My friends from Garden of Life are at it again. They recently released a new, grain free Organic Plant Protein in four flavors: Smooth Coffee, Smooth Chocolate, Smooth Vanilla and Smooth Energy (Yerba Mate). Each 1 oz packet has 100-110 calories and 15 grams of protein. Organic Plant Protein is a Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified plant protein supplement. Organic Plant Protein is great for anyone looking for a clean protein supplement that is free of common allergens such as gluten, grains, dairy and soy.
Key Benefits of OPP:
- Unique Protein Blend with Excellent Source Protein – Organic Plant Protein (OPP) is made with a new innovative blend of certified organic proteins. It has 15 grams of quality plant protein per serving.
- Tastes Delicious – OPP is “designed for superior taste and texture when mixed just with water.” All flavors are natural and organic with no artificial ingredients. Can also be mixed with non-dairy milk (or dairy milk if you prefer.)
- Grain Free and Gluten Free – OPP does not contain any grains or brown rice. It is the only Garden of Life protein that is both grain free and gluten free.
- Highly Digestible – OPP delivers highly digestible grain free plant protein with 13 enzymes and 1 billion CFU of probiotics. This is important for those people who have difficulty digesting grains.
- Great Nutrition Profile – Less than 1g Sugar*, 2g to 4g of Fiber and Only 100 Calories per Serving.
- Contains Two African Super Foods – Moringa and Baobab are rich in protein, minerals and antioxidants. They purchase them through the African Hub to guarantee Fair Trade.
How does it taste? I got a few of my friends to weigh in and I tried it, too!
I sent fellow Janji Ambassador Ben several flavors to try. He said:
“I’ve never tried any Garden of Life products before, and since I eat a mostly vegetarian diet I was excited to give them a try.
I liked the coffee flavor the best, then the chocolate, then the energy mix. The coffee one tasted a lot like coffee. In a smoothie it was like a healthier version of a Frappuccino from Starbucks. I’m usually a chocolate protein fan, but the chocolate flavor wasn’t intense enough for me. It got a bit drowned out by other ingredients I put in my smoothie – like banana or berries. I wish it had been a little more flavorful. It also had a bit of a stevia [natural sweetener] aftertaste which I did not notice in other flavors.
The “smooth energy” which had caffeine from mate in it was nice. It gave me a little pick me up in the morning, but it didn’t leave me feeling jittery like other workout supplements or energy drinks. I would use this again, especially before a morning gym session. I didn’t have any digestive issues from the protein powders, and they kept me feeling full when I tried them as mid-day snacks.
One thing I wish was better was the texture. I’ve had protein powders that have mixed worse, and ones that have mixed in better. The Garden of Life one’s were kind of in between. They mixed OK and didn’t clump, but had a bit of a weird texture to them after they were mixed in. I wouldn’t say it would be enough to steer me away from that brand because I do like the fact that they’re plant based and organic, but it was just something I noticed. Would I buy these? Yes, especially if they were available on sale. I liked the flavors and that they’re plant based. The texture wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from using them. If I had to rate them on a scale of 1-10 I would give them a 7.”
I tried the Smooth Coffee in a blender bottle with water and ice. I liked it a lot and will definitely use it again.It reminded me of a Frappacino, too, but with a healthy nutrition profile. I like the coffee flavor better than the Marley Coffee Raw Fit version from Garden of Life. I agree with Ben on the texture. Like most plant based proteins, it was a bit gritty to me. Wendy and Ryan liked the Chocolate and Vanilla flavors, as well, but noted that they mixed in much better with a blender and ice as a smoothie than with the blender bottle. Ryan liked the taste of the Chocolate, especially.
Runner buddy, Amanda, says:
“I usually go for whey protein post-hard workouts and particularly after long runs when my motivation to “cook” barely gets me to throw smoothie ingredients into a blender. So, I was excited to try the organic plant protein as a milk-free alternative. I was also excited by their alternate serving suggestion to use unsweetened almond milk in place of water for a delicious, creamy concoction. I tried the chocolate powder first, and had some trouble getting it to fully blend with 8ozs of chilly-out-of-the-fridge almond milk. Some extra liquid and time in the microwave helped. [Good idea, Amanda!] The chocolate is especially creamy and, as promised, delicious. The low sugar content was a huge plus (1.5g for chocolate? I’ll do this every day!!) and I felt satisfied after my serving. I think next time I’ll throw this chocolate protein powder in the blender with some almond milk, a frozen banana, and a few ice cubes. I’m holding off on the coffee until post-long run so I can enjoy the coffee buzz not before bed time!”
You don’t have to take our word(s) for it. The nice folks at Garden of Life will send one winner a shaker bottle with free samples, string bag and several boxes of single serve OPP ($24.95 retail/box of 5). Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The winner must be a US resident (or have a US postal intermediary), be 18 years of age or older and the offer is void where prohibited. The contest runs through Monday, April 20th. A winner will be selected and notified on Tuesday, April 21th.
In the mean time, you can check out Garden of Life online, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Please note: I was provided these products at no cost in exchange for an honest review. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and those of my friends.