Garden of Life, is a company based in the US that manufactures and sells non-GMO, organic, raw whole food supplements. One of their popular supplements is the nutritious meal replacement powder. This is our complete review on Garden of Life Meal Replacement Powder.
What is Garden of Life Meal Replacement Powder?
There are two things which users love about Garden of Life – (a) they are organic and (b) the prices are cheap.
Raw Organic Meal is an excellent organic shake and meal replacement that is suitable for everyone. Garden of Life claims that all their products are organic (USDA Certified Organic) and non-GMO verified (which means they do not contain ingredients that were derived from genetically engineered organisms). This strengths the confidence in the buyers and ensures that the results will be beneficial. Many of their products are gluten-free, vegan and NSF gluten-free.
Needless to say, Garden of Life products are manufactured in the USA at an FDA-registered facility. All the products undergo strict quality check before sending it off to the users.
The GOL Raw organic meal replacement shake is one of the best-sellers and is widely known to offer exceptional benefits to the body.
How does Garden of Life Meal Replacement Powder work?
Regardless that you are a busy parent who is handling personal and professional lives, students, office employees or a professional athlete, Garden of Life Meal Replacement shake benefits everyone. It is basically for anyone or everyone who wants to have a healthy meal. Loaded with super powerful ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and holistic foods, it has received more than 7,000 Amazon customer reviews.
But before you jump the bandwagon of meal replacement drinks, examine the reviews and the product itself to determine whether it deserves the hype.
How to use the Meal replacement Powder
Carrying food containers in your handbags, backpacks or briefcases is a good idea but at times too impractical. In these busy lives, people don’t have the time to prepare a meal. They either skip lunch or rush off to the nearest fast food corner. Needless to say, both are not healthy.
With organic raw meal powder available in an easy to mix powder formula, you just need a couple of minutes. All you have to do is:
- Pour water in a cup
- Mix the powder AND
- Voila!!! Your meal is ready.
Available flavors
Garden of Life Meal Replacement Powder is available in four flavors
- Chocolate – 120 calories per serving
- Vanilla – 115 calories per serving
- Lightly Sweet – 130 calories per serving
- Vanilla Chai – 115 calories per serving
You can choose the one that suits your choice.
Garden of Life Ingredients and Benefits
Garden of Life Organic Raw Meal Replacement Shake/Powder is packed with superfoods. Superfoods are nutrient-packed foods rich in vitamins and minerals. There are 44 superfoods in the organic Raw Plant-Based Protein Powder. This includes foods such as organic grass juices, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats.
As mentioned above, all the Garden of Life’s products is non-GMO. This means you get pure nutrition at all times. Each serving contains less than 1 gram of sugar, is low in sodium (150mg per serving), fat (1 gram unsaturated), and carbs (8 gram).
Another beneficial ingredient is the 1.5 billion CFU probiotics and enzymes. To quote straight from WebMD, “probiotics work by balancing the levels of microorganisms in the intestines. They drive down the number of harmful bacteria. They also seem to boost the body’s immune system”.
Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal “Chocolate” Nutrition Label
Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Shake Nutrition Breakdown:
Here is the nutrition per breakdown:
- One serving offers you 120 calories (varies by flavor)
- 44 superfoods
- 20 grams of protein
- 21 vitamins and minerals
- 5 grams of fiber
Protein
The quality of the protein used is certified USDA Organic and non-GMO project verified protein. If you are taking it as part of the workout program, the quickly digestible protein helps in giving you lean muscle mass. However, this product is not just for athletes or bodybuilders but benefits everyone.
Protein is a mandatory nutrient as per the FDA and the 20g per serving delivers a good 40% of the daily value for a 2,000 calorie diet for adults and children ages 4+.
