Garden of Life Protein Powder: A Complete Guide to the Brand's Bestsellers
Garden of life
The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. Learn more here.
Garden of Life is a respected wellness and nutrition brand that offers a vast assortment of clean vitamins and supplements. While Garden of Life is known for its probiotics and multivitamins, protein powders are arguably one of its most popular offerings. That’s because Garden of Life sells 70 protein supplements, which range from plant-based protein powder to protein powder made out of grass-fed whey. There are even protein powders loaded with minerals and nutrients that double as meal replacements, and protein powders for different goals such as weight loss or muscle recovery. Not to mention, protein bars and protein powder for coffee.
While it can seem like Garden of Life protein powders are endless, there are a few standout products. Our Garden of Life protein powder review will cover the brand’s top-selling protein powders, its ingredients and what they work best for. We’ll also share everything you need to know about the Garden of Life brand to help you make an informed decision and determine which protein powder is best for your needs.
This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.
What Is Garden of Life?
Garden of Life is a nutrition brand that offers clean vitamins and supplements. As an affordable line and household staple for many, Garden of Life makes products for just about all age groups, health needs, diets and lifestyles. Founded in 2000, Garden of Life was created by author and wellness speaker Jordan Rubin, who was inspired by his recovery from chronic illness and wanted to help others take charge of their health in their own unique way.
Garden of Life products are derived from whole foods and include clean, traceable ingredients. All products, including protein powders, are free of synthetic ingredients, binders, fillers, artificial flavors and colorings. As of 2021, Garden of Life also became the first vitamin and supplement brand to be Certified Carbon Neutral, and promises a commitment to sustainable products and processes. Whether you’re looking for supplements for brain health, energy, mood and stress or immunity, Garden of Life sells products across 10 different health categories.
Within the Garden of Life brand are also sub-brands like Sport, Raw Probiotics, Vitamin Code and myKind Organics, the latter of which is fully certified organic and non-GMO verified by the Non-GMO Project. Each one of these lines tailors to a different need and lifestyle, and there are even Garden of Life protein powders under these various sub-brands (like Dr. Formulated). Here are the most popular Garden of Life protein powders and everything to know about them.
Garden of Life Protein Powder Bestsellers
Raw Organic Protein Powder Unflavored
Garden of Life
- Price: $50.99
- Ingredients: Raw organic protein blend with organic pea protein, organic sprouted brown rice protein, organic amaranth sprout and more
- Flavor: None, this protein powder is unflavored
- Amount of protein per serving: 22 grams
- Servings per container: 20
If you prefer an unflavored protein powder to mix into your protein shakes or cold liquids, check out Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder. It comes flavor-free and uses an organic plant-based formula. This gluten-free and Non-GMO Project-verified protein blend includes a mix of organic superfoods like chia seed, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed and flax seed. It also incorporates a prebiotic fiber blend to help support a healthy gut, and is entirely free of added sugars. Plus, it has higher doses of Vitamin D (50 percent of your daily value), zinc (25 percent of your daily value) and Vitamin E (20 percent of your daily value) in each serving, which can be beneficial for vegetarian or vegan diets that can make it harder to get these essential nutrients through food.
Packing in 22 grams of plant protein per serving, this protein powder can easily be used to up your protein intake. It can work just as well for post-workout recovery and includes four grams of branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, that can help promote muscle growth and increased muscle strength. In addition, this plant protein powder is nearly carbohydrate-free and includes less than one gram per serving, making it a great option for those following keto or paleo diets.
Raw Organic Fit Protein Powder Chocolate Cacao Powder
Garden of Life
- Price: $51.99
- Ingredients: Raw organic protein blend, raw organic ashwagandha root, organic alfalfa sprout, raw probiotic and enzyme blend and more
- Flavor: Chocolate, vanilla
- Amount of protein per serving: 28 grams
- Servings per container: 10
If weight loss is your goal, look no further than Garden of Life Raw Organic Fit Protein Chocolate Cacao Powder. This plant-based protein powder packs in a whopping 28 grams of protein per serving, making it effective for weight loss since protein intake is proven to help suppress hunger and promote a feeling of being full. It also includes an organic weight loss and stress management blend with raw organic decaffeinated green coffee bean extract and raw organic ashwagandha root, which studies prove to be effective for body weight management. Overall, this protein powder can help you achieve more lean body mass, and it comes in a tasty chocolate flavor that blends well into smoothies with almond milk (or other liquids) without a chalky texture. If chocolate isn’t for you, this protein powder also comes in vanilla flavor.
