Organic plant-based vegan protein is one of the cleanest proteins you can get and this protein powder is backed with many quality certificates to boost your confidence!
Besides that, it has taken sports protein powder to the next level with the NSF Certificate for Sports and Informed-Choice Sport Certificate. This assures that there are no banned substances and you get only the cleanest and complete nutrients.
For this plant-based vegan protein powder review, we show the product consumer rating, product overview, to whom it is recommended for, quality certificates, and discuss a comparison between whey protein vs plant protein, pros & cons of Garden of Life Sport Protein Powder, product blend, general nutrition & nutrition for vegan athletes & bodybuilders, and a few ways to consume.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (from 298 consumer ratings)
Size & Quantity:
- Chocolate canister: 29.6oz / 1.85lb / 840g
- Vanilla canister: 28.4oz / 1.77lb / 806g
- Chocolate pack with 12 packets: each packet weighs 1.6oz (44 grams)
- Vanilla pack with 12 packets: each packet weighs 1.5oz (42 grams)
Serving Size: 2 scoops (44 g)
Number of Servings per Container: 19
Available Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla
Quick Overview
- 30g of organic plant-based protein per serving (2 scoops)
- 5g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
- Organic muscle recovery blend
- 5g of glutamine & glutamic acid
- Rich in antioxidants
- Probiotics: 2 billion CFU lactis BL04
The product is certified organic with many other quality certificates mentioned below.
Recommended For
- Athletes
- Bodybuilders
- Anyone engaging in intensive workouts
Product Certificates
- Certified Vegan
- USDA Organic
- NSF Certified for Sport
- The Informed-Choice Lab Certified (to show no banned substances used)
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- NSF Gluten-Free Certified
Garden of Life Sport Protein is safely manufactured by cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) third-party audited facilities. Tested to be safe, conforming to the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices and food standards in regulated labs.
Whey Protein vs. Plant Protein
- Whey protein contains lactose whereas there is no lactose in plant protein. Apparently, 75% of the world population is lactose intolerant. To recognize that as a normality, now the term has changed to describe the balance 25% as lactose persistent. This is quite obvious because nature intended mammals to consume milk only as infants and not as adults. Lactose in whey may lead to digestive issues, diarrhea, and bloating.
- Most whey proteins contain artificial sweeteners which are not healthy and could aggravate digestive issues further.
- Compared to plant protein, whey protein is heavily processed and in a 2010 study some whey protein brands had contained heavy metals, with unsafe levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead. If you read some of the whey protein product ingredients you may come across such products. The Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein doesn’t have any toxic or synthetic ingredients.
- Researchers also reported that pea protein’s (a primary protein source in this vegan protein) ability to trigger the release of peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, and cholecystokinin hormones making you feel full and was comparable to dairy protein [1].
- In one study of 161 men who did resistance training for 12 weeks, the group who had 50 grams of pea protein daily experienced similar increases in muscle thickness to the group who took 50 grams of whey protein per day [2].
- Many whey products are there with filler ingredients which dilute the protein content. Thus you end up losing money on such substances. Garden of Life Sport Protein has no such filler ingredients.
Garden of Life Sport Vegan Protein Powder–Pros & Cons
Pros
- Complete and clean protein with all the essential amino acids along with important branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
- Repair and restore muscles, supporting faster recovery
- Promotes better immune & digestion
- No fillers, no toxic and synthetic ingredients
- High in antioxidants
- USDA certified organic, certified for sports and vegan
- Non-GMO and gluten-free
- The vegan protein powder is suitable for people who are allergic/intolerant to dairy
- No added sugars, soy or tree nuts
Cons
- Slightly expensive than your average protein powder
- If you are caffeine sensitive or simply want to avoid it, do note that the chocolate flavor contains naturally occurring 7mg of caffeine, per serving.
- There are mix reviews on taste. Some like it from the outset, some acquire a liking with time and others may dislike. Note that we have mentioned a few methods how you can alter the taste if you need to.
Ingredients & Nutrition
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Garden of Life Vegan Protein Powder gives a blend of certified organic proteins sourced from multiple sources, consists of U.S. grown peas, garbanzo beans (chickpea variety), navy beans, lentils, and cranberry seed protein, all of which are organic.
A single serving with 2 scoops provides 30g of complete protein giving you all the essential amino acids, 5.5g BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) and 5g glutamine, which would help reduce post-workout recovery time.
BCAAs enhance training performance, reduce protein and muscle breakdown during intense activity.
The product gives you a guarantee that all your branched-chain amino acids come from organic ingredients and none are synthetic.
Garden of Life Sport recovery mixture (organic muscle recovery blend) includes tart cherries, apples, turmeric, goji berries and blueberries which are all organic. These antioxidants would aid in faster recovery.
Since many sports participants can be vulnerable with their immune systems due to intensive training programs, the product contains 2 billion CFU of a specially-selected, clinically examined probiotics. This could play an important role while on intense workouts to promote immune health, aid in digestion, and help absorb the nutrients better.
According to one study, humans with high blood pressure experienced a decrease in blood pressure when they took pea protein supplements. This can also be considered a bonus.
It is also important to see what’s not in this protein powder. It has no gluten, dairy, added sugars, filler ingredients, tree nuts, soy, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or any other toxic chemicals you may find in many other protein powders.
Directions:
Take within an hour after a workout & throughout the day. Mix 2 level scoops of powder, with 12oz of water. If needed you can mix it with your blender
Options to alter the taste,
- Mix with unsweetened almond milk or any other non-dairy plant milk
- Add it to your oatmeal or cereal
Conclusion
For vegan athletes, or anyone looking for brands with complete & clean protein there aren’t many options that have top quality ingredients with great nourishment. Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder has been able to address that void extremely well.
Overall this is a great product and an option you can consider if you value an organic plant protein with many other health benefits.
We hope this review helped you to make an informed decision! If you have any questions or thoughts to share please leave a comment below.
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25882536
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25628520
Image credit: Garden of Life
