Garden of Life is a top brand in the natural food product and supplement industry. You may have seen the brand on a vitamin label, a probiotic label, or a vegan protein powder label. The company is committed to using organic and non-GMO whole plant-based foods. They don’t own a laboratory or try to get their products to taste like meat alternatives with various chemicals but rather Garden of Life prides themselves on providing a power packed nutritious supplement without compromising your health.
When it comes to the vegan plant-based protein powders, Garden of Life has 6 protein powder product lines, 5 of which are plant-based and vegan. Today, we’re reviewing the Raw Organic Protein but Garden of Life also has Organic Plant-Based Protein and Greens, Raw Protein and Greens, Raw Protein and Greens, and Raw Organic Fit Protein Powder. The ingredients and nutritional content vary from product line to product line but the Raw Organic Protein is a Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified Raw Vegan Protein powder made with 13 Raw sprouted proteins delivering 22 grams of a complete plant-based protein. Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein also contains probiotics and digestive enzymes to ease digestion and increase bioavailability of nutrients.
The vegan protein powder comes in four flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Vanilla Chai, and Unflavored. I’m honestly burnt out on flavored protein powders, so we decided to review the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder. If you’re ready to taste and notice the raw protein difference, check out the vegan protein powder over on Amazon.
Taste Experience
As per usual when I review vegan protein powders, I first like to mix it with water, unsweetened almond milk, and then a smoothie. The Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder mixed with water was smoother than I expected. It didn’t have a smell and honestly tasted a lot like flour water. I’ve never had flour water but it tasted as if I spooned in a tablespoon of traditional baking flour into water. Very light without any distinctive taste whatsoever. The vegan protein powder didn’t have a chalky texture or aftertaste but did have some texture, but no more grit than other powders mixed with water.
In almond milk, the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder didn’t mix as well and took quite a bit of shaking and stirring to completely dissolve. This is likely in part because the unsweetened almond milk was cold. However, I did appreciate the creamy texture the plant-based protein powder provided without altering the taste or giving it a weird aftertaste.
As with many vegan protein powders, my favorite way to consume them is in a smoothie. I added 1 scoop/1 protein powder packet in a Vitamix with 1/2 a frozen banana, 1 cup of frozen mango chunks, 2 cups of baby spinach (packed), juice of 1 lime, 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, and the juice of 1 lime for an amazing and filling smoothie! I loved that the smoothie still tasted fruit and vegetable based, not like a vegan protein powder bomb even though it provided 22 grams of protein! I really enjoyed that the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder doesn’t contain stevia or any sweetener at all. You have to like earthy, natural tastes to appreciate this (and I definitely do).
The Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder that you can find on Amazon not only tasted neutral in water, almond milk, and in the smoothie, but it went down easily (no burps/bloating/gas) and settled well. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a high quality, easily digested vegan protein powder that is straightforward without sweeteners or preservatives. It’s quality you can taste.
Nutrition
The great part about the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder is that because the company uses whole plant-based foods, the nutrition profile looks exceptional!
In each scoop or individual vegan protein powder packet, you’ll find 110 calories and only 20 calories from fat. This is a lower caloric value than may vegan protein powder competitors and I suspect it’s because Garden of Life doesn’t add any fillers, additives, or superfoods to this protein powder. It’s straightforward and simple.
Because the Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder is plant-based but relies more on grains and legumes for the protein source instead of nuts, it’s expected to see less calories and less fat. Each serving has 2.5 grams of total fat with 0 grams of saturated fat. This vegan protein powder is of course cholesterol free as it’s derived from whole plant-based sources.
Each serving of the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder only has 2 grams of carbohydrate with 1 gram of fiber. The carbohydrate amount is considerably lower than most protein powders that add fruits and sweeteners and would make an excellent choice for anyone aiming to follow a lower carbohydrate diet or even a plant-based low carb lifestyle.
What really scores well in this vegan plant-based protein powder review is that the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder provides a complete protein (all of the essential amino acids) with 22 grams of protein from 22 raw and organic sprouted whole foods. Because this plant protein is raw, it means that the protein/food products are produced at a low temperature to keep the protein intact and improve the bioavailability to your body.
The Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder is certified organic and non-GMO while providing 13 different digestive enzymes to help best utilize the nutrition you feed your body and prevent digestive issues. Plus, the vegan protein powder contains L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. bulgaricus to provide 3 billion CFUs of live active organisms to help support a healthy gut microbiome.
If you want to get your hands (and belly!) on Garden of Life’s Unflavored Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder, check it out on Amazon. Cheers to a healthy gut and a healthy body with a big protein boost!
The Non-Vegan Review
When my vegan wife first made a smoothie for me with the Garden of Life Raw Organic unflavored vegan protein, I had to ask her if it really had protein powder. It tasted like fruit and who knows what else she puts in there. Personally, this was huge for me because I hate smoothies that don’t taste like fruit but more like dirt. There was a smidgen of grit, but I didn’t mind it much since I was blown away by how fruity the smoothie tasted without that stinking vanilla or chocolate vegan protein taste. Hit yourself up with the Garden of Life Unflavored Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder on Amazon and get that protein in without even noticing!
Parting Thoughts
If you’re looking for a plant-based protein boost in an easy powder that mixes well into smoothies without changing the taste, the Unflavored Garden of Life Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder is for you! Experience the difference of raw living greens and proteins with a boost of probiotics and digestive enzymes to support your gut microbiome and overall health. Plant-based protein is the way of the future as is no added sweeteners, sugars, additives, or preservatives and I’m thankful Garden of Life is leading the way. With the Garden of Life Unflavored Vegan Raw Organic Protein Powder (that you can easily find on Amazon here), it’s an excellent non-GMO clean plant-based protein to help you meet your nutrition needs easily and healthfully!