Meal Replacement

I'm writing this review as someone who has tried the unflavored, chocolate, and vanilla spiced chai. First things first, this is ridiculously healthy. It will absolutely make you have more energy and keep you full for a surprising amount of time, blah blah blah. There are enough reviews saying this, so let me get into the nitty gritty. Something that can be revulsive to people trying this to the first time are the texture; say farewell to the dairy based meal replacement shakes that reminded you of your childhood Yoohoo days! This stuff is thick. Unless you are prepared to chug it right away, I recommend extra liquid for one scoop of powder. Upon my first use, I made my shake (two scoops of powder to their recommended liquid) and got in my car. When I arrived at my destination, I popped the lid of my shaker bottle to find it had all but solidified. My preferred consumption is now 50% more liquid to one scoop. That also brings me to another issue I have become accustomed to: the way it absorbs water will likely lead to a lumpy shake if only using a shaker bottle unless you can VIGOROUSLY shake constantly like a blender until your arm falls off or the entire shake is consumed. Like I said, this is just what I adjusted to in the morning when I am running out the door. Chewing your morning shake is like flexing your jaw muscles! It's not a great textural experience, but that is what I get for hitting snooze too much. Onto the flavor reviews!! UNFLAVORED: Be prepared for a bitter taste followed by an almost sour aftertaste. No matter how much fruit, almond butter, and even chocolate I tried blending it with, it NEVER got rid of that absolutely awful taste. Perhaps I got a bad batch, but I ended up throwing the ENTIRE tub of powder away after 10 failed attempts at making it palatable. Holding your nose while drinking a shake is no way to be. CHOCOLATE: Though my first experience was so awful, I decided to go back because I like the fact that this product is raw and vegan. Chocolate was a HUGE improvement, but there was still a twinge of an unwanted aftertaste. Unlike the Un-Flavored, I finished the whole tub! It isn't chocolatey like most other meal replacement shakes, but it can still be satisfying while still helping you be super healthy. VANILLA SPICED CHAI: There was a about a year between finishing the chocolate tub and buying the chai mini tub. I kept eyeing the chai, but was worried that without the heavy masking flavor of the chocolate, I would be left with that abhorrent aftertaste. I purchased a small tub, and mixed it in my shaker bottle with almond milk. With my first reintroduction to the meal replacement from Garden of Life, there was a faint unpleasant aftertaste, but it didn't linger! After three days, there was no note of any remote unpleasantness. Not only that, but this flavor is INSANELY delicious. It's not too sweet, not as overpowering as the chocolate, and I look forward to my breakfast shake EVERYDAY. I've since signed up for Amazon Subscribe and Save to regularly receive the large tubs. In the mornings when I have a bit more time, I blend one scoop Vanilla Spiced Chai flavor with extra unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or flavor free) and a whole banana. I cannot begin to express how incredibly delicious this combination is. I even crave it over my lunch salads. It's basically the healthiest dessert-y breakfast you could treat yourself to in the morning. Yes, this stuff is worth it. Find a flavor you love! I recommend buying the mini tubs to sample the different offerings before investing in something that might just get thrown away. And if you are new to this product, keep an open mind. The texture hard to adjust to, but it will give you the energy to feel like a super hero!

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.

