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

I originally picked up my first jar of Raw Meal 3 months ago, figuring i'd give it a shot before my Soylent shipment arrived. Since then i've replaced 2 meals a day, every day for 3 months with Raw Meal, filling in with 3-400'ish calorie salads when I feel the urge to chew/eat -- and i've been feeling better than ever. I've lost 20 pounds and feel my health gradually improving every day. The consistency is quite thick and grainy. There is probably nothing they can do about this considering the ingredients that are included. There are tons of sprouts and fiber - responsible for the grainyness, and chia seeds, responsible for the thickening. Once the product is in your stomach, it seems as if it expands even more - absolutely obliterating hunger for a good 4-6 hours. Is it worth "getting used to" / "manning up" and drinking it anyway? I'm far from being a health expert but I can say - Absolutely, yes. Take another glance at the ingredients. These are all amazing foods that the body could benefit from. 20 different sources of your day-to-day fast foods wouldn't give you the ingredients you get from 2 scoops of this mix. Fixing the taste: I'd recommend trying the mix the way they instruct on the label the first time... 2 scoops in 16oz of water. See if that's tolerable to you. If so, great -- it's fine that way if you're in a rush and need a quick meal before you leave, etc... To me, all of the flavored varieties (Vanilla, Chocolate, Vanilla Chai) are all great tasting plain. Unflavored Raw Meal (this product) tastes terrible plain, however, and needs a bit of enhancing. If you want to experiment around, I recommend getting some kind of blender (immersion and standard are both fine).. Freeze a few banannas... Pick up a few bags of frozen fruits (whichever you prefer -- I think berries are best)... Throw in half a brick of frozen spinach / broccoli / etc... The frozen consistency helps with the grainyness. If you prefer a thicker drink, try some unsweetened almond milk instead of water.. 1 other thing i'd suggest is to give the jar a rigorous shake when you first get it before opening... it seemed (judging by the taste) that some of the ingredients must have separated and settled to the bottom during shipping. All in all, i'm very happy with this product. It serves as an extremely healthy replacement for the foods I typically used to eat, and really helped me change my mindset pertaining to food overall. I still get cravings for unhealthy foods, but they're becoming less and less frequent as I glance back to the label of Raw Meal to see the healthy things i'm putting in my body now instead. I'm not sure if comparing this product to Soylent is even an appropriate comparison, but I think Raw Meal combined with a light regular meal every day or 2 - might give the Soylent regiment a run for its money. FYI: You get about 10-11 meals (2 scoops each) out of a 2.6lb jar of Raw Meal.

