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

Finding your flavor is like being Goldilocks in the Garden of Life!! (Reviews for all options except Vanilla)
I’m writing this review as someone who has tried the unflavored, chocolate, and vanilla spiced chai.First things first, this is ridiculously healthy. It will absolutely make you have more energy and keep you full for a surprising amount of time, blah blah blah. There are enough reviews saying this, so let me get into the nitty gritty.Something that can be revulsive to people trying this to the first time are the texture; say farewell to the dairy based meal replacement shakes that reminded you of your childhood Yoohoo days! This stuff is thick. Unless you are prepared to chug it right away, I recommend extra liquid for one scoop of powder. Upon my first use, I made my shake (two scoops of powder to their recommended liquid) and got in my car. When I arrived at my destination, I popped the lid of my shaker bottle to find it had all but solidified. My preferred consumption is now 50% more liquid to one scoop.That also brings me to another issue I have become accustomed to: the way it absorbs water will likely lead to a lumpy shake if only using a shaker bottle unless you can VIGOROUSLY shake constantly like a blender until your arm falls off or the entire shake is consumed. Like I said, this is just what I adjusted to in the morning when I am running out the door. Chewing your morning shake is like flexing your jaw muscles! It’s not a great textural experience, but that is what I get for hitting snooze too much.Onto the flavor reviews!!UNFLAVORED: Be prepared for a bitter taste followed by an almost sour aftertaste. No matter how much fruit, almond butter, and even chocolate I tried blending it with, it NEVER got rid of that absolutely awful taste. Perhaps I got a bad batch, but I ended up throwing the ENTIRE tub of powder away after 10 failed attempts at making it palatable. Holding your nose while drinking a shake is no way to be.CHOCOLATE: Though my first experience was so awful, I decided to go back because I like the fact that this product is raw and vegan. Chocolate was a HUGE improvement, but there was still a twinge of an unwanted aftertaste. Unlike the Un-Flavored, I finished the whole tub! It isn’t chocolatey like most other meal replacement shakes, but it can still be satisfying while still helping you be super healthy.VANILLA SPICED CHAI: There was a about a year between finishing the chocolate tub and buying the chai mini tub. I kept eyeing the chai, but was worried that without the heavy masking flavor of the chocolate, I would be left with that abhorrent aftertaste. I purchased a small tub, and mixed it in my shaker bottle with almond milk. With my first reintroduction to the meal replacement from Garden of Life, there was a faint unpleasant aftertaste, but it didn’t linger! After three days, there was no note of any remote unpleasantness. Not only that, but this flavor is INSANELY delicious. It’s not too sweet, not as overpowering as the chocolate, and I look forward to my breakfast shake EVERYDAY.I’ve since signed up for Amazon Subscribe and Save to regularly receive the large tubs. In the mornings when I have a bit more time, I blend one scoop Vanilla Spiced Chai flavor with extra unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or flavor free) and a whole banana. I cannot begin to express how incredibly delicious this combination is. I even crave it over my lunch salads. It’s basically the healthiest dessert-y breakfast you could treat yourself to in the morning.Yes, this stuff is worth it. Find a flavor you love! I recommend buying the mini tubs to sample the different offerings before investing in something that might just get thrown away. And if you are new to this product, keep an open mind. The texture hard to adjust to, but it will give you the energy to feel like a super hero!

