Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Shake: Hit or Miss?

Lately, in my quest for an organic meal replacement shake, I stumbled upon one by Garden of Life. According to their claims, this particular shake is packed with an assortment of organic elements that not only elevate your protein intake but also ensure lasting satiety.

Now, the burning question arises: does the Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes deliver similar outcomes to other meal replacement shakes, or does it surpass all expectations?

The answer awaits within my meticulous exploration of the Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes, where I recount my personal experience with this protein shake and provide insightful recommendations to assist you in making an informed choice. But before digging down into this protein shake in detail, let’s take a moment to discuss the company behind it.

About the Brand

Garden of Life was founded in 2000 by Jordan Rubin, who struggled with weight loss issues while battling the digestive disorder, Crohn’s disease. Hoping to find better treatments himself, Rubin dedicated himself to research and created an effective supplement.

This gave him the push to develop the Garden of Life. According to the website, this company currently offers vitamins and supplements made from whole foods containing nutrients that are easily recognized by the body. They also offer convenient, fun, and delicious formulas in the form of sprays, chewable, and gummies.

Introduction to Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes

Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes are organic meals on-the-go that indulge in various flavor experiences. Based on the company’s website, these widely available organic shakes uniquely combine the goodness of organic plant based superfoods, complete protein from peas, sprouted grains, seeds and legumes, juiced greens, as well as fruits and veggies. They also include live probiotics and enzymes, whole food vitamins and minerals, in one complete raw Organic meal replacement

Raw Organic Shakes Nutrition Key Ingredients

Based on the company’s website, Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes is loaded with a nutritious, 100% raw, vegan protein powder that’s chock-full of essential nutrients, high in fiber, and completely neutral in taste.

Let’s look at the product label for this organic meal replacement shake, showing the main macronutrients and base ingredients below.

Now, it’s time to dive deeper into the total calorie count, macronutrient makeup, and vital key components of this raw organic shake. By understanding these aspects clearly, we can delve into how this meal replacement can effectively assist in maintaining a healthy weight when combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

Calories

When it comes to sustaining a healthy diet like a vegan or ketogenic one, calories are crucial. For vegans, getting enough calories is essential for maintaining good nutrition and meeting their energy needs. Due to the keto diet’s emphasis on high fat intake while restricting carbohydrates, careful calorie tracking becomes necessary.

People can successfully pursue their health objectives, such as weight loss or maintenance, while ensuring they acquire the necessary nutrients by keeping a close check on calories. This means it’s best to examine the calorie content first before adding any meal alternatives to your diet. Because not counting calories can affect your overall calorie intake.

When I looked at Garden of Life in detail, I discovered that it contains a respectable 150 calories. If you’re using it to substitute a meal, you can add other ingredients and blend it into a delectable smoothie to improve the flavor. Just keep in mind that it’s important to keep an eye on your meal’s total calories to make sure it matches with your chosen macronutrient ratio and your weight-loss objectives.

Macronutrients

As I mentioned before, while counting total calories, the ratio of macronutrients is important. Because counting total calories alone may not provide a complete picture of a balanced diet. Let’s analyze the main macronutrients present in Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes and the quantities available for each.

Carbs

First, let’s look into the carb content of this organic shake. According to the product label, it contains 12g of carbs. While this may be suitable for some individuals, it may not align with restricted or low-calorie diets like vegan, keto, paleo, or Atkins. If you incorporate this amount of carbs into your daily intake while following such diets, it could potentially contribute to weight gain unless you compensate by reducing carb intake elsewhere.

Now, let’s move on to the fiber content, which stands at 6g. Fiber is beneficial for digestive health and promoting a feeling of fullness. It’s worth noting that this value is relatively higher compared to many other meal replacement shakes available. In reality, you can choose low glycemic index foods like whole grains, non-starchy veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats to slightly increase your blood glucose level.

Fat

Let’s now look more closely at this organic shake’s fat content. This meal replacement shake has 2.5g of fat, of which 0.5g are saturated, 1g is polyunsaturated, and 0.5g is monounsaturated. This organic shake appears to have a reasonable ratio of saturated and unsaturated fats when compared to other shakes on the market.

It’s crucial to remember that the amount of fat required may vary depending on various dietary patterns. To maintain a suitable fat intake for individuals who consume a lot of fat, it would be advantageous to combine this smoothie with extra sources of healthy fats, including dark chocolate, fatty fish, whole eggs, or nut butter.

Protein

Lastly, when it comes to drinking this shake, the macronutrient that deserves the utmost consideration is protein. Why? Because protein is essential for many body processes, including the maintenance, repair, and health of muscles.

For those who live an active lifestyle or are trying to lose weight, it’s especially important to consume enough protein to support muscle building, speed up recovery, and increase satiety. Additionally, this organic shake has 20g of protein, which seems like a fair quantity, especially for people who are concerned with muscle growth or who follow a diet that is gym-focused.

But, according to Vital Health, it’s vital to remember that eating too much protein may inhibit your body from making enough ketone if you’re currently following a restrictive diet like the ketogenic diet. In this case, it may take some trial and error to determine whether this shake meets your specific needs for the keto diet.

Key Ingredients List

Now that we’ve covered the macronutrient overview of Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes, I’m sure you’re eager to look into its key ingredients. So, let’s take a closer look at the ingredients list of this shake to determine its relevance to your dietary plan.

Protein Blend

Based on the labeling, the protein blend found in the Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes is a thoughtfully crafted combination of pea protein, brown rice protein, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, chia seed, adzuki bean, flaxseed, garbanzo, lentil, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seed. Adding these protein blends in your diet may help you to support muscle growth, weight loss and heart health.

