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

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.

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.

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.

I used this stuff to help me get through a bad stomach bug (and possible ulcer) so I could eat more than just toast, yogurt and bananas without having to think or experiment too much with what else wouldn’t upset my stomach. I liked it enough that I decided to keep buying it after I recovered, and my husband (who is not a health nut at all) started drinking this too!Because of all the fiber and protein, this is plenty filling. I actually had to halve the serving size for myself because a full serving would leave me bloated if I had a full serving amount for more than one consecutive meal. I supplemented this with other foods because it is pretty low in calories and carbohydrates, so without some snacks I’d get munchies or a little light headed by the end of the day. However it has helped me and my husband get rid of some extra weight, and it’s enormously convenient. Just add it to a bottle of water, take a few snacks and go. Those two reasons are why my husband gave it a try, and he didn’t mind the flavor at all either. He started drinking this for a quick and easy meal and sometimes in place of his nightly glass of chocolate milk.The Vanilla flavor is meh. I’m not a big Vanilla fan anyway, and it leaves kind of a “green foods” after taste. The chocolate flavor tastes a lot like chocolate milk if you mix it with milk or almond milk, though very chalky. We got used to the chalkiness pretty quick and really the benefits of this stuff are worth it. We haven’t tried the Vanilla Chai because that one is a much higher price. It’s true that this powder doesn’t mix great. It likes to settle at the bottom of the glass within a few minutes and gets sludgy if you leave it for long, so it works best to put it in a water bottle and shake it up before drinking, or keep a spoon with your glass to stir it if you’re going to take time sipping on it. I also add twice as much liquid as it calls for because it’s pretty thick.I’m amazed at how good I feel after drinking this meal powder. I’ve also noticed a huge difference in the health of my skin, nails and hair after a month of having this for 1-2 meals a day. It’s so chock full of healthy foods and vitamins it does more for me than taking a daily multivitamin. Because I can take this with me instead of lugging around a bagged lunch, and because it’s filling, I end up feeling much less hungry. That makes it easier to prepare healthier regular food meals too!Having this for 1-2 meals a day has made our bathroom trips much more regular. For the first couple of weeks it gave us more gas than usual, but our bodies seem to have adjusted well after that. With all the benefits it provides this is becoming a regular item on our shopping list.