Organic Vegan Protein Powder, Vanilla Protein Powder with Probiotics, BCAAs, 30g Plant Protein, NSF Certified, Gluten Free & Sport, Non GMO, Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder – 19 Servings

Plant Power Not So Vanilla After All!
Quality 5/5Taste 4.5/5How well it blends 4/5Affordability 3/5For starters, I decided to write this review because, at the time, there were no other reviews. A little about me: I’m hardly a fitness guru or expert on protein powders. I am, however, a former Marine who enjoys exercising and keeping active, so fitness and protein powders are no stranger to me. Typically, I have always used whey proteins, so many of my comparisons will be to whey.Why did I choose this protein? Well, unless you live under a rock somewhere, then I’m sure you’ve heard about all the nasty things that are in our food these days. That being said, but not limited to: GMOs, growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and so on. So obviously, because of this, they can be in our supplements too. Recently, I’ve been personally trying to watch what I put into my body. I’ve grown tired of most supplements having bad fillers and “mystery ingredients”. I wanted something clean, with better transparency on its ingredients and legitimate certifications to prove it. This protein is also very transparent with its amino acid profile; it’s not hidden like some brands do. So those are some of the reasons why I decided to give this protein a chance over staying with whey.About the protein, it’s somewhat different from others I’ve used. That being said, it’s not very pleasing visually or to smell. It kind of smells like playdough, with a slight hint of vanilla. It appears to look and behave a little different than whey protein. It clumps into tiny balls on top of itself when you shake the container to unsettle it and mix the powder. It doesn’t fluff up quite as well as whey powder. The small clumps easily break with the slightest touch though, so don’t let that deter you. It also has a slightly different texture than whey. Usually, when whey powder gets on something, you can just wipe or brush it off most of the time. With this plant powder, it leaves behind a fine residue, similar to what talc or cornstarch powder would do. With that said, it’s kind of hard to brush off, so you practically need to wash it off or wipe it up with something damp. So be warned, this plant powder is more messy than your average whey powder. You will quickly discover this when you dig for your measuring scoop!As far as mixing and taste go, mixing it seemed no different to me than most whey powders. I used my blender bottle the same as I would with whey powder, and I noticed no notable difference between the two powders. The taste was surprising! Which was a nice surprise considering that the smell wasn’t pleasant prior to, but that also got better once it was mixed. I mixed this with almond milk, just as I do with whey powders. And I’ve got to say, I was definitely impressed with the taste; it’s quite delicious, in my opinion. It also seems like a taste that will grow on you, so I’m looking forward to that. The flavor was vanilla, in case you were wondering.Money time! Let’s talk about the dollar per grams of protein, which you can easily determine with any protein powder. In this case, one serving is 21g, 15g of that is protein, and there are 38 servings. So we have 15×38, equating to 570 grams of total protein. Now divide that by whatever you paid for the product, and you will have your ratio of grams of protein per dollar. You will likely find a lower number on this product. Because, let’s face it, for the amount of protein you get here, this product is more expensive than most whey proteins. I’m not a fan of the price, but sometimes in life, you simply get what you pay for. So you have to ask yourself: Is the extra money worth it for you? For my personal health and peace of mind, the answer is yes.Why did I give this product 5 stars? The quality! It has several certifications to verify how clean it is. That gives me peace of mind and confidence, knowing I can trust the product. Not having to worry if it’s potentially harmful through the use of cheap fillers and toxic ingredients. I also feel this protein is among the top of its class compared to other plant-based proteins. This product is about 71% protein, which, compared to most plant-based proteins, is notably higher. Also, surprisingly, the price isn’t too bad when you shop it against other plant-based proteins. Use the dollar-per-gram of protein ratio and see for yourself. You also get the added benefit of probiotics, antioxidants, and a solid BCAA profile. So if you’re looking for a healthier protein powder supplement, then this may be the one for you! I’m personally making the switch to this plant protein over whey protein.If I notice anything out of the ordinary with this product, good or bad, I will do an update.*A warning: For anyone who is caffeine sensitive and/or simply tries to avoid having it in their diet, the chocolate flavor does, in fact, contain 7 mg of caffeine per serving.*Update 2/2024: Over the years, since initially trying plant-based proteins, I’ve discovered that my body tends to recover better when I switch between plant and whey proteins. Perhaps it’s just a placebo and/or a way to reduce being burned out from repeatedly consuming the thing. Regardless, I just wanted to confirm that I still use this exact same plant protein and organic grass-fed whey. Typically, I flip-flop between the two options, sometimes for no other reason than grabbing whichever one may be on sale at that time. Obviously, do whatever works best for you. Cheers!

Overall very happy!
Overall, I would give this a 4.5* out of 5* rating.Nutrients/Ingredients : 5*, Per 2 scoop serving, more protein than the Orgain I was using previously (21g/2scoops.)It has a good amino acid content already in the protein, so that means you don’t need a separate supplement for BCAAs, also it has glutamine and probiotics.TASTE: 5* I have not tried the vanilla, but, all chocolate proteins will taste different in my experience. This does taste a little different/less chocolaty than the Orgain chocolate. It still tastes good to me, and I have no complaints on the taste.TEXTURE: 4* It is a little bit “grainy” or “chalky” compared to all the other plant proteins I have tried. It doesn’t mix very well with natural peanut butter powder. I used to mix the chocolate fudge Orgain with 2 scoops protein powder and 1 scoop natural peanut butter powder, and it mixed great, nice and smooth. When I tried to mix this with the peanut butter powder, it made it a bit more chalky in consistency, and not as smooth or easy do drink. This is a bit thick (not a complaint, just FYI) compared to others even when mixed with the same amount of water/almond milk.MIXING: 4* This is my only real complaint. I have mixed other plant proteins with water or almond milk in a 16 oz plastic shaker bottle without even using the shaker agitator. I could put other brands of plant protein on the bottom or top of the liquid and shake, and it would 100% mixed. This will stick, in small areas, to the bottom after shook when the protein powder is added before the liquid, even with the plastic agitator in the blender bottle. When added after the liquid is already in the shaker bottle I always have a little dry spot of powder right under the flip open lid on the blender bottle, even when using the agitator in the bottle. It seems to always have some small clumps in it which doesn’t really bother me. Also, this seems to separate even within a few minutes after the bottle is stationary, requiring mixing again before drinking.Overall, I am very happy to have tried this! This eliminated the need for additional BCAA supplements, also it has glutamine, both aid in muscle recovery after workouts. As an added bonus this also has a probiotic blend in it. The only thing holding back a 5 star rating from me is the slightly hard to mix nature of this protein powder. The other small negative things can be overlooked by me because of all of the other benefits! I understand it’s very hard to make anything 100% perfect, there are pros and cons to anything in life. I will be ordering more soon!P.S. I see the price goes up and down at least $15 for this in the same flavor. When I first ordered it, it was just over $21.xx, (which I is what I was paying for my previous protein, so I figured I’d give it a shot.) Then it went up to $38.xx, and is now back down to $20.xx. I’m not sure why the price fluctuates that greatly, I would happily pay $20-$21 for it, but I wouldn’t want to constantly be buying it at almost 2x that price.

No allergic reaction and body absorbs this protein very well.

Best protein powder. Really good for baking and taste amazing with just mixing with water. You do not get that chalky taste like other protein powders. My husbands and mine go to (-:

I like the chocolate flavor so I tried the vanilla flavor. I used it in my berry bowls and vegan milk shakes. I like the amount of protein in a serving. It tastes sweet but it has one gram of sugar.