When I first tried this product I could barely swallow it. I started mixing it with Coconut Milk and a lot of Stevia and still had a challenge. Now I take it straight up without any issues. It is doing exactly what I thought it would do. Energy, weight loss, etc. I usually don't have problems with unusual tasting supplements but this took a bit of time to get used to. Here's the key when you start out: 1. Use twice as much cold water as recommended. I would make it in two batches. Extra water cuts the consistency and cold water slows the thickening process. If you have to "take a break" from drink the mix just being able to wait for the 2nd batch can make all the difference. 2. Don't chug it but drink it deliberately because the powder begins to thicken immediately and after a several minutes it goes down like sludge. Keep in mind this is only how it seems when you first start using the product. Later you won't notice. 3. Use Coconut or Almond Milk to cut the taste and Stevia to sweeten. Keep in mind that Coconut Milk etc is adding calories although they are good calories. If you are wanting to spike weight loss extra calories just slows things done a bit but in order to get over the initial taste "hump" do whatever it takes. I promise it gets better. 4. If you are using this product for weight loss one thing you will miss in the beginning is the bulk of whatever you have been used to eating before starting this product. Be prepared for this. I recommend something crunchy to eat in the first 30 minutes after drinking this. Your body is going to be screaming at you - "HEY YOU!!! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!? WHERE IS MY BISCUIT!?!". Ignore the screams and eat a hand full of almonds, or several pretzels, or basically whatever will satisfy the craving. Eat just enough to make your body think you are giving it something and then quit! No more! By the time your body realizes nothing else is coming your blood sugar will have stabilized and you will begin to feel normal again. This happens for severals days or maybe a couple of weeks and once in a while rears its ugly head just to keep you off balance. You are not dying! Do not indulge your body or it will believe it can beat you and it will fight you harder and longer. 5. In the first several days depending on your overall condition and previous eating habits you will be thinking something is wrong...like you are too weak to go on with your day. This is not the fault of the product or anything that is missing from the product. It is your body objecting to being pushed out of its comfort zone. Let it object. Eventually it will get too weak to object and you will begin to get a burst of energy. You will prevail. 6. If you want to spike the results combine this product with burst training and you will get the results you want. You may need to stick with it during weeks or months of little results especially if you have spent years in a sedentary state but stick with it. Eventually your body will get tried of fighting everything you are doing and submit to the changes. 7. After you adjust to the mix the biggest problem you will have is other people carrying on about how your drink looks. I must admit it does look less than appetizing. Keep in mind though that most of the carrying on that other people will do is rooted in jealousy that you are breaking out a belief system that they know they are unable to do. You will also notice that people begin to offer you cookies, cake, etc trying to derail your efforts. It's not until you begin to post results that they will swing to your side and encourage you. Then their thinking changes to "If he can do it then maybe I can too!". Now every morning I fill a wide mouth Rubbermaid jug with the amount of water I need, put the scoop of powder in a baggie, and take off. Somewhere around lunch I mix the powder and drink it. The water is tepid, there's no Coconut Milk, no Stevia, etc. just water and powder. I actually look forward to nourishment without the heaviness of a meal and my body doesn't have the overhead of burning off a bunch of excess calories. It just keeps on working the program I started it on 6 months ago and my 1 year goal is in sight! It is a big goal and for the first few months I didn't think I was going to get anywhere near it. Now I can see it and every time I drink Garden of Life Raw Meal I can taste it! Stick to it! Don't cheat on yourself! Good luck!

It checks all the boxes: vegan, organic, sprouted, complete nutrition, and it doesn't make me feel bloated (like some of the other similar ones do). When blended with fruit, fruit juice, ice, and any other organic vegan protein that blends better, it's like having Ice Cream for breakfast...with all the vitamins your doctor asked you to take, but none of the bad taste that one usually associates with "multi-vitamins," and none of the bloat that other vegan organic proteins have been causing. It's the first organic, vegan, protein I've found in a LONG, long time that doesn't weigh me down or make me feel like I've swallowed a balloon. I'm not allergic to anything in it, apparently, and they've figured out what to do to eliminate "the bloat," so win, win, win. It has all of the vitamins and minerals my doctor told me to include in my "vegan diet," too! The only slightly negative thing to say about it, is that it's not the best blending if you don't add, say, a banana, or another protein powder that you know blends well. It's finely ground and smooth; there's no "sandy" taste, and it tastes very good. There's no artificial sweetener, nor any "kale-y" or "grassy" or other overpowering taste at all. It seems compatible with all of the fruits and fruit juices I've tried with it (organic peaches, organic cherries, etc.; whatever organic fruit is in season locally or available frozen). I use primarily this protein now, and just add a spoonful of any of the variety of "better blending with anything" organic vegan proteins I keep in our rotation (we usually have a vanilla flavor Sunwarrior or Aloha, or similar low-key, good blending, non bloating variety in our pantry - along with an Omega-rich one, like, say, Hemp-yeah). I'm delighted to have found my new "go-to" reliable non-bloating breakfast blend! No more "waiting out" an uncomfortable bloat or other tummy trouble that OTHER brands have caused me in the past. Thank you Garden of Life! We've all been waiting for another "non-bloating" organic, vegan, sprouted, complete protein since the loss of our old safe fave (Genuine Health's Fermented Organic Vegan Protein - vanilla). Fellow "sensitives" celebrate! This is one of the "good ones!"