Most diets can work alongside Raw Organic Fit protein powder, since it’s vegan, gluten-free, certified USDA organic, and is dairy- and soy-free. It also has less than one gram of sugar and is full of essential amino acids that promote muscle synthesis and growth. While some plant proteins aren’t complete, meaning they don’t have the nine types of amino acids found in food that help your body function, this high protein powder uses a blend of numerous plant sources to help ensure that each serving provides you with complete protein.
SPORT Certified Grass Fed Whey Chocolate
Garden of Life
- Price: $59.99
- Ingredients: Whey protein isolate, milk protein, organic cocoa, organic stevia extract and more
- Flavor: Chocolate, vanilla
- Amount of protein per serving: 24 grams
- Servings per container: 20
Those using protein powder to support fitness goals like increasing muscle mass or lean body mass can benefit from Garden of Life SPORT Certified Grass Fed Whey Chocolate protein powder, which includes 24 grams of premium whey isolate and milk protein per serving. This whey protein powder has minimal ingredients and zero grams of sugar. Instead, it’s sweetened with organic stevia extract to help give it a pleasant chocolate taste that blends well with peanut butter or other nut butters (or, you can simply mix this supplement into cold water). In addition to providing 48 percent of the recommended daily value of protein, it also contains two billion CFU (or measurement units) per serving of probiotics that can help support healthy digestion.
Plus, those specifically seeking out the fitness benefits (as the Garden of Life Sport line is designated for) will be glad to know that this protein powder includes four grams of glutamine and glutamic acid, which can help enhance strength and muscle powder, while also preventing fatigue. Even more energy comes from 10 milligrams of naturally-occuring caffeine per serving that can slightly amp up your workout. However, if you’re sensitive to caffeine or need to watch your caffeine intake (such as during pregnancy), you may want to consider a different protein powder.
SPORT Organic Plant-Based Protein Vanilla
Garden of Life
- Price: $59.99
- Ingredients: Organic performance protein blend with legumes like pea protein, navy bean and lentil bean, plus organic apple, turmeric and more
- Flavor: Vanilla, chocolate
- Amount of protein per serving: 30 grams
- Servings per container: 19
Garden of Life’s plant-friendly version of the protein powder above is Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein Vanilla. It offers 30 grams of plant protein per serving and tastes delicious mixed into unsweetened or vanilla-flavored almond milk. With no sweeteners and plenty of vitamins per serving including calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium, this plant-based protein powder can help support active individuals following a vegetarian or vegan diet (iron can be especially tough to get on these diets, but this supplement has 40 percent of the recommended daily value). It also includes an organic recovery blend containing apple, tart cherry and turmeric, the latter of which has been proven to help decrease inflammation and promote muscle recovery.
In addition, this complete plant protein powder for fitness includes two billion CFU of probiotics, five grams of glutamine and glutamic acid, and nearly six grams of BCAAs. It’s also vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and low in carbs, which makes it versatile for different dietary needs. Plus, it also has certifications from Informed Choice and NSF Certified Sport, which are global testing programs that monitor harmful substances in sport supplements (which this protein is free of).
Organic Creamy Protein with Oatmilk
Amazon
- Price: $44.99
- Ingredients: Organic protein blend with quinoa, buckwheat and more, plus oat milk powder, coconut MCT oil powder and stevia leaf extract
- Flavor: Vanilla cookie, chocolate brownie
- Amount of protein per serving: 20 grams
- Servings per container: 20
If you’re a fan of oat milk and/or cookies, Garden of Life Organic Creamy Protein with Oatmilk combines the best of both worlds. This plant-based and certified vegan protein powder includes a sprouted organic protein blend that contains quinoa, buckwheat, millet, chia and more, plus an organic plant milk blend with its star ingredient, oat milk powder and coconut milk powder. In addition, this protein powder features a prebiotic and probiotic blend for gut health support.
Packing in 20 grams of complete plant protein per serving, this protein powder has a creamy vanilla cookie flavor that goes beyond traditional vanilla, offering a new take on the classic flavor. It’s also higher in dietary fiber, which can help keep you full, while remaining low in sugar at less than one gram per serving. This protein powder is higher in saturated fat, however, so if you eat a lower fat diet for personal or health reasons, you may want to consider a different product; each serving includes 13 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat.