Let Me Explain First
Okay, I have no wheat or milk allergies etc. I’m not vegan, nor a vegetarian. What I DO have problems with is eating enough. I don’t eat the amount of calories I should a day. My nutritionist has always said that my being overweight had to do with not eating enough, and that my body was constantly in starvation mode, so every bit of calorie just sticks to my frame instead of helping me out so to speak. I do eat healthy things, and always have. I’ve kept a food journal religiously for years, and it’s pretty certain that that three ounce brownie on Sunday isn’t what makes me so hefty. Nor is it my lack of movement, I walk about three kilometers a day. Yes, I know, this probably sounds farfetched, but it’s not quite as outre as it seems. I just have no appetite. It used to be I’d forget to eat until I got dizzy or whatever, just because I’ve got no hunger sensation. Funny, because I do like food, I just don’t like to have much of it.So, to make myself eat more than once a day, I’m going back to my old standby: drinking a meal. Now, way back when, I used to just mix up some fruit, yogurt, honey, milk, and ice. That is still something I like, however, it doesn’t pack enough of a caloric and nutrient punch to help me out.I’ve looked at various protein shakes and whatnot, but again, they’re not whole meal replacements. They don’t pack the nutrients I need. And to make sure they do have what I need, it required lots of extra song and dance and additives. Plus, I’ve just not come across one I like very much.I stumbled upon RAW Meal, and my expectations weren’t too high, but that at least it had what my body needed.Here’s how I make mine to get the most flavour for me and my tastebuds (along with some extra live cultures and whatnot):About half a cup of whole milk from my local dairyBlack tea powder that I’ve made from using a mill on my favourite black tea, then mixing in masala chai spices (cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise, ginger, nutmeg) OR coffee powder, a few tablespoons, just for flavourA few spoonfuls of homemade yogurt (yes, see, I told you, I like food, I make food, I just don’t eat it)A big handful of iceAnd a few tablespoons of raw honeyWhat this has yielded for me the last few weeks is either a coffee drink or a chai drink, both of which I like a great deal. I might throw in some matcha next time for some more variety. It IS gritty. But it’s not UNPLEASANTLY gritty. I haven’t noticed the ‘grass’ taste that’s been mentioned by others, but when I open the jar, I do smell a bit of a ‘green/hay’ smell. Perhaps how I doctor mine just covers the taste enough for me to not notice. Is this stuff delicious? No. But it’s pretty far from bad when you give it a little help. As an experiment, I DID try it with just water, and yes, oh my, that was filthy disgusting nasty cardboard and raw ground up dried black bean nasty. Now of course some people can do that and think it tastes great, for me, there’s no way I could ever choke that down.Overall I would recommend this to someone who is having issues with getting enough of the right stuff in their diet, those who are trying to cut out excess icky stuff but still need something nutritious and filling and EASY. This isn’t the sort of ‘bulk you up power protein explosion in a cannister workout body builder muscle milk’ stuff. This is ‘food’ stuff. It’s good, it’s decent, and for the price, I’m very happy. I’ll post an update in a few months to see how I’m doing on using this to help retrain my body on how to eat more regularly and be off of the starvation mode. So, thanks for reading all of this, hopefully it was helpful, and have a good day.P.S. Why didn’t I give this a five star? Because while it does what I require of it, it’s not the perfect ideal either. More flavour options would be nice. And no, I don’t mean strawberry or banana bleck, but something like coffee or green tea or chai. Something that would actually mix well with the texture and whatnot.UPDATE: (5 week update and I’m on my third order, I’ve ordered a fourth as backup in case my husband starts getting into the RAW meal too)Okay, funnest thing the last few days. I wake up starving. My evening meals have been no different than usual (whole grain, protein, two servings of veggies, and then a small pudding or yogurt pop for dessert, or a Greek yogurt). The only thing that’s different is that I’ve been having a shake for breakfast or lunch, and a sandwich or oatmeal. Also, sometimes I feel like I’d just rather have another shake than eat solids. That’s not bad exactly, it’s just kind of odd. What makes it so odd however, is that I haven’t had true hunger sensation in over a decade – I just eat because I’m supposed to, or if I remember, or, if I’ve forgotten – once I start feeling weak. My nutritionist says it’s the fact that my metabolism is starting up and finally putting on its training wheels to start working once again. When I first started the RAW Meal, I had to fight to remind myself to eat dinner, and lunch? What was that? Couldn’t bear the thought of it. Now, I want lunch. I want breakfast. I want dinner. But at the same time I don’t want to eat-eat-eat. I just want a portion that’s normal and natural. I’m slowly getting my caloric intake up to 1800 a day, and once I start exercising, I’ll probably manage somehow to eat 2,000-2,200 (which my nutritionist said would be best for my hypoglycemia, so my body doesn’t think it’s in starvation mode anymore.)I don’t feel bloated, in fact, I’ve noticed my edema has gone down. Haven’t weighed myself, but my pants feel a little looser, which has to do with the edema going down of course, and I’ll take a look at my weight in another month. (My nutritionist weighs me, but Amanda doesn’t want me to focus on the weight itself yet, not until we’ve got my metabolism ready and rearing to go. So she records it, but I don’t look. It’s just part of how we’ve figured out it works for me best. Everyone’s a little different when it comes to motivation, I’m doing this more for my health, than to lose weight specifically.)

c’est vraiment bon au gout mon conseil est de le mixer avec du lait d’amande pour un coté saveur “YOP”, avec de l’eau veillez qu’elle soit plutôt froide que tiède.au niveau du ressenti j’ai eu beaucoup moins de fringales en plein milieu de journée, ça tient bien au corps.

Over the last year I have really got in to healthy eating and fitness. However my main problem is I often don’t have the time to cook a full meal with vegetables and a protein source. My only cheap take-out options are high is salt and processed oils and meats. I discovered this and genuinly felt energised and satisfied after my first serving. My only complaint is that for the first 10 or so servings it tastes very bad. However I got used to the taste and now I don’t mind it. Personally I don’t care that all the ingredients are organic etc, if there was a cheaper non-organic version I would definitely switch. However I highly recommend this product and I will be ordering my 2nd tub soon!