Garden of Life Organic Vegan Unflavored Protein Powder

Lo uso siempre para desayunar

Well received in 2 weeks. Thanks!

If you’re looking for a non-GMO, non-heated, natural source of protein that doesn’t break the bank, this one fits the bill. And Amazon has the best price (especially if you subscribe & save).

I’m vegetarian and was getting a bit underweight, so I needed to supplement with some shakes that were healthy (ie, not gooped up in hydrogenated corn oil and sweeteners). I also am blessed with a fairly sensitive stomach, so I didn’t want to go with super-processed whey proteins or estrogenic soy proteins. And finally…I wanted something I could mix into things that wouldn’t taste artificially sweet or, well, weird. So I got hooked on this protein and it’s been a staple ever since.

There are tons of things to love about this protein. First, I like about it is that it’s a synergistic blend of many types of proteins – pea, rice, amaranth, chia, etc – so you’re getting a full spectrum of healthy proteins. Another plus is that it has probiotics – helpful for digestion. It’s also not heated, there’s no stevia or other sweeteners so it’s like a “blank palate” for making it salty, sweet, spicy, etc. (The possibilities are endless – I’ve made it into a hummus-like dip, sweet smoothies, added it to cookies and baked goods, sprinkled it on fruit and yogurt..) There’s a lot of powder in a scoop (compared to other proteins out there), but it’s not super high calorie and has a high percentage (80%) of protein. Finally, it doesn’t taste FOUL. I mean, I have tried plenty of proteins – basically everything that’s at your local Whole Foods – and some of them, especially the pea-protein-heavy ones like PlantFusion, taste salty and funky. This one I’ve actually grown to like. I’ve had it plain (mixed just with water), with almond milk (gives it a nice “caramel-y” undertone), with fruit and coconut milk as a dessert, and even in a blended soup. I felt amazing after starting to supplement twice a day – I’m much more muscular, feel more energetic, and am certainly less hungry.

Why am I knocking it off one star? First, there is no information about the sodium content on the label. Check out other pea proteins – you’ll see sodium is anywhere from 11 – 27% of your RDA. (Whether sodium consumption really affects blood pressure is another issue, but still – I want to know what I’m consuming.) Given that nearly EVERY protein out there that I’ve seen has information about this, it’s really unacceptable for Garden of Life not to disclose this on the label.

Also, note the taste WILL take some getting used to if you’re used to the sucralose/stevia sweetened whey proteins or other super-sugary protein shakes out there. You can start by replacing the sugar with fruit, or maybe add a few drops of stevia. Honestly, though, give it a week or two, and those tastes will start to change, and the natural taste actually becomes something you like. It’s nice to give over-stimulated taste buds a break from all that sweetness.

I will also say that there are better tasting proteins out there. My personal favorite is brown rice protein – it’s smooth, blends really well, and just tastes “sweeter”. But it’s only one type of protein, so I like to mix it up – some days I’ll do the brown rice, some days Garden of Life.

I’d highly recommend this as a “starter” natural protein for anyone looking for a good, complete, non-processed source of vegetarian protein!

Has a slightly pumpkin spice flavor to it and very dry/fibrous. (my tastebuds are very sensitive these years, and that is what it tastes like). It works best added to sweet versus savory (sugar vs salt) items as the sort of sweet overtones may come through the latter.

EDIT, this stuff tastes much better now, less pumpkin skin that you licked, and less gritty. Will still give it five stars. The jar got larger and comes one scoop over being half full (settles in shipping I believe). I bought two of the new formulation and was able to fit almost all of it into one jar (minus two scoops). I don’t know if I like the new ‘corncob’ style scoop but at least it is seethrough so you can see if it’s fully packed, I often have to use a finger to push a bottom gap full and rescoop to fill the scoop. Rest of unedited review below…

I can tell that this packs a protein punch, adding it to okara allows me to make a ‘porridge’ that approaches the same protein content as meat, without the cholesterol. Very palatable and best in some sort of moist product to help hide the dry mealy-ess of the powder. The scoop seems a bit large, you do not have to add ALL of that to your smoothie or puree, just be aware of what a serving size is (one scoop). It does work well in sweet potato or tomato based soups, with spinach or avocado as well. It is well complimented by cinnamon, nutmeg, and stevia or raw sugar.

With being a medical vegan and celiac, this supplement is gluten free and also helps boost my protein intake easily. Do make sure that you are eating a balanced diet, this can help you get the nutrients you need. Highly recommend. My doctor approved it, and it is helping me fill out my frame after a necessary catastrophic weightloss.

OK, this isn’t the tastiest protein powder. In fact, it tastes a bit chalky at first, but it’s still my go-to staple. No sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no weird ingredients. Easy on the system. Built for the long-haul. Like eating anything healthy, after a while it becomes normal, and sweet, processed food doesn’t taste right.