I have gone over the ingredients list on both this flavor and the vanilla flavor and I cannot find opium listed anywhere, but for some reason I spontaneously break out into song--"I'm Waiting for the Man", specifically--when the UPS driver buzzes my door with a fresh tub. Cannot explain this, but I like to sing, so I guess it is no big deal. I have been drinking two of these shakes a day for the last month, and it seems to me that Garden of Life has managed to put together something like mother's milk for adults, because I crave this stuff now to the point that I am seriously afraid to run out! OK, to be honest, I am also dealing with some health problems that are interfering with my appetite, and so I think the first few shakes helped to replenish some much-needed, sorely-missed nutrients. And I find the shakes so easy to drink, even with a stomach that cannot make up its mind how it feels about food at all, that I am starting to feel like they are keeping me alive. This is by far the best meal replacement/supplement drink that I have ever tried. That might have something to do with it being a bit of a miracle food for me right now, but I think I would feel good drinking this no matter what shape I was in. It is easy to digest: no burps, no gas, a pleasantly full feeling and a gently regularized GI tract are all I notice after finishing a shake. A bit of energy, too, but it has substance behind it that keeps me going rather than leading to a crash. It seems to keep my blood glucose at a fairly smooth curve, to the degree that I can tell--I no longer pass out when I stand up too quickly, mainly. The taste? I like it. I don't like food that tastes weird--in that way picky eaters around the world would probably all recognize--but this goes down smoothly. And it stays down! It is a bit gritty and it is not very sweet, but right now I do not want anything to do with sweet, so that works well for me. It is a little earthy, as another reviewer describes, but to me it does not taste overly green in the way that various grass juices do. Nothing wrong with green, but I have never learned to like it in its pure form. To me it tastes and feels like a bulky version of your average protein smoothie. It is not dessert and it does not taste like dessert, but if you are hungry and having a hard time with solid food, well, it tastes like ambrosia. With maybe a spoonful of good, rich potting soil mixed in. No no! That's a good thing! For recipe comparison, one shake for me consists of 2-3 ounces of yogurt or kefir (of any flavor or no flavor at all), one and a half scoops of powder, and then the balance of water to fill an 18-oz cup. Less water and more kefir/yogurt makes a thicker shake. A straw is recommended either way.

I was a little nervous about this purchase after reading some of the reviews about how bad it tastes (I believe one of the reviewers said "vomit-esque"). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it mixes very well and also doesn't taste that bad. I will say; however, if you've never had a green smoothie or aren't used to drinking protein shakes, you might find the taste/texture unpleasant. I started using this as an alternative protein source to whey protein. If you've ever taken whey protein, you know that it has a definite odor and taste (which to me is absolutely nauseating). I find this product to definitely be less offensive smelling and it doesn't have as much of an aftertaste. It's a little gritty and if not mixed up well can be somewhat chalky, but if mixed well (I use a blender) it's just fine. I read a lot of advice from others about the best ways to mix it. If you use the full serving size you get two hefty scoops. I've found that the best way (if you aren't going to use a blender) to mix it up is to get a large glass, put a little water in and gradually swirl in the powder. It'll end up being a little pasty, but then you can add water (or juice, milk, etc.) to taste until you get the consistency you want. The company recommends about 16oz of liquid per two scoops, but I like mine a little less viscous. For flavor, I've found that my favorite way to drink it is to use the blender and mix the powder with water and frozen berries. It gives it enough flavor to disguise some of the grassy/earthy taste, and using blueberries and blackberries also helps to give it a more pleasant color (if you're thrown off by the brown/green color). It also works well with almond milk, and works surprisingly well with dark chocolate almond milk. Pros: *Mixes well with liquid *Great vegan source of complete protein (without any cholesterol like you'll get in other protein drinks) *Great for digestion and good for people with issues with dairy and lactose (I can't believe how much better I feel compared to how I used to feel after drinking whey protein) *No fillers, all organic ingredients (again taking a stab at most sports proteins /whey proteins which are full of crap) *Very filling. I was worried that I wasn't going to stay full for very long, but this has enough fiber that you feel full for (in my case) a few hours. Cons: *26g of sugar per serving -- still less than a can of soda, but more than I expected * Price -- A little expensive for me, I'll probably do half portions to make it last longer. If you use the full portion (mixing with water)it ends up being about $2.80 per shake, so still less than most people spend on coffee each day.

