Garden of Life Sport Whey Protein Powder Vanilla, Premium Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate Plus Probiotics for Immune System Health, 24g Protein, Non GMO, Gluten Free, Cold Processed - 20 Servings

Very potent Flavor. Digests well.

There are some important things to realize about this Garden of Life "Whey Protein". 1) It includes ingredients other than whey protein. It uses milk protein in addition to whey protein (the 2 are different). The ratio is 85% Whey Isolate, 15% Milk Protein. For those new to using whey protein, there are 2 types. Whey Concentrate is the original structure of whey and includes a small amount of carbohydrate sugar and fat (around 1-2 gram each). Whey Isolate is the filter forms of whey concentrate which has the sugar and fat removed. Isolate is essentially pure protein. 2) Garden of Life Whey contains filler ingredients that make the drink a little thicker than a 100% whey protein drink would be. For anyone who has had 100% whey concentrate or 100% whey isolate, they know that the powder mixes into water to create a cloudy white drink that feels a lot like water. Whey does not make the water thick. Garden of Life added different types of plant fiber, plant gum and plant lecithan to thicken the drink. Garden of Life's way is not very thick - it's about the same feel as low fat milk. However it's noticeable thicker than than 100% whey would be. The big question is, how do these filler ingredients affect digestion? The Garden of Life Whey does digest more slowly than both forms of 100% Whey (Isolate digests faster than concentrate). The feeling in the stomach is not heavy like a plant protein drink would be. But it is heavier than 100% whey. As a result, the Garden of Life Whey gives more of a feeling of being satiated / full. My thoughts: For someone wanting a pre-workout or mid-workout drink, stick with 100% Whey Isolate. For a post-workout drink.... if you want the fastest protein absorption, stick to 100% Whey Isolate; if you want to feel full to help you make it to your next meal, then this Garden of Life whey would work for you. These filler ingredients are Organic Tapioca Fiber (IMO), Organic Gum Acacia, Sunflower Lecithin 3) It tastes very sweet. Garden of Life put some sweeteners in this Whey so it won't takes like Whey. I think it tastes more like a fake-flavored milk shake. People with typical America taste buds will likely enjoy the fake vanilla or chocolate flavoring. I tested both flavors. 100% Whey tastes like unsweet, very diluted milk. This Garden of Life Whey taste is bold. The sweeteners used are: Organic Erythritol, Sea Salt, Organic Stevia Extract (leaf) The first time I drank this Garden of Life Whey, I was overpowered by the flavor. I don't eat sweets or any "Standard American Foods". I eat whole organic foods with minimal natural sugars. Most of my carbs come from vegetable fiber. So this Garden of Life drink nearly knocked me over. However I wanted to give this drink a fair go.... and after 2 days my tastes buds adjusted. The drink was still the sweatest thing on my menu by far, but I wasn't overpowered by it. It was still very sweet tasting for me. I don't think that most people will be overpowered like I was. Most people eat sugary foods throughout the day. For the common shopper, this Garden of Life Whey will likely be appreciated and help them to stay away from more harmful sweet foods. My Final Thoughts I plan on continuing to use this container until it's empty. I doubt I'll buy another container in the future. I have been using 100% Whey Isolate and 100% Whey Concentrate (no fillers, no sweeteners, grass-fed cows) for years and enjoy the somewhat bland taste. I do not have digestion difficulties with the Garden of Life Whey but I do recognize that my stomach feels Garden of Life's Whey more... and I prefer to not feel my Whey before or during a workout. I also want the best absorption and I practice simple food combining in my diet. For these reasons, I'll keep this Garden of Life Whey off my menu. However I can recommend it to others who don't have such a fine-tuned diet or strict personal preferences. If you like vanilla or chocolate milk shakes, you'll really like this Garden of Life Whey

244 persons found it helpful

NO MIGRAINES!

I suffer from MIGRAINES with AURORAS. Any time I eat dairy, avocado, chocolate, or any food with XANTHAN GUM, or GUAR GUM. I get a massive migraine, yes, with vomiting included. Definitely toxic, definitely an alergy. Horrible. I've had the plant based protein and it works great also. However, I wanted whey isolate protein since it's preferable when having any type of work out regimen for muscle growth and recovery. I FOUND THE PERFECT FIT! NO MIGRAINES, NO NOT ONE. I'm on my fourth purchase of this product, and I definitely RECO for anyone that suffers from MIGRAINES. Hope you find the right fit for you. Consider it

159 persons found it helpful

Protein Frappes anyone?!?