Okay, I have no wheat or milk allergies etc. I'm not vegan, nor a vegetarian. What I DO have problems with is eating enough. I don't eat the amount of calories I should a day. My nutritionist has always said that my being overweight had to do with not eating enough, and that my body was constantly in starvation mode, so every bit of calorie just sticks to my frame instead of helping me out so to speak. I do eat healthy things, and always have. I've kept a food journal religiously for years, and it's pretty certain that that three ounce brownie on Sunday isn't what makes me so hefty. Nor is it my lack of movement, I walk about three kilometers a day. Yes, I know, this probably sounds farfetched, but it's not quite as outre as it seems. I just have no appetite. It used to be I'd forget to eat until I got dizzy or whatever, just because I've got no hunger sensation. Funny, because I do like food, I just don't like to have much of it. So, to make myself eat more than once a day, I'm going back to my old standby: drinking a meal. Now, way back when, I used to just mix up some fruit, yogurt, honey, milk, and ice. That is still something I like, however, it doesn't pack enough of a caloric and nutrient punch to help me out. I've looked at various protein shakes and whatnot, but again, they're not whole meal replacements. They don't pack the nutrients I need. And to make sure they do have what I need, it required lots of extra song and dance and additives. Plus, I've just not come across one I like very much. I stumbled upon RAW Meal, and my expectations weren't too high, but that at least it had what my body needed. Here's how I make mine to get the most flavour for me and my tastebuds (along with some extra live cultures and whatnot): About half a cup of whole milk from my local dairy Black tea powder that I've made from using a mill on my favourite black tea, then mixing in masala chai spices (cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, allspice, anise, ginger, nutmeg) OR coffee powder, a few tablespoons, just for flavour A few spoonfuls of homemade yogurt (yes, see, I told you, I like food, I make food, I just don't eat it) A big handful of ice And a few tablespoons of raw honey What this has yielded for me the last few weeks is either a coffee drink or a chai drink, both of which I like a great deal. I might throw in some matcha next time for some more variety. It IS gritty. But it's not UNPLEASANTLY gritty. I haven't noticed the 'grass' taste that's been mentioned by others, but when I open the jar, I do smell a bit of a 'green/hay' smell. Perhaps how I doctor mine just covers the taste enough for me to not notice. Is this stuff delicious? No. But it's pretty far from bad when you give it a little help. As an experiment, I DID try it with just water, and yes, oh my, that was filthy disgusting nasty cardboard and raw ground up dried black bean nasty. Now of course some people can do that and think it tastes great, for me, there's no way I could ever choke that down. Overall I would recommend this to someone who is having issues with getting enough of the right stuff in their diet, those who are trying to cut out excess icky stuff but still need something nutritious and filling and EASY. This isn't the sort of 'bulk you up power protein explosion in a cannister workout body builder muscle milk' stuff. This is 'food' stuff. It's good, it's decent, and for the price, I'm very happy. I'll post an update in a few months to see how I'm doing on using this to help retrain my body on how to eat more regularly and be off of the starvation mode. So, thanks for reading all of this, hopefully it was helpful, and have a good day. P.S. Why didn't I give this a five star? Because while it does what I require of it, it's not the perfect ideal either. More flavour options would be nice. And no, I don't mean strawberry or banana bleck, but something like coffee or green tea or chai. Something that would actually mix well with the texture and whatnot. UPDATE: (5 week update and I'm on my third order, I've ordered a fourth as backup in case my husband starts getting into the RAW meal too) Okay, funnest thing the last few days. I wake up starving. My evening meals have been no different than usual (whole grain, protein, two servings of veggies, and then a small pudding or yogurt pop for dessert, or a Greek yogurt). The only thing that's different is that I've been having a shake for breakfast or lunch, and a sandwich or oatmeal. Also, sometimes I feel like I'd just rather have another shake than eat solids. That's not bad exactly, it's just kind of odd. What makes it so odd however, is that I haven't had true hunger sensation in over a decade - I just eat because I'm supposed to, or if I remember, or, if I've forgotten - once I start feeling weak. My nutritionist says it's the fact that my metabolism is starting up and finally putting on its training wheels to start working once again. When I first started the RAW Meal, I had to fight to remind myself to eat dinner, and lunch? What was that? Couldn't bear the thought of it. Now, I want lunch. I want breakfast. I want dinner. But at the same time I don't want to eat-eat-eat. I just want a portion that's normal and natural. I'm slowly getting my caloric intake up to 1800 a day, and once I start exercising, I'll probably manage somehow to eat 2,000-2,200 (which my nutritionist said would be best for my hypoglycemia, so my body doesn't think it's in starvation mode anymore.) I don't feel bloated, in fact, I've noticed my edema has gone down. Haven't weighed myself, but my pants feel a little looser, which has to do with the edema going down of course, and I'll take a look at my weight in another month. (My nutritionist weighs me, but Amanda doesn't want me to focus on the weight itself yet, not until we've got my metabolism ready and rearing to go. So she records it, but I don't look. It's just part of how we've figured out it works for me best. Everyone's a little different when it comes to motivation, I'm doing this more for my health, than to lose weight specifically.)

