Today I’m going to be reviewing Garden of Life Protein Powder.
Lately, I’ve been reviewing lots of different powders to see what the best one out there is.
The good thing about my reviews is that I’m completely honest and have actually bought these products and tasted them, rather than just taking people’s word for it or looking at other reviews.
So let’s get down to it!
First of all when looking at a plant based protein powder I ask myself these questions:
Is it made from natural ingredients, such as real fruits, vegetables, grains, and superfoods etc? Or is made from synthetic non-organic chemicals?
If you’re reading this then you’re probably very conscious of your health. Picking a powder with natural ingredients is going to be alot better for your body.
Can you pronounce all the ingredients on the label?
Some food labels can make you feel like you need to go back to school they’re so hard to understand.
If you find it difficult to understand, you don’t even know what’s going into your body!
The simpler the better!
What kind of tests were run on the product to prove label accuracy
and ingredient purity?
For example: What kind of heavy metals are in the powder?
What kind of independent quality certifications does the product
have?
Is it USDA Organic, non-GMO, Vegan etc?
How does it taste?
Obviously this is an important one!
You want something that’s good for you but also doesn’t taste like you’ve eaten the lawn outside.
So with all that in mind let’s see how Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein does in this review.
Garden Of Life Protein Powder – Pros & Cons
Pros
- USDA Organic
- Vegan – without dairy or soy ingredients
- Low sugar
- 22g protein
- 4g BCAAs
- Non-GMO
- Raw whole food
- Plant-based
- No Fillers, No Artificial flavours or Sweeteners
- No Preservatives
Cons
- Quite pricey
- Earthy flavor
What Does Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder Taste Like?
As you know the taste is the most important part right?
Obviously you want the healthy ingredients but you also want to enjoy what you’re drinking.
As youre probably aware you can use protein powder in a variety of ways i.e a shake, smoothie, pancakes (yum!)
To test this powder out I kept it sweet and simple, I made a shake with some unsweetened almond milk.
I would say that that’s probably a good way to test the taste of something as you don’t have other ingredients taking away the flavor.
The powder didn’t have a strong smell on opening but you could definitely tell it was vanilla flavour.
On trying it I wasn’t ‘wowed’ but i also wasn’t displeased.
The shake tasted like vanilla but also had a slightly earthy taste to it. (That’s probably down to the raw clean ingredients though!)
So overall it was ok, not my favorite but it was pleasant.
I’d like to say though, taste is subjective, so what could be average to me, could be the most delicious protein powder you’ve ever tried, or the opposite.
Just thought I’d say that as everyones different in terms of taste.
Video Review
Things That I Like About Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein
There are so many positives about this powder, I love that it is raw and organic. (Always a bonus in my eyes)
As someone who goes to the gym a lot I need that protein, this powder has a good amount, at 22g of protein.
It’s also low on sugar which helps keep off those extra pounds.
It is a non-GMO product which is good.
It’s organic, meaning the ingredients are grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals.
Whats not to like about all of the above?
This product seems to have the whole package when it comes to health. It contains all the right ingredients, has no junk food included, organic, plant based and the list goes on!
Also, I just want to say that I also had a quick look on Amazon to see what everyone else thought and Garden of Life has had lots of positive feedback and people love the brand and the powder.
I just thought I’d mention that as it’s good to know what others also think.
The Not So Good Things
I touched a bit earlier on the fact that the powder tasted a bit earthy. I wouldn’t say that was a complete negative but it might not be to some people’s taste. So might be worth thinking about that if you’re about to purchase.
However I think it would be hard not to taste like that when it’s packed with all that healthy ingredients.
I would also say, although this isn’t the most expensive powder in the world I would say it still has a higher price tag to some others.
What’s In The Garden of Life Protein Powder?
So the first thing to mention is protein. In one serving you get 22g which is about average for a plant-based protein.
Next is calories. You get 110 per serving which is about average again for most plant-based proteins I’ve tried.
Carbs are low at 2g (1g of net carbs) and no added sugar making it Keto friendly.
There’s also 2.5g of fat per serving.