Fiber and Vitamins
The meal replacement powder comes with high fiber content – 5 grams amounts to 20% of the daily value for a 2,000 calorie diet. Fiber helps in slowing down the digestion that helps to suppress unwanted hunger pangs. The 7 vitamins and 14 minerals per serving vary from 6% to 50% of daily values. Together, they help the body function normally and boost the immune system as well as energy levels.
Taste and most preferred flavor choice
Many users love the taste of the Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder. People describe it as “yummy” and “delicious”. Of course, some users do not like the taste. It all comes down to one’s own experience.
The most selected flavor is Vanilla with Vanilla Chai coming in on second and Chocolate Cocoa on the third place.
Here is what people say about taste and flavor.
- “The taste of a faint hint of vanilla cake batter is good. It doesn’t linger. I find the taste quite pleasant and don’t feel the need to rinse it away with water.”
- “This does not have a weird taste but is quite tolerable. You can add almond milk to make the taste bearable.”
- “I don’t like the taste. It’s like elephant dung mixed with sand.”
- “The shake tastes so great. I tried it with soy milk and almond milk. With soy milk, you get a thick shake just like milkshake made with ice-cream. With almond milk, it’s quite thinner like chocolate milk. It’s delicious in both ways.”
Many reviews say that they find it hard to tolerate the taste but eventually get used to the flavor.
Possible Side effects and Allergy Warnings
So far, there have not been any major reports of any side effects after using Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Shake.
As this product is free from gluten, soy, dairy, tree nuts, filler ingredients, artificial color, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, it is absolutely safe to use. Anyone can try it. As per the label, the product is:
- Gluten-free
- Star-K Kosher
- Vegan
- Dairy-Free
- Soy-Free
Unlike whey protein powder, this meal replacement powder is free from artificial flavors, gluten, and dairy. That said, while the company says the product is free from soy, it contains Vitamin K which is derived from fermented soy.
Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Reviews
Out of 7,110 reviews, the product has received 4.2 out of 5 stars from users. This says a lot about the company and its fan following in the market. In many comments, you can see that they state this product is probably one of the best meal replacement shakes in the market.
Users say that Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal does help with weight loss. While the taste of the product is terrible initially, many users have made peace with it as they found the results to be amazing. People report good weight loss results, promote gut health, fixes GI problems, and satisfies the appetite. Many users try GOL Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder recipes that are available in the official website for consumer’s delight.
However, some users did not derive any benefits after using this shake. While the taste met with critical reviews, users say they didn’t feel full and did not notice any difference in their weight after trying the shake. Some also prefer the old formula as opposed to the new formula released by the company (after the merger with Nestle).
Nevertheless, Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder continues to be one of the best-sellers in the Amazon.
Pros and Cons of Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder
The Good
- As it is high in fiber content, you will cleanse your body when you take it consistently
- Users say that the flavor seems to grow on you when you have it daily
- Comes with high protein punch per calorie thus giving you complete satisfaction as having lunch
- High protein content benefits everyone especially hikers, bodybuilders, athletes, etc.
- The high protein helps in burning fat, improves metabolism level and builds muscle when combined with resistance training
- Is available at the lowest price as compared to other brands in the market
- Is 100% pure organic and natural
- Does not contain any artificial ingredients, flavors or fillers
The Bad
- The texture of the powder is sandy or grainy.
- The taste is bitter.
- While some users love the taste, some don’t like it.
- Users say that it takes time to get used to the taste.
- The high fiber in the powder may make you feel bloated for the initial days of consumption.
- Many users blend the powder with other ingredients to hide the taste.
- If you are having liver or kidney disease, taking this shake with other high-protein foods can be harmful to health.
Where to buy Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder?
You can buy Raw Organic Meal replacement shake from Amazon, Walmart, GNC, etc.
To sum it up, Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Replacement Powder is still one of the best-loved products in the market. The main selling point is that it is 100% organic. We all need artificial-free products for consumption and Garden of Life delivers just that. Apart from that, the product helps people with weight loss and keeps you away from unwanted hunger. All in all, worth a try.