Garden of Life Raw Protein Review

Hey there, foodie friends!  How are you doing on this lovely day??

I know it’s #ThirstyThursday, so you’re probably expecting an awesome new smoothie recipe, but today I thought I’d take a slightly different route, and tell you all about the new brand of protein powder that I’ve been using lately!

Vegan protein powder is something that I’ve kept in my pantry since long before I actually stopped eating animal products on a regular basis.

When I started cleaning up my diet around the beginning of 2010, I was still eating cheese (because it’s delicious) and yogurt (because it has probiotics, so it had to be healthy, right?) on a regular basis, but I had already traded my skim milk for almond or rice milk.

In general, I just wasn’t incredibly comfortable with the idea of dairy.  I’d read in Skinny Bitch all about the pus and hormones and everything that go into milk, and got super grossed out.  Plus, I wanted to follow in the steps of bloggers like Caitlin, Gina, and Elena who didn’t drink milk.  I later learned even more info that keeps me mostly away from dairy, including how much better my tummy feels when I avoid dairy.

Because, at the same time, I was beginning to get into a running habit, I decided that I wanted to pick up some protein powder to put into my smoothies in the mornings.  I didn’t want whey protein, because I didn’t want to add extra dairy to my diet, and I had been scared away from soy by my favorite nutrition professor around that same time, so I definitely didn’t want to add more processed soy to my diet, so I picked up some vanilla brown rice protein powder from the local food co-op.

I started with, and stuck with, NutriBiotic brand for most of the last few years.  The price is great, it’s vegan and natural, the taste is good, and it isn’t super chalky.

Once last year, I actually shelled out the dough to buy a bag of the fancy/popular Sun Warrior brand of protein powder.  It was delicious, even less chalky than what I was used to, plus it was raw and organic.  Unfortunately, the price isn’t really reasonable for me to make it the standard in my kitchen.

I’ve also tried individual servings of Spiru-tein and Vega, which I also liked.

Recently, on a trip to my local health foods store (I do most of my grocery shopping at Fred Meyer, but shop at Minkler’s Green Earth in Renton for more obscure health food items), I noticed that they had a special on Garden for Life’s Raw Protein powder.  They were offering almost $15 off of the original price, plus they were throwing in a free shaker tumbler.  I knew I’d be in the market for protein powder soon, so I grabbed it up and brought it home.

Why do I like it?

• It’s raw and organic, just like Sun Warrior, but more a much lower price!
• Besides the sprouted brown rice base, it also contains loads of other sprouts, including quinoa, buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, flax, lentils, chia seeds, sesame seeds, millet, amaranth, garbanzo and adzuki beans.  More ingredients means more nutrients!
• It contains the amazing green superfood chlorella, which is high in protein, and a powerful detoxifier.
• It contains probiotics and digestive enzymes, making it easier to process in the body.  (This product is great for those with sensitive tummys.)
• 17 grams of protein per serving, versus only 12 grams in my previous brand.  Sprout power!!
• Great flavor!  Flavored with raw vanilla and raw stevia.  The texture is a bit chalkier than what I’m used to, but I’ll put up with it for the extra nutrition it provides!

I’ve been using this in all of my smoothies lately, and even on it’s own with water on occasion.  I definitely prefer it with plenty of fruit and greens though!

Have you ever tried Garden for Life Raw Protein before?  What’s your favorite protein powder and why?

Peace and love!

<3 Lindsay