Fruit Vegetable Blend

This organic shake also contains some highly-nutritious fruits and vegetables such as spinach leaf, baobab fruit, apple, beetroot, broccoli, carrot, tomato, green bell pepper, brussels sprout leaf, ginger root, garlic bulb, onion bulb, strawberry, cherry, parsley, cauliflower, blackberry, raspberry, kale leaf, cucumber gourd, celery stalk, and asparagus flower and stem, which is extremely important while following a vegan or keto diet. In fact, adding these highly-nutritious fruits and vegetables may help you to reduce obesity, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Greens Blend

According to the company’s website, this organic shake is crafted with raw greens such as alfalfa grass juice, spirulina, barley grass juice, oat grass juice, and wheatgrass juice. These greens blends are a great source of high levels of vitamins and minerals and a way to ensure you still get the daily nutrition you need.

Probiotic Enzyme Blend

In addition to the greens mix, this shake contains vital probiotics and enzymes such as Lipase, Protease, Aspergillopepsin, Beta-Glucanase, Cellulase, Bromelain, Phytase, Lactase, Papain, Peptidase, Pectinase, Xylanase, Hemicellulase, and [Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus] at 1.5 Billion CFU. These components can be extremely beneficial for individuals seeking to maintain a healthy gut. Consuming probiotics and enzymes in the right proportions may help establish a balanced gut bacteria ecosystem, while nourishing and supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Vitamins Minerals

The Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes are reportedly loaded with 21 whole food vitamins and minerals, which can be helpful in correcting nutrient deficiencies. People frequently need to cut back on calories when adhering to a restrictive diet. Nevertheless, including a combination of vitamins and minerals in your daily regimen can help to guarantee that you don’t miss out on any necessary nutrients.

Available Flavor Option

Currently, the Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes comes in four flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Vanilla Chai and Lightly Sweet, while the regular shake comes in more flavor options.

My Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes Experience Story

The Garden of Life Tasty Organic Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake is something I recently had the chance to sample, and I have mixed thoughts about it.

On the plus side, the flavor was very scrumptious, with a deep, indulgent flavor of chocolate. Furthermore, the fact that it uses organic components matched my desire for pure and unprocessed ingredients.

My entire experience was, however, hampered by a few negatives. First off, the texture didn’t quite live up to my expectations of a smooth and creamy shake; it was a little gritty. Although it blended fairly well, the graininess was somewhat off-putting. Additionally, the sweetness level appeared a little too strong, almost artificial in flavor.

Regarding nutrition, I valued the shake’s inclusion of necessary vitamins and minerals, which gave me an easy approach to meet my daily food requirements. I did find, though, that this meal replacement shake had more calories than some of the other options.

For people who are conscious of their caloric consumption, this may cause concern. In addition, I found that the shake didn’t make me feel full for very long. Despite the fact that my initial hunger reduced, it didn’t stay as long as I had planned, so I had to eat more snacks to feel completely satisfied.

How to Use It?

Mix 1 level scoop (scoop included) with 8 oz of water. Delicious with unsweetened almond milk. Store in a cool, dry place.

Who Should Buy?

• Individuals who want to add more proteins to their diet
• Anyone on a vegan and gluten-free diet, according to the company’s website
• Those who want to boost their nutrients level because it has 21 vitamins and minerals

Who Shouldn’t Buy?

• Those with underlying medical disorders, women who are pregnant or nursing
• Individuals having allergies or sensitivities to any of its ingredients

Possible Health Advantages

Packed with essential vitamins and minerals: This organic meal replacement shake is packed with 21 whole food vitamins and minerals, which may help you boost your nutrient level in the body.

Possibly suitable for vegan and gluten-free diet: Based on the brand website, this organic shake has vegan and gluten-free certification. So, it may be ideal for people who are currently following these diets.

Possibly support to maintain muscle mass: This organic meal replacement shake contains a high amount of protein. Consuming high amounts of protein may contribute to growing or maintaining muscle mass.

Potential Downsides and Considerations

May cause an upset stomach: As I mentioned earlier, this organic shake has a high amount of proteins, which may cause an upset stomach.

Possibly initiate various allergy symptoms: This meal replacement shake includes sesame, which can possibly cause various allergy symptoms like breathing difficulty, and hives.

Price and Buying Options

This meal replacement shake is available in two sizes, one container can provide either 14 or 28 servings. 14 servings of Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes small tub costs $29.59 and $55.19 for a large tub on the website. The ordering process is easy whether you prefer to purchase from the official Garden of Life website or Amazon.

Moreover, if you want to check out other meal replacement shakes based on goals you can check here.

List of Other Products by Garden of Life

The company offers a wide range of products in addition to meal replacement shakes, including:

• Multivitamins

• Single nutrients

• Probiotics

• Omega-3s

• Prenatal

• Herbal supplements

• Food

FAQs

Does Raw Organic Meal have whey or other dairy?

Based on the company’s website, this organic shake is vegan and free of dairy.

Can I use Garden of Life Raw Organic Shakes for weight loss?

The company claims that it can be a very useful tool to lose some weight due to its nutrient rich nature.

Can I use Raw Organic Shake to replace meals?

Based on the company’s website, this Raw Organic Shake may replace meals.

Is Garden of Life Raw Organic high in heavy metals?

According to product labeling, this meal replacement shake has no heavy metals.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the Garden of Life Tasty Organic Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake offers an enjoyable flavor and organic ingredients, but the texture, sweetness level, and limited satiety might not appeal to everyone.

The higher calorie count could also be a consideration for those aiming to manage their intake. Also a lower overall calorie count shake can leave room to add in your own flavor and nutritional additions.

It’s essential to weigh these factors alongside personal preferences and nutritional goals when deciding if this shake is the right fit for you.