Garden of Life has created multiple vegan protein powders, meal replacements, and protein/snack bars throughout the years but for today I wanted to review one of their original products, the Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein that is grain free, non-GMO, organic, and completely vegan.
Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder comes in multiple flavors including smooth vanilla, smooth energy, smooth chocolate, smooth coffee, and smooth unflavored. The Organic Plant Protein is a great option for anyone looking to avoid protein powders free of gluten, grains, soy, or dairy. The plant protein is a blend of seven different plant based proteins including pea protein, flax protein, and chia seeds among others plus contains 13 different enzymes and 1 billion probiotics to help aid in digestion and smoothly settle into your body.
There are many benefits to organic plant protein, but in general protein helps support your health and immunity as protein is needed for virtually every cell and every chemical and metabolic reaction in the body. Adequate protein helps keep you full and helps support a healthy weight so starting your day with a protein powder shake or adding it in to a midday snack shake can be a great way to help maintain body weight and maintain energy level. Keep reading so see how the Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder in Chocolate tastes and stacks up nutritionally or check it out on Amazon to see what others are saying HERE.
Taste Experience
When first mixing Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder into water and then almond milk, the protein powder with water definitely didn’t mix well and while it tasted rich and chocolatey, it wasn’t very smooth and didn’t blend together all the way. When I mixed the chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder into almond milk, it certainly mixed better and tasted smoother, more chocolatey and less protein powder like. Either of these options would be great if you are really trying to cut calories but I think the best way to consume this chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder is in a smoothie.
So the third time I tried the vegan chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder, I blended it with 1/2 frozen banana, a handful of frozen cherries, and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and it was pure heaven! Bananas make all smoothies creamier and the chocolate, cherry, banana flavor combination is truly exceptional. I couldn’t even tell I had a protein powder in the smoothie other than it had a subtle powdery-ness to it – but then again, I added the full packet and if you didn’t add the entire packet of Garden of Life vegan protein powder, it would be even less powdery. I drank the smoothie quickly (mostly because I was hungry) and I was surprised that it didn’t upset my stomach with all that protein hitting at once and I definitely think it must have been the digestive enzymes and probiotics (which of course you can’t taste, but adds to the experience!).
I was surprised at how creamy and non-gritty it was! It smelled like a warm and cozy cup of hot chocolate and I couldn’t wait to dive in! To my delight, it tasted just as great as it smelled. Honestly, I don’t care too much for chocolate protein powders because I find they can taste too artificial. Orgain Vegan Organic Creamy Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder tasted just as real and authentic as if I made a protein powder from scratch. It honestly reminds be of the perfect combination of an unflavored protein powder (like a combination of pea protein and brown rice protein) but mixed with decadent rich creamy unsweetened cocoa powder.
I don’t often go for chocolate protein powder smoothies, but the banana, cherry, unsweetened almond milk is a combination from the high heavens and using the chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder was a real treat that I would encourage to try HERE. You can try them in a sample or single serving pack (that’s what I like to do!). You get 5 single serving packs in a box (or you can buy the bigger container) but I think it’s a great way to try a bit before you commit to such a large amount of protein powder. And in case you’re wondering about that smoothie that I love so much, here is the recipe!:
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie with Garden of Life Vegan Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder:
- 1 packet Chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder
- 1 cup+ frozen dark sweet cherries
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1 cup+ unsweetend almond or soy milk
Blend and enjoy for a quick post-workout snack, afternoon delight, or breakfast treat for 1 person!
Nutrition
Each serving of Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder has 110 calories which is great if you are calorie conscience or looking for lower calorie, high protein options.
There’s only 2.5 grams of total fat in each vegan protein powder serving, making Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder a great option if you are following a low fat plant-based diet. This is also why there is few calories – because fat is more calorically dense than protein or carbohydrates.
The Chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder does have a considerable amount of sodium per serving with 200mg of sodium per serving of protein powder and I would recommend blending the powder with a considerable about of liquid to help with fluid balance so you don’t go overboard too quickly. If you’re mixing it with dairy or plant-based milk, you’ll consume varying degrees of additional sodium. However, if you are an active individual or if you workout frequently, the additional sodium is warranted.
The Chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein powder has seven grams of total carbohydrate (quite low on the protein powder spectrum) and with three grams of fiber per serving and 0 grams of sugar (either natural or added sugar).
The main show stopper with the Chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder is that each serving has 15 grams of vegan plant-based protein in a very small volume. This is the same amount of protein as in about 1 cup of eggs, 1 cup of superfirm tofu (even firmer than firm), or in 2 cups of soy milk. So just think, if you added the protein powder to 1 cup soy milk, you’d have over 20grams of protein in a very small volume! This is great if you need to increase your protein intake, you get full quickly or you just want a nutritious option on the go. Check out the Chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder HERE.
Parting Thoughts
If there is even an ounce of you that wants to increase your plant-based protein intake, I definitely recommend using the chocolate Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder to help meet your vegan or non-vegan protein needs without having to worry about gluten, grains, soy, or dairy. The protein powder is creamy and ultra satisfying with 15 grams of protein per serving and a few grams of fiber. If you love chocolate and also love eating vegan high protein, this protein powder should be stocked in your pantry today. is your jam. Again, my favorite way to use this protein powder is in a smoothie with dark sweet cherries and banana but it would work well in other smoothies or tossed into a vegan chocolate pancake batter! If you found this review helpful, support a fellow vegan and buy Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein Grain Free Protein Powder today and share with your family and friends as the more people are educated about easy substitutes for their dairy or protein, the easier it will be to grow into your healthiest self.