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

Well, the bad news first. This stuff tastes pretty gross on its own. If you just mix it with water, you're in for a disappointing meal.That being said, I still religiously drink this stuff for two meals a day and I feel really good. When I'm working I need a clear mind and energy and this stuff doesn't disappoint. You just have to doctor it up. I add two tbsp of unsweetened peanut butter, some unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and some raw honey. That makes it pretty decent and actually semi-enjoyable. For best results, prepare this the night before and it thickens up and becomes less chalky.I highly advise against the vanilla chai flavor. That one tastes the worst. The chocolate is the best one. I've tried them all.Orgain tastes better and it's cheaper, but it doesn't have as much good stuff in it. So I stick with this one.

3/29 - Revised review:So I have to add the people that say the cans of this from Amazon are fresher are correct - it's even the newest recipe and the first one I got was the "old" recipe, even though it doesn't expire until next year. One of the main differences is the previous version didn't have pea protein in it, and this one does.Also, I no longer add cocoa powder to it and I still enjoy it with the greens added to it just fine :)Another reason I love this stuff - my hair has almost quit falling out by adding this to my diet. I have gastroparesis and am having issues with absorbing nutrients from my food. This seems to have done the trick - my skin looks 100% better too, I was very washed out looking and now I am back to looking like I used to.Back to first review:I love this stuff! Of course, now I have to tell you why :)So, first - I was a little worried about the taste after reading all of the reviews, so I bought the vanilla flavor as it got the most favorable reviews for flavor. I did buy it at a local store for the first time, even though it cost a little more because I wanted to get started, next time I'll be buying it on Amazon. The amount stocked on the shelves seemed to uphold the popularity of the vanilla because there was only one left of the vanilla in the large size.Second - it does seem to settle a lot, but it's sold by weight, not volume. See the picture - it looks half empty, but it's a weight measure package so I'm sure it's just settling that causes it to be that way. I suppose I can weigh the empty container and then weigh the next one to ensure I get all I pay for even when it looks half empty (I have a scale that weighs in ounces).Taste -The person who described it like Ovaltine was right on for me. I mix one scoop of Raw Organic Meal per 8 ounces of goat milk and add half a tablespoon of Ghiardelli dutch cocoa powder to it and mix it using my Blender Bottle. As long as you add the milk first and then the powders, it mixes effortlessly. That is not to say it will be perfectly smooth, because it won't - it's grainy, like everyone says, but the texture doesn't bother me. Sometimes I also add a scoop of Amazing Grass Green Superfood with chocolate to it.How filling is it? -If I mix 2 scoops of Raw Organic Meal with 16 ounces of goat milk and one tablespoon of cocoa powder - I'm good for 6 hours without being hungry.If I mix 2 scoops of Raw Organic Meal with 16 ounces of almond milk and one tablespoon of cocoa powder - I'm hungry - starving, can't stop eating! I tried it once and regretted it all day! It does also negatively change the taste to more of a watered down version of Ovaltine.However, if you are adding other things to this, like a nut butter and fruits, then the almond milk might work just perfect with the other foods.My goal is to keep it easy for work and not something that requires a blender other than the Blender Bottle.How does it make me feel?First few days - my body did have to adjust to the extra 11gm of fiber and to be honest I'm allergic to legumes so I wasn't sure if this would bother me or not (I eat most legumes just fine but not an entire meal of them). The first few days I was a little gurgly and I'll leave it at that. Starting day 3, my stomach felt amazing! My stomach is a lot flatter, completely happy, and I have a lot of energy. I am craving this and feeling like I'm addicted to it at the end of the first week. I'm not missing eating food and I would rather drink this over eating a piece of pizza because of how great I feel drinking this. I'm totally hooked! I've also lost a few pounds without really trying and that's nice too :)I drink it for lunch, so it's additional fiber over my high fiber breakfast and homemade kefir, and then I eat whatever I want for dinner with a few servings of vegetables. This is great though to add a lot of variety that I wouldn't get every day since we tend to get in a rut and eat the same veggies all of the time.

Did a lot of research on products that aren't full of sugars and unnecessary and unhealthy fillers. Needed to increase my protein intake and then found that this product has a lot more nutrition than a regular protein powder. I was hesitant to try it but the price went to $38 from the $45 when I started shopping it and I decided to give it a shot. It has a strong chocolate taste and it is very good. I was surprised at how filing it is. If I have a long day ahead of me and won't be able to stop for meals, this is an amazing substitute. I don't feel like I'm compromising in flavor, nutrition or feeling satisfied. I always mix it with milk and you do have to mix hard for everything to dissolve and blend well but it doesn't end with a gritty texture. My favorite way to have it is in a blender with milk, frozen banana chunks, a bit of natural PB and ice. Super delicious and satisfying.