I love this stuff. I usually get lightly sweetened or vanilla. I almost always mix it in a frozen fruit smoothie, containing strawberries blueberries mango bananas, plain greek yogurt, Naked Green Machine or OJ, Milk and sometimes chai seeds or sprouts. It tastes amazing to me. I always fill the scoop to the top, sometimes extra. I've also tried it in pancakes and oatmeal, the pancakes are great, the oatmeal's a little weird and gooey but it works. I feel better when i take this, my brain works better, I have more energy and my mood is noticeably improved as well. It's the best deal with the most natural nutrients I've ever found. I highly recommend it.

Update (2023): Nestle is a wicked corporation that bought this Garden of Life brand and ruined it with bad ingredients and filthy marketing lies. This was my go-to protein supplement for many years, but each year they change the formula for the worse and lie by calling it “new and improved". The taste and texture may be improved but its health benefits certainly are never improved; you just get lower-quality ingredients and cheaper fillers while paying more for it. Here is a list of changes that show why no one should waste their hard-earned money on this trash (refer to my pictures to see the changes on their packaging): 1) This product used to have no pea protein, (one of the cheapest and lowest quality of plant-based protein next to soy) now it almost 100% pea protein and Nestle is peeing on their customers and calling it “rain”. It’s not even sprouted pea protein even though they deviously list it under their “sprouted protein blend” heading. 2) This product now contains erythritol as a cheap sweetener. Erythritol causes bloating and gas and is their cheap and inferior substitute for stevia. If it originally had erythritol I never would have bought this product. 3) This product now contains guar gum as a cheap thickener with no nutritional benefit. This might as well be sawdust, added weight for nothing. 4) This product no longer lists what foods their added vitamins and minerals are sourced from, and their mineral profile has been reduced. Most vitamin C that is added to store products is sourced from lab-grown black mold grown cultures and is of poor quality, while this product used to derive most of its added vitamins from more high-quality brewer’s yeast. Since they no longer list the source of the vitamins, it is safe to assume the worst as they wouldn’t hide it if they were proud of it and the FDA does not require them to list it. This product is also longer a good source of selenium, molybdenum, manganese, and magnesium. 5) This product is no longer a good source of probiotics. To be considered a go probiotic a supplement should have more than 1.5 billion CFUs it now has less than 250 million. Not only has the quality of their cultures declined, but I also got a Listeria infection (Listeriosis) from eating this product. A probiotic supplement should help prevent you from getting life-threatening bacterial infections, not actively give you one. Nestle is opening itself up to a serious lawsuit with a lack of quality control. Original (2014): Do you want a good source of organic vegetarian protein, vitamins, and minerals that do not contain soy, dairy, GMOs, artificially created vitamins, or unsprouted grains? Then absolutely buy this. I mix this every day with similarly flavored Garden of Life RAW protein and I couldn't be happier. I mix one scoop of each in water or a non-dairy milk substitute every morning and I have a complete protein shake/meal replacement that I can take with me for lunch every day. If you spend $30 for each, you can have a complete and highly nutritious muscle-building lunch for about $2. If I just purchased fresh or frozen organic foods there is no way I could have complete and healthy lunch for less than $2. It amazes me how cheap this really is for all the great foods you are getting. The sheer number of unprocessed organic ingredients is impressive and I love that all the grains are sprouted with a pro-biotic culture so it is great for your digestive tract unlike pure whole grains or GMO grains that are found in most other foods. I also love that is so high in complete protein without any soy (the Raw Protein product does contain some soy though, but not the meal replacement). I have tried all of their other flavors (Original, Vanilla, and Cocoa) and the Vanilla Spiced Chai is definitely my favorite. The taste is still rather bland like you would expect from any ground powder, but the quality of organic nutritious food you get for the price is unbeatable. Seriously if you are vegan, vegetarian, or just someone who wants to eat healthier and get plenty of protein buy this. I try to buy as many organic and unprocessed healthy foods as I can afford and I have saved so much money by replacing one meal a day with this.