This is a review for those of you who have been drinking the Garden of Life Raw Meal Beyond Organic SNACK AND MEAL REPLACEMENT and are now thinking about switching to the Organic SHAKE & MEAL REPLACEMENT. As far as I’ve heard, Garden of Life has discontinued the original Snack and Meal Replacement and are now only producing the Shake & Meal Replacement (or so I’ve been told by local stores), so for those of us looking for a healthy meal replacement and like Garden of Life’s products, this is the way we are going now. This review is specifically for the chocolate flavor, as I have not tried the others. FIRST: Let’s talk nutrient content for a single scoop. (The new version has a slightly smaller scoop.) For each nutrient, I will list the original Snack and Meal Replacement on the left, and I will list the new Shake & Meal Replacement on the right. (Great big container / Microscopic print. Time to break out the magnifying glass.) 1 scoop = 43.5 g / 35 g B6: 50% / 50% B12: 100% / 100% Biotin: 5% / 15% Calcium: 18% / 8% Chromium: 50% / 70% * Folate: 50% / 50% Iron: 50% / 15% Magnesium: 15% / 20%* Manganese: 50% / 80% * Molybdenum: 50% / 80% Niacin: 50% / 50% Pantothenic Acid: 50% / 50% Potassium: 3% (100 mg) / 5% (180 mg) * Riboflavin: 50% / 50% Selenium: 8% / 5% Thiamin: 50% / 50% Vitamin A: 15% / 20% Vitamin C: 50% / 50% Vitamin D: 50% / 50% Vitamin E: 50% / 50% Vitamin K: 50% / 50% Zinc: 50% / 35% * * The percentage may not be accurate. Regarding four of the nutrients listed on the new Snack & Meal Replacement, there is a discrepancy. Chromium is listed as 70% for a single scoop, but 150% for a double scoop. Magnesium is listed as 20% for a single scoop, but 35% for a double scoop. Manganese is listed as 80% for a single scoop, but 170% for a double scoop. Potassium is listed as 180 mg / 5% for a single scoop, but as 370 mg / 11% for a double scoop. And zinc is listed as 35% for a single scoop, but as 75% for a double scoop. The math does not compute correctly for these items. Continuing on… Calories: 170 / 120 Calories from fat: 30 / 10 * Total fat: 3.5 g (6%) / 1.5 g (2%) * __Saturated fat: 1 g / 0.5 g __Polyunsaturated fat: 2 g / 0.5 g * __Monounsaturated fat: 0.5 g / 0 g __Transfat: 0 g / 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg / 0 mg Sodium: 45 mg (3%) / 10 mg (0%) Total carbohydrate: 17 g (6%) / 8 g (3%) __Dietary fiber: 8 g (32%) / 6 g (24%) __Soluble fiber: 6 g / 1 g __Insoluble fiber: 2 g / 5 g __Sugars: 5 g / less than 1 g __Other carbohydrates: 4 g / not listed Protein: 17 g (34%) / 20 g (40%) * Again, there are some discrepancies on the new Snack & Meal Replacement container. Calories from fat is listed as 10 for a single scoop, but 25 for a double scoop. Total fat is listed as 1.5 g for a single scoop, but 2.5 g for a double scoop. Polyunsaturated fat is listed as 0.5 g for a single scoop, but as 1.5 g for a double scoop. Probiotics and enzymes: Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus: 3 billion CFU / not listed as an ingredient Protease: 2,500 HUT / amount not listed Bromelain: 100,000 PU / amount not listed Acid protease: 10 SAPU / not listed as an ingredient Papain: 100,000 PU / amount not listed Lactobacillus bulgaricus: amount not listed / 3 billion CFU Saccharomyces cerevisiae: amount not listed / not listed as an ingredient Lactobacillus plantarum: ingredient not listed / 1.5 billion CFU SECOND: Flavor. The original Snack and Meal Replacement had a strong chocolate flavor. There was