So to summarise, per serving you’ll get:
- 22g protein
- 110 calories
- 2g carbs (1g net carbs)
- 2.5g fat
As I’ve expressed (alot) the powder is packed with goodness.
So what are the actual ingredients?
Raw Organic Protein Blend Vanilla: Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Organic Amaranth Sprout, Organic Buckwheat Sprout, Organic Millet Sprout, Organic Cracked Wall Chlorella, Organic Quinoa Sprout, Organic Chia Seed Sprout, Organic Garbanzo Bean Sprout, Organic Lentil Sprout, Organic Adzuki Bean Sprout, Organic Flax Seed Sprout, Organic Sunflower Seed Sprout, Organic Pumpkin Seed Sprout, Organic Sesame Seed Sprout
Organic Flavor Blend: Organic Vanilla Flavouring, Sweeteners: (Organic Erythritol (E968), Organic Stevia Extract (leaf) (E960)), Sea Salt, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Carob Bean Gum
Raw Probiotic and Enzyme Blend: Lipase, Protease, Aspergillopepsin, beta-Glucanase, Cellulase, Bromelain, Phytase, Lactase, Papain, Peptidase, Pectinase, Hemicellulase, Xylanase, (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus bulgaricusl (3 Billion CFU)
You also these Amino Acids per serving:
All in all it’s pretty good as you can see!
What Does Garden of Life Raw Organic Get Tested For?
Garden of life seems like a pretty ethical brand, they care about the ingredients in their products and people’s health.
They are always testing to make sure their products are safe and making sure it complies with food standards. They have a team of experts to do the testing but also use third parties to make sure the testing is accurate.
Also, their proteins are Trusted for Sport by informed choice which means it is safe for competitive use and free of banned substances.
After doing a bit of research I’ve discovered that Garden of Life regularly tests to ensure compliance with Prop 65. On the company website they say…
We want you to know that we take Prop 65 reporting very seriously as we only exist to Empower Extraordinary health.
What is Prop 65?
Proposition 65 means businesses in California need to give warnings about certain exposures to chemicals that cause cancer and other harm such as birth and reproductive defects.
This law has a list of 900 chemicals known to cause various health risks. If anything in California is sold causing exposure to any chemical on the list the product must come with a warning label.
The Price, And Best Places To Buy
Currently on Amazon it’s £47.95 for the 620g tub of Vanilla protein powder.
That works out at £2.39 per serving.
On the Garden Of Life website, it’s currently selling at £31.50 with £3.99 shipping.
That works out at £1.77 per serving.
So if you’re shopping in the UK it works out better to shop direct.
The Garden Of Life website also run promotions from time to so it might be even more cheaper when you buy direct.
As I write this now in September there’s a 30% off code which is great. That would take the price down to £25.20.
Even without an offer it’s still a good price.
Let’s talk prices in the USA.
In the US Amazon as of now it’s listed for $33.59 making it $1.67 per serving.
If you were to buy direct from the Garden of Life website in the US it’s currently selling for $38.39 which makes it $1.91 per serving.
So currently as I write this it’s cheaper to buy from Amazon if you’re in the US.
Prices are always subject to change though so it’s best you check the prices out on BOTH websites to see what the best price at the time is.
Click here to check it out on Amazon.
Click here to check it out on The Garden Of Life’s website.
Conclusion
Well it’s that time already. Time to wrap this review up.
I’ve been as honest as I can be and I have nothing bad to say about this powder, it just wasn’t the ‘one’ in terms of taste in my eyes but I would happily use the whole tub and not feel like it was a waste of money.
Just one serving of this powder is full of goodness so if you’re looking for a plant-based protein powder then Garden Of Life is a very good option.
There you go. I hope this review was of some help to you.
Thanks for taking the time to read, feel free to leave a comment, and I hope you find the plant based powder that’s right for you!
FAQ
Does this powder contain all essential amino acids?
Yes, this product does contain all the 9 amino acids which are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Is Garden of Life Organic protein powder keto friendly?
Yes, it would be classed as keto friendly as it only has 1g of net carbs per serving.
Is Garden of life Protein raw?
Garden of Life plant proteins are always produced under low temperatures preserving their complete amino acid integrity and whole food, certified organic, non GMO goodness.