First off, have to vent: irritated that so many people said this tastes horrible. It really made me second guess buying this because folks described it as one of the worst tasting things ever. I like my shakes creamy so I never do them with plain water. Maybe if you do this with just water it tastes different, but I still can't imagine this tasting TERRIBLE - unless the taste of grain just disgusts you. I will say the smell of the dry powder threw me off - smells like wet dirt or something which made me even more nervous about drinking it. I've been drinking at least one shake a day for a week now, going to try to knock it up to two a day this week. I do one scoop for a serving instead of two because I want to stay between 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day and halving the serving helps me better distribute my calories throughout the day. I use 9 oz of vanilla almond milk and a large banana, that's it. I might take out the banana or use plain almond milk on my next supply because right now my shakes are super sweet. But aside from the extra sweetness, I LOVE these. The taste reminds me of....chocolate cereals. Like Cocoa Krispies or Chocolate Chex, but less sweet. The shake leaves me full for 3.5 - 4 hours, and I usually feel more alert after my first few sips. I've been having a lot of bloating and gas and increased - ahem - "bathroom activity." Which is what I wanted and expected from a huge fiber increase. (Edited to add: I let a friend of mine try some and she also loved it, but was not a fan of the bloating and gas. She had her nutritionist check it out and the nutritionist said the sugar from the banana's probably making the gas worse than it needs to be. So if you try this and want to cut the gas, leave the banana out and use unsweetened or original almond milk.) I tried to let some of my shakes sit to see if there's a thickening problem....but that doesn't seem to be much of a big deal either. I just shake up my drinking mug and get nearly all the dregs, consistency is the same throughout. If I don't shake it up those last few sips are either thin or take forever to come down, and then I'm sad when I rinse my cup and see my precious grain bits going down the drain :'-(. I may be more than pleased....it's safe to say I'm mildly impressed. This packs a lot of protein per serving, tastes better than the other protein and meal replacements I've tried (there have been several), gives me immediately noticeable benefits, and as someone who doesn't really cook or prepare meals, saves me a good bit of money. If I stay at one 1 scoop per shake and do one shake a day, I pay less than 40 for nearly a month's supply. For meal replacement shakes, that is CHEAP. It tastes like real food that I actually eat instead of some processed, overly sugary, artificially flavored mess and seems to give much more benefit nutritionally than most other shakes. Hard to go wrong with this. I did, on the second day, have a sharp hankering for salty, fatty foods though. I got some salted cashews and have not had the craving since. I'm not a fan of vanilla shakes so I won't be trying the other two. But I will be buying another jar of this this week and will probably sign up for the subscription. I can easily do this every day. If you don't like the taste of....I guess wheat or just grains of any kind then this product will not work for you. And I recommend not using water as the base. Last thing - it is less likely to thicken up if the water/milk is cold.

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).

A few years ago, I tried ordering Shakeology, and actually loved the convenience of a healthy powder blend that I could use to whip up a healthy smoothie. The only problem? The price. It costs more than $130 for a 30 serving bag of the stuff! Also, I recently discovered that I have a sensitivity to dairy, so any products with whey protein are out. So, I stopped ordering it, and there weren't any comparable products on the market at that time for me to order. I recently wanted to find an alternative to Shakeology and found a couple of products that have the same idea in mind but at about a quarter of the price. I stuck with vegan products because I can't have whey protein. Also, I needed a product that was gluten free because of my gluten sensitivity. The two products are the Garden of Life RAW Organic meal replacement shake (in Slightly Sweet because I don't like stevia), and the Nutiva Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 Shake (Vanilla). Here is my comprehensive review of the two. Price: Buying a jar of both of these powders will run you at about $40. The only difference is that the Nutiva shake has 18 servings per jar and GoL has 30 servings per jar. GoL also tends to be a little bit cheaper, depending on which flavor you get. Winner: GoL - 30 servings for less than $40 is a BARGAIN compared to Shakeology! Nutrient Macros: A scoop of either of these blends is going to be about 125 calories. The only difference