also an odd raw bean flavor that simply could not be masked, which a lot of people complained about. I distinctly recall one reviewer claiming it tasted like the south end of a northbound facing rhino. (LOL) That was a slight exaggeration, in my opinion. But the raw bean flavor did take a bit of getting used to. For me, it took about three days and then I didn’t even notice it anymore. I just tasted that wonderful chocolate flavor, and I always felt like I was getting a special treat. I may not eat sugar anymore, but I still had chocolate for breakfast and it was a wonderful treat. I looked forward to it every day. The new Shake & Meal Replacement has a mild chocolate vanilla flavor. I can’t tell you if it still has the raw bean flavor because I’ve grown used to the taste. But I can say that the chocolate vanilla flavor is not very yummy. I want a strong chocolate flavor, not a mild chocolate flavor with vanilla. I don’t feel like I’m getting a special treat each day. In fact, I don’t enjoy the flavor at all. I wouldn’t go right to hate. In fact, I don’t hate it at all. I just don’t like it. Because I don’t enjoy the new flavor, I buy a lot less. Before, with the old Snack and Meal Replacement, I bought 2 to 4 containers a month, and I drank it 2 or more times a day. It was just so yummy I couldn’t help myself. With the new Shake & Meal Replacement, I only buy 1 or 2 containers and I have to make myself drink it once a day. I only drink it now because it’s healthy and I do actually feel good after I drink it. But I certainly don’t crave it. Before, when I got hungry, the Snack and Meal Replacement was the first thing I thought of. I put a scoop in a mason jar, filled it up with water, and chugged it down. I felt full and satisfied afterward. Now, when I get hungry, I pass up on the idea of having the new Shake & Meal Replacement. I wonder what else there is to eat, and usually end up making myself a smoothie or a salad. If I do have the Shake & Meal Replacement, I am not left feeling full. I’m still quite hungry, and I end up scouring the kitchen for more food. I think I’m actually gaining weight. I’m not very happy about that. THIRD: Drink consistency. Well… both versions have their problems. The original Snack and Meal Replacement had to be consumed quickly or else it turned into pudding and wasn’t drinkable. I’m used to sipping my beverages, so I had to learn how to chug down a mason jar sized beverage in just a few minutes. But it was doable. The new Shake & Meal Replacement, requires less water, but doesn’t mix well. I keep getting clumps that just don’t mix into the water. I’ve actually sort of given up on the clumps and just chew them and swallow them down. (What else can I do?) I will give the new drink a thumbs up for not turning into pudding. I can even let it sit for a while – half an hour or more – without anything unpleasant happening. That’s definitely nice. TO SUM UP: I miss the old Snack and Meal Replacement. It tasted immensely better. It filled me up. It seems to have had a slightly better nutritional content. I feel sad every time I look at the new bottle. I suppose I’ll get used to it though. It’s not like it’s horrible. And Garden of Life is still a great company that puts out fantastic products, one of which – the Shake & Meal Replacement – is still on my list of things that I consume every day and that makes me feel good, and one of the few products out there that is entirely raw (the main reason why I buy it).