I have never been a fan of protein powders and every single one I had tried tasted terrible in my opinion. Even if I added it to with other ingredients. There was always this powdery disgusting artificial flavor going on. So I gave up on protein powders.... until this one. My husband doesn't mind protein powders and when they were out of his usual he bought this one. I gave it a try and was instantly hooked. It is by far the best protein powder I have tasted. Granted I only drink this in protein shakes. My recipe is simple but oh so delicious! Ice, milk, raw cacao powder,1 scoop of this with some espresso or decaf espresso (if you're like me and breastfeeding). Unbelievable! I have one at least a day and has helped me immensely curb my sweet tooth and get back in shape. So I highly recommend it

103 persons found it helpful

but it says bcaa's and glutamine and I like that. If you can trust the label

It's been a few YEARS since I've gotten whey protein. I think 2013 was the last time I got whey and it was the natural Whey from Optimum nutrition. My friend got me paranoid about non organic whey and over the years, I didn't know which brand to consider when getting organic whey, and all the brands were very expensive for the content. Besides, I felt eating quality meals or getting some organic, raw Whole or skim milk could be sufficient enough to substitute for Whey protein. Still, I just discovered this stuff 3-4 months ago, and have been using it ever since. It's very light on the stomach. Meaning, I drank 2 Scoops, yesterday after my gym visit and It wasn't thick nor heavy. 2 scoops and not much water. I've found when mixing, to use very minimal fluid. The more fluid, the more foam. If you're using 1 scoop, use less than 4 ounces of fluid. Shake it for a few seconds and check to see the consistency. Two scoops, less than 12 ounces of fluid. This stuff is very light, and the liquid form seems very runny, not thick. I guess that means less fluid if you want it to be slightly thicker. I'm not sure if it helps my sore muscles heal faster, but it says bcaa's and glutamine and I like that. If you can trust the label, then those are great levels of both bcaas and glutamine per serving. Before this powder, I'd get the garden of life raw meal. But with that, the levels of bcaas and glutamine were more vague. With this powder, the levels are on the front of the package. Still, I like the raw meal being dense with organic fruits and vegetables and FIBER! But plant protein digests differently than animal and again, the levels of bcaas and glutamine are vague with raw meal. Anyway, a “bottle” of this powder lasts me about 2-3 weeks. I only take on days I workout and if my muscles are still very sore. It doesn't satisfy hunger, but it's whey protein which is fast burning. Anyway, I like it. And you have to check prices because some places are under $40, and others are over $40. It's nice to get a quality whey like this. That is, if you can trust everything on the label about the quality. Another questionable thing about plant protein is lead content. Animal protein doesn't have that, I don't think. This review is long enough. I like the product

87 persons found it helpful

Compared to On Performance Whey

Other than price, there are basically two criteria for a non-pro like me to evaluate a whey drink: what's the nutritional value and how does it taste. I'm comparing this Garden Of Life product to my long- time favorite, ON Performance Whey Chocolate Shake . What's in it: On a "macro" level, both drinks deliver about the same amount of protein, BCAAs, and glutamine. However, this Garden Of Life product also lists probiotics as well as a lengthy amino acid profile - the ON product doesn't mention any of it. Also, this product has less calories (120 vs. 160) per drink, and a whole lot of organic ingredients down to the sweetener (organic stevia). On the ON Performance Whey tub I'm reading things like "titanium dioxide" instead (and, for comparision, sucralose as the sweetener). Taste: I compared both protein powder's taste when mixed with water as well as sweetened (90 kcal per 8oz) almond milk. When simply mixed with water, the On Whey Performance powder has a fairly pleasant taste. If you use less water, you could mistake it for chocolate milk! The Garden of Life product has a much stronger cocoa taste, akin to eating very dark chocolate. Furthermore, I found it has a (to me) somewhat unpleasant aftertaste, but that could be because I'm not very used to Stevia. When used with almond milk, the Performance Whey powder got very thick, almost like a milkshake, and the Garden of Life product became more "rounded" (to me), but still not to be mistaken for a dessert-y drink. Overall, I prefer the taste of the ON powder which almost counts as a treat, but I appreciate the makeup of this more "serious" post- workout drink. Both now have their place in my life

72 persons found it helpful

Best protein source out there

I've tried vanilla and chocolate, and I actually prefer vanilla much more, and so does my husband. The flavoring is the best I've tried, and I've tried probably about 15 protein powders. It's important for me to have grass fed whey protein because if the cows are fed grains, it's not clean. I like that it's sweetened with erythritol, which is also a clean sweetener that tastes WAY better than just straight up stevia alone. The macros on this are great, low carb, no fat, and high protein

36 persons found it helpful

Easy to mix and not gritty

My husband is the one who drinks this protein. He loves the grass fed whey over the plant based. Ive tasted it as well and it is very smooth and not gritty whatsoever. It mixes well with almond milk and water. He also puts it in his overnight oats for additional protein and it absorbs well in the oats and you can't even tell there is protein powder in it. Highly recommend if you're looking for a grass fed whey protein that mixes well and is not gritty and has great flavor

30 persons found it helpful

Fabulous protein and I've tried many

This protein is awesome!! I've gone through vegan proteins that taste like cardboard and other whey proteins that give me headaches or taste metallically from wf and beyond. Grass fed whey vanilla is by far the best. It's great post workout with a banana or berries or both- not too heavy- just right. The beauty of the vanilla is it can be dressed up or down whether you're wanting rich chocolate / coffee latte / minty or a berry blend not masked by the underlying flavor. I've had issues with dairy sensitivity in the past and read that grass fed is the way to go. It's easy to digest. I'm on my 11th canister if that is any indication. You won't be disappointed

18 persons found it helpful

Unfortunately this product contains erythritol

I used this product for about 6 months and thought it was pretty good although it did not easily blend into coffee, but since the news broke about erythritol I will no longer be using it

13 persons found it helpful

Questionable sourcing

Says made in the US, from US ingredients and “other countries”. This is unacceptable and a poor reflection of US law. It should always state which countries

12 persons found it helpful