is that the GoL has a little more fiber, and Nutiva has a little more healthy fat. Both brands have 20g of vegan protein, are still fairly high in fiber, and are low sugar. Winner: Tie. Ingredients: Here's where I am really impressed with the Garden of Life version. There are just dozens of health foods crammed into this powder that it is really reminiscent of Shakeology. Every ingredient comes from a pronounceable food, with the exception being the addition of digestive enzymes and probiotics (1.5 billion CFUs or colony forming units per scoop). I am a bit of a health nut, and seeing all of these healthy ingredients just makes me jazzed! In nearly every category here, GoL beats Nutiva. With two exceptions: flax seed meal and proteins from grains. I have to be really careful about what I eat because I have a mild form of crohn's disease that flares when I eat something I'm sensitive to. Something in the GoL powder causes me to react, and though I think it is the flax seed meal, it could also be the protein from rice, which can also cause celiac sufferers to flare. That being said, I am a rare case, and I am truly impressed with GoL here. Nutiva is also a great shake, with lots of grain free protein, digestive enzymes, and probiotics as well, though the ingredient list is about half as diverse as GoL. Winner: GoL by a landslide. Taste: Here is the kicker. I want to make this abundantly clear: these are HEALTH drinks, not a vanilla milkshake. Anything you make with these products is not going to taste like a milkshake. There are tons of reviews for both products about how bad it tastes. To be honest with you, I enjoy the taste of healthy things. And if you blend it up with some fruit for natural sweetness, they become downright delicious! Here's another thing: yes, I have been eating healthy for a long time, and I have a high tolerance for bitterness and grittiness when it comes to these powders. But as you put more healthy foods in your body, it begins to heal, and your brain will actually start to crave things that you used to hate. A perfect example for me is avocados. I couldn't stand avocados, but I ate them in whatever way I could stomach them because I knew they were good for you. In about a month, I got to the point where I craved them regularly! Sometimes you have to just push through the initial dislike before reaching nirvana. I think it is worth it! Okay, now that we have that aside, I'll compare the tastes one by one. I went with the Slightly Sweet flavor of RAW Meal, and I genuinely loved it! But I also blended it with other things! A typical smoothie for me consisted of unsweetened almond milk, RAW meal, some pumpkin seeds, some greens, and about a cup and a half of dark berries. This usually resulted in the perfect amount of sweetness for me, which is about the sweetness of 70% dark chocolate (slightly sweet but also bitter). Yum! The best part about blending it with other ingredients is that it also covers up the slight grittiness of the powder. Vegan proteins are never going to be as smooth as whey. The only downside to the RAW Meal powders is that you only have two options for sweetness: sweetened with stevia, and sweetened with sugar. There isn't a sweetener free option. The Nutiva shake powder smells better than the RAW meal powder - almost like a healthy cake batter. But Nutiva is sweetener free (except for a small amount of monk fruit extract, which you do NOT taste). This means that you can add in natural sugars, like from fruit, and have your smoothie sweetened that way. I actually like this option, because I prefer to sweeten my smoothies with bananas, which would make the RAW meal smoothie too sweet. Nutiva is also a little bit gritty, about the same level as RAW Meal. However, I did always notice that I enjoyed the RAW Meal smoothies more than the Nutiva ones. Winner: GoL - though if you want a sweetener free option, Nutiva still tastes pretty good! Drinkability: This category is similar to the 'Taste' category, but here is where I want to mention that both are a little gritty. Also, some other reviews mentioned that the powders congealed when left too long. I never had this problem, but I have a high power blender and always drank my smoothies fresh. Winner: Tie - with slight edge toward GoL. Final Thoughts: I really really wanted RAW Meal to be my new go to drink. It tastes better, has more flavors, is more cost effective, and has an incredible ingredient profile despite still being organic. However, I personally can't drink it. The flax meal in it causes my crohn's disease to flare up. I also know people who can't eat rice, and they would also react to RAW Meal (though Nutiva does have a little bit of 'rice extract' in it, the people I know don't react to the rice extract in Nutiva). Both are great alternatives to add a little extra dose of healthy to your morning shake, and, even though I can't drink the one I really like, I am grateful that Nutiva created a product that someone with my disease can drink!