I have tried so many different protein powders and meal replacements. An ex of mine used to ask me to guzzle down those awful sports performance powders and while I really enjoyed the protein and the way some of them made me feel, I could not get past the taste. Needless to say, I was really hesitant purchasing this product. After a few months of analyzing my diet I realized there was something missing. I am not vegetarian but I eat mostly a vegetarian diet and sometimes it's difficult to get all of the nutrients and protein that you need in your diet daily. Some days I was fine, but I wanted to make sure my iron and amino acid needs were getting met. On average, even though I ate a lot of dark leafy greens, I still was only consuming about 30% of my iron needs. I started out on a journey to find myself a protein powder and also a good vitamin. I didn't even think to incorporate the two. I didn't want a powder that had an artificial sweetener or a fake flavor. I can't stand to drink vanilla, strawberry or chocolate flavored powders because if I want it to taste like that, I'll add the flavor. I didn't want anything with caffeine and I certainly didn't need any strange performance boosting supplements. I am an athlete (runner) but nothing extreme and frankly I worry about how those other supplements affect the body. I picked up 4 different protein powders in individual packets from Whole Foods - Nutiva organic hemp powder, Garden of Life raw protein, GOL raw meal, and Amazing Grass 'amazing meal'. None of these had flavors or any artificial sweeteners. Only the Raw Meal has sprouted brown rice sweetener. To be honest, I only bought the meal replacement package to use as a possible meal replacement before a run. I actually enjoyed all 3 of the protein powders, but it was the Garden of Life protein powder that I liked the most. Reading over the label on the meal replacement had me realizing that I could incorporate both my vitamins and desire for protein in one, so I tried it out as a contender. The taste is something that I can see why a lot of people have mixed feelings about. It does turn thick within a matter of minutes and if you're not used to eating a lot of greens or know what sprouted beans taste like, you'll soon learn. The taste is fairly bland, which is why I would advise mixing it with something. I can't comment on what it tastes like with just water because I don't think I want to experience that. I want to enjoy what I'm drinking and I've found that 1 scoop is enough for what I need and fills me up until lunch time. What I mix together in a container is 2 oz of plain greek yogurt (more protein and it adds a certain creaminess I enjoy), 8 oz of sweetened but unflavored almond milk, 2 strawberries, a handful of blueberries and 1/2 of a banana. I use an immersion blender and then bring it with me on my drive to work. If it's a little too thick I'll just add more almond milk. I really love this combination and sometimes I'll add some spinach or if I'm using unsweetened almond milk I'll add 1 tsp of honey. The thing that I noticed immediately was that I had a lot more energy and I felt like I was finally getting enough of my nutrients. I do feel that there is an over emphasis placed on vitamins but as a woman in her late 20's, certain vitamins are essential and maybe it's just me, but I feel like they're getting absorbed better in my system through a smoothie/food instead of in a pill format. My choice for vitamins was going to be Vitamin Code, which is also made by Garden of Life. I may have a bit of a persuasion for raw items! I've never been a morning person but I find myself going to sleep at night and looking forward to the morning. It sounds so bizarre, but the way I feel after one of these smoothies is fantastic, and on the days when I don't have one, I really don't feel as energized. Since then I have bought a tub from Whole Foods and have now realized that it is such an amazing price here at Amazon! I've just ordered it online as I'm down to the last 3 scoops (3 days). Certainly if this was consumed as directed, 2 scoops, daily it would get pretty pricey, but 1 scoop means a container lasts about a month and that's reasonable. If you don't need the extra vitamins (or calories) I'd suggest trying out the protein powder or even trying Amazing Grass's Amazing Meal. Both were my top choices but it was the vitamins that won me over. The taste is something that easily one can get past and I think that with added liquid - to account for the thickness - the texture isn't really an issue. Gritty? A little, but it's raw and it's full of good stuff!

Great Value for the money. Mixes up easily, with clean ingredients, no lumpy texture Tastes really good too!!

Super produit, avec ça vous n'aurez pas faim, très nourrissant. Pour le goût, fin palais vous méfiez.... Nous avons été trois à essayer, pour la digestion, difficile pour certain.

Je n'ai même pas eu le temps d’expérimenter sa saveur légendaire et ses effets probants ! Je vais donc recommander ce produit en espérant qu'il arrive fermé !

Bien que le substitut permette de caler son estomac pendant 2 ou 3 heures, il a tellement mauvais goût qu'il est difficile à avaler, la texture est trop granuleuse et se mélange mal à l'eau.