovered that I have a sensitivity to dairy, so any products with whey protein are out. So, I stopped ordering it, and there weren't any comparable products on the market at that time for me to order.I recently wanted to find an alternative to Shakeology and found a couple of products that have the same idea in mind but at about a quarter of the price. I stuck with vegan products because I can't have whey protein. Also, I needed a product that was gluten free because of my gluten sensitivity. The two products are the Garden of Life RAW Organic meal replacement shake (in Slightly Sweet because I don't like stevia), and the Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 Shake (Vanilla). Here is my comprehensive review of the two.Price:Buying a jar of both of these powders will run you at about $40. The only difference is that the Nutiva shake has 18 servings per jar and GoL has 30 servings per jar. GoL also tends to be a little bit cheaper, depending on which flavor you get.Winner: GoL - 30 servings for less than $40 is a BARGAIN compared to Shakeology!Nutrient Macros:A scoop of either of these blends is going to be about 125 calories. The only difference is that the GoL has a little more fiber, and Nutiva has a little more healthy fat. Both brands have 20g of vegan protein, are still fairly high in fiber, and are low sugar.Winner: Tie.Ingredients:Here's where I am really impressed with the Garden of Life version. There are just dozens of health foods crammed into this powder that it is really reminiscent of Shakeology. Every ingredient comes from a pronounceable food, with the exception being the addition of digestive enzymes and probiotics (1.5 billion CFUs or colony forming units per scoop). I am a bit of a health nut, and seeing all of these healthy ingredients just makes me jazzed! In nearly every category here, GoL beats Nutiva. With two exceptions: flax seed meal and proteins from grains. I have to be really careful about what I eat because I have a mild form of crohn's disease that flares when I eat something I'm sensitive to. Something in the GoL powder causes me to react, and though I think it is the flax seed meal, it could also be the protein from rice, which can also cause celiac sufferers to flare. That being said, I am a rare case, and I am truly impressed with GoL here.Nutiva is also a great shake, with lots of grain free protein, digestive enzymes, and probiotics as well, though the ingredient list is about half as diverse as GoL.Winner: GoL by a landslide.Taste:Here is the kicker. I want to make this abundantly clear: these are HEALTH drinks, not a vanilla milkshake. Anything you make with these products is not going to taste like a milkshake. There are tons of reviews for both products about how bad it tastes. To be honest with you, I enjoy the taste of healthy things. And if you blend it up with some fruit for natural sweetness, they become downright delicious!Here's another thing: yes, I have been eating healthy for a long time, and I have a high tolerance for bitterness and grittiness when it comes to these powders. But as you put more healthy foods in your body, it begins to heal, and your brain will actually start to crave things that you used to hate. A perfect example for me is avocados. I couldn't stand avocados, but I ate them in whatever way I could stomach them because I knew they were good for you. In about a month, I got to the point where I craved them regularly! Sometimes you have to just push through the initial dislike before reaching nirvana. I think it is worth it!Okay, now that we have that aside, I'll compare the tastes one by one. I went with the Slightly Sweet flavor of RAW Meal, and I genuinely loved it! But I also blended it with other things! A typical smoothie for me consisted of unsweetened almond milk, RAW meal, some pumpkin seeds, some greens, and about a cup and a half of dark berries. This usually resulted in the perfect amount of sweetness for me, which is about the sweetness of 70% dark chocolate (slightly sweet but also bitter). Yum! The best part about blending it with other ingredients is that it also covers up the slight grittiness of the powder. Vegan proteins are never going to be as smooth as whey. The only downside to the RAW Meal powders is that you only have two options for sweetness: sweetened with stevia, and sweetened with sugar. There isn't a sweetener free option.The Nutiva shake powder smells better than the RAW meal powder - almost like a healthy cake batter. But Nutiva is sweetener free (except for a small amount of monk fruit extract, which you do NOT taste). This means that you can add in natural sugars, like from fruit, and have your smoothie sweetened that way. I actually like this option, because I prefer to sweeten my smoothies with bananas, which would make the RAW meal smoothie too sweet. Nutiva is also a little bit gritty, about the same level as RAW Meal. However, I did always notice that I enjoyed the RAW Meal smoothies more than the Nutiva ones.Winner: GoL - though if you want a sweetener free option, Nutiva still tastes pretty good!Drinkability:This category is similar to the 'Taste' category, but here is where I want to mention that both are a little gritty. Also, some other reviews mentioned that the powders congealed when left too long. I never had this problem, but I have a high power blender and always drank my smoothies fresh.Winner: Tie - with slight edge toward GoL.Final Thoughts:I really really wanted RAW Meal to be my new go to drink. It tastes better, has more flavors, is more cost effective, and has an incredible ingredient profile despite still being organic. However, I personally can't drink it. The flax meal in it causes my crohn's disease to flare up. I also know people who can't eat rice, and they would also react to RAW Meal (though Nutiva does have a little bit of 'rice extract' in it, the people I know don't react to the rice extract in Nutiva).Both are great alternatives to add a little extra dose of healthy to your morning shake, and, even though I can't drink the one I really like, I am grateful that Nutiva created a product that someone with my disease can drink!