Ok here's the deal I needed a daily shake after being on a diet program and losing 48 pounds. I needed something that packed some healthy punch with the amount of nutrients raw foods and fiber included in this product I liked what it could offer. I wasn't looking for a meal replacement as much as a liquid protein shake to replace the basic one I was using before and paying too much for with the whole diet program.So I did a search and to be short I settled on this one mainly because of the ingredient list it had it all!I figured such a large container would be for a month it is not. I did not check the serving size when you order... you get 14 servings using two scoops per 16oz of liquid be it water or rice or almond milk. That was fine with me though because of the way in which I was about to utilize it.What I do is use it as a protein shake in the morning. I use 1 cup of silk vanilla almond milk the 90 calorie one, 1/2 cup of water put those in a cup and add just one scoop. I use an ikea frother (under $5) to blend my stuff it's pretty thick with just 1 scoop which is why I add the water. I drink right away with an Alive vitamin and then have 1 serving of old fashioned oats (1/2 cup dry). It all adds up to a perfect breakfast combo for me. Sometimes I'll have a serving of fruit with it but on the side not blend it in that's if I know I'll not have time to eat fruit with lunch I travel daily so my stuff needs to be quick and portable.Using it that way the last 3 days has worked beautifully I feel a definite pick up just a minute or two after gulping it down I'll update after a month as this should last 28 days the way I'm doing it.I'd like to comment on taste and consistency...I've had some nasty skakes in the past ones that REALLY were hard to put down that tasted like seaweed this shake to me (chocolate) is actually given my past experience very good better than most that pack that amount of punch.Ok it's not Nestle Quick or Hershey's Syrup or even Ovaltine. But people listen to Mary Poppins a teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down. This is medicine / vitamin not dessert. I was weary reading the reviews especially one comparing it to human byproducts (I'll let you figure that one out). Which is actually why I paired it with the almond milk normally I do just water.The first time I used a sugar substitute packet with the almond milk just one cup 8oz.It was surprisingly good and I just tweaked it a bit adding 4oz of water the next day and no sugar packet and it's good.This product has a lot of fiber which if you mix it and then go away from it, it will thicken up on you, it's made that way to happen in your body so make sure you mix it and then consume it. And if it's too thick experiment adding water or liquid. People like to add fruit I personally have not tried it but to me I think it'd make it too thick as it's thick already, when you add fruit you add more fiber therefore you need more water or liquid, I suggest keep it simple eat the fruit on the side add a little extra liquid to make it not as thick, consume it right after mixing and it should work for you and it doesn't taste bad at all.Do keep in mind I didn't follow the directions my experience may be different that others but the way I outlined it above keeps me full and going easily through to lunch which allows me more time on my busy schedule.So I like the product a lot so far just gotta customize it.********************** TWO WEEK UPDATE************************OK, So been at it for 2 weeks here are my experiences...Preparation Tweaks: I switched the water to Almond milk ratio to 1 cup water, 1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Almond milk. The flavor isn't as sweet but you'd expect that watering it down. I did it more to get the most mileage out of the Almond Milk. Money's tight this month after vacation spending so gotta tighten up the belt and make it last.(So my new breakfast routine is the drink, 1/2 oatmeal and pineapple / fresh fruit.)Adjustment Period: Had a few side effects... There is about a week to 10 day adjustment period for your bowels to get used to moving lots a gas and multiple movements it settles down after that period as your body gets used to the increased fiber. Also for some reason I was craving a steak don't know what that was all about. Also almost had too much energy even a little anxious though I was drinking a lot of iced tea too at the time it was over 90 degrees for a whole week so that may have had something to do with it as well. But as of 3 days ago everything kind of settled down and it seems my body is used to the routine.So far I have noticed my skin is smoother and has less blemishes, my hair is shinier nails grow faster, also feel more relaxed.As far as appetite, I find the shake with breakfast is sufficient, coming right off a portion control diet I eat small throughout the day to keep the metabolism going. As is true with any lifelong diet, fruits and vegetables 4-5 no less than 3 per day and you'll never be hungry. But I'm reviewing the product not making a diet program here so in short.This product has given me extra energy, kept my hunger satisfied, the nutrients in it already are showing from the effects on my skin and hair and what I like is it's tweakable to your own needs, be it almond milk, banana, fruit whatever floats your boat... it's versatile and while it is touted as a meal replacement shake I like that I was able to change it up and still reap the rewards of the Raw nutrients.So far so good!