I have always loved this shake. I am not a breakfast eater but do know it is necessary. This specific shake does not taste like supplements and if mixed well, it is very smooth like a dessert. I do blend mine at time with frozen fruit making it even better and more nutritious. If you are watching your calories, mix it with water (is not my favorite as it's not quite as creamy) or you can mix it with alternative milk product like almond, oat or soy milk. It came quickly and each time I order they come sealed perfectly. Have a Blessed Day.

I have the vanilla. It's versatile. I'm not that picky when it comes to flavor. I figure.. just take a look at ALL of which is in here, and it is really impressive that they can pull together a decent tasting product. It isn't all that sweet, has a low key vanilla flavor, but overall pleasing enough of a flavor. Works just fine as a base for adding other foods and flavors.I like it as is, as cold as I can get it. I also like it blended with any type of berry, sometimes I like to blend a banana and some peanut butter powder. Mmmm. Or I will add cacao powder for an added flavor and nutrition boost. I have yet to try it in baking-- will likely add some to pancakes sometime.Main thing for me is that this is a well rounded nutrition drink. I dont want just protein. I want nutrients that can nourish me. This is loaded with a wide assortment of foods, and so I find it valuable as part of my healthy eating pursuit. I like this brand, it is a trusted brand, and I would consider this again.Downside: only 14 servings (which I can see in the product description)IngredientsOrganic Sprouted Protein Blend: Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Organic Amaranth (sprout), Organic Buckwheat (sprout), Organic Millet (pearl & sprout), Organic Quinoa (sprout), Organic Chia Seed (sprout), Organic Adzuki Bean (sprout), Organic Flax Seed (sprout), Organic Garbanzo Bean (sprout), Organic Lentil (sprout), Organic Pumpkin Seed (sprout), Organic Sesame Seed (sprout), Organic Sunflower Seed (sprout), Organic Flavor Blend: Organic Vanilla Flavor with Other Organic Natural Flavors, Organic Erythritol, Organic Stevia Extract (leaf), Sea Salt, Organic Fiber Blend: Organic Tapioca Fiber, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Flax Meal, Organic Fruit & Vegetable Blend: Organic Spinach (leaf), Organic Baobab (fruit), Organic Apple (fruit), Organic Beet (root), Organic Broccoli (stalk & flower), Organic Carrot (root), Organic Tomato (fruit), Organic Green Bell Pepper (fruit), Organic Brussels Sprout (leaf), Organic Ginger (root), Organic Garlic (bulb), Organic Onion (bulb), Organic Strawberry (fruit), Organic Cherry (fruit), Organic Parsley (leaf), Organic Cauliflower (flower & stem), Organic Blackberry (fruit), Organic Cabbage (leaf), Organic Blueberry (fruit), Organic Raspberry (fruit), Organic Kale (leaf), Organic Cucumber (gourd), Organic Celery (stalk), Organic Asparagus (flower & stem), Organic Greens Blend: Organic Alfalfa Grass Juice, Organic Spirulina, Organic Barley Grass Juice, Organic Oat Grass Juice, Organic Wheat Grass Juice, Whole Food Vitamin & Mineral Blend: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Niacin, Zinc, Pantothenic Acid, Folate, Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Biotin, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin), Vitamin K, Chromium, Probiotic & Enzyme Blend: Lipase, Protease, Aspergillopepsin, beta-Glucanase, Cellulase, Bromelain, Phytase, Lactase, Papain, Peptidase, Pectinase, Hemicellulase, Xylanase, Bacillus subtilis DE111® (250 million CFU at time of expiration). Contains: Sesame. Made without dairy or soy ingredients, tree nuts, added sugars nor filler ingredients. Manufactured in a facility that also processes egg, milk, soy, wheat, fish, tree nuts and sesame. May contain traces of soy due to agricultural practices.DirectionsMix 1 level scoop (scoop included) with 8oz of cold water. Delicious with unsweetened almond milk.

I have one scoop of the less sweet, 1 scoop of collagen peptides, 6oz liquid egg whites, 8oz almond milk, and 4oz water in a shaker cup every single morning and I love it. I have been doing this almost every day for about 3 months now and might continue for the rest of my life. It leaves me feeling healthy and satiated especially when I pair it with an ezekial english muffin topped with coconut oil. I don't really have time to make a whole breakfast and clean up each day but with this shake and muffin combo i can be in and out of the kitchen in a matter of a few minutes and not feel like I missed out on anything.