Raw Organic Meal Shake & Meal Replacement Vanilla Powder
iHerb
- Price: $36.99
- Ingredients: Organic sprouted protein blend with pea and brown rice protein, plus organic fiber blend with tapioca fiber, chia seed and flax meal
- Flavor: Vanilla, spiced chai, chocolate, lightly sweet
- Amount of protein per serving: 20 grams
- Servings per container: 14
Meal replacements can help you get a full “plate” of nutrients if you don’t have time to cook or eat a whole food meal. Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal Shake & Meal Replacement Vanilla Powder doubles as both a protein powder and a meal replacement loaded with 44 superfoods. From organic tomato to organic green bell pepper, to even organic kale and organic asparagus, this protein blend provides essential nutrients that are otherwise found in food. Each serving of this vanilla-flavored plant protein powder includes 20 grams of protein, plus a whopping 380 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin B12, which supports nerve and cell function, and 140 percent of the recommended daily value of biotin, which also helps with cell function and can help promote strong hair and nails. In addition, it has a probiotic and enzyme blend.
While this meal replacement protein powder works great for busy individuals on the go who need not only a filling shake, but a boost of nutrients, it may not be the best fit for those simply looking to up their protein intake who already get a lot of these nutrients through food (that’s because getting too many vitamins can make you feel sick or cause unpleasant side effects).
Other Garden of Life Protein Powder
In addition to the protein powders included in our list, Garden of Life produces 70 protein supplements that range in flavor, protein source and ingredients.
What to Consider Before Making a Purchase
To determine which Garden of Life protein powder might be best for you, there are a few factors to consider in advance. Here’s what you should think about before making a purchase.
Price
As is the case with almost all buys, price is a major driving factor in deciding which product is right for you. While Garden of Life is a more affordable brand, some types of protein powder, like the Sport line, tend to be more expensive than others. Plus, if you’re using protein powder daily, you’ll probably go through a container quickly - which can easily drive up costs. Determine your monthly budget for protein powder, then carefully check your budget against how many servings are in a container.
Protein source
Protein source matters, especially if you follow a specific diet or simply prefer one type of protein over the other for health or fitness reasons. Those eating vegetarian or vegan, or who are sensitive to dairy, should steer towards a plant-based protein powder. Luckily, Garden of Life offers plant protein powders with a variety of protein blends, so you aren’t stuck with only one option. If you prefer an animal-sourced protein, the whey protein powders will likely be a better choice for you. Still, at the end of the day, some people simply prefer the taste and texture of plant versus whey protein, or vice-versa.
Related Post: The Best Types of Protein Powder Explained
Goals
Whatever your reason for consuming protein powder might be, whether that’s to lose weight, build muscle or simply increase your protein intake, Garden of Life designs products that meet a variety of goals. Consider your reason for using protein powder and consult our guide or the brand’s website to find a protein powder that’s right for you (those on a weight loss journey, for example, can benefit from Garden of Life protein powder like Raw Organic Fit).
Ingredients
All Garden of Life products are clean, and most, but not all, of the protein powders are organic. While you’ll see some similar ingredients across many of the supplements, each protein powder is unique in what’s included. If you have any food allergies, be sure to carefully skim ingredients lists for potential culprits, and if you already get a lot of nutrients through food, carefully check the vitamin and mineral content as well. Some protein powders are fortified with high levels of vitamins, so it’s important not to accidentally overdo your intake (which can lead to side effects).
What Customers Have to Say about Garden of Life
Garden of Life protein powder tends to get mostly positive reviews, with the plant-protein powders in particular receiving the highest ratings. Buyers of SPORT Organic Plant-Based Protein in the vanilla flavor, for example, praise the smooth texture and easy digestion. Garden of Life website reviewer Greg writes, “The texture is smooth unlike other brands,” while a second website reviewer Alexis says, “I’ve had a hard time finding a protein powder that doesn’t disrupt my digestion, and this one does the trick perfectly.” Meanwhile, Ave, an Amazon reviewer of Organic Creamy Vanilla Protein with Oatmilk, says that this protein powder “had really good flavor,” but was “a little hard to stir and took a while to get rid of the lumps.” She also notes that the protein powder was “a little thick” and likens it to an eggnog consistency.
FAQs
Is Garden of Life protein powder plant-based?
Many Garden of Life protein powders are plant-based, although the brand offers numerous whey protein powders as well. These plant protein powders include a variety of protein blends that pull protein from different plant sources, like organic pea and brown rice.
Is Garden of Life protein powder good for weight gain?
Garden of Life isn’t the best brand to consider for protein powder that promotes weight gain, since all protein powders are relatively lower in calories and fat (with the exception of the keto products). To gain weight with protein powder, you’ll want to consider a mass gainer, which can pack in hundreds of calories per serving and higher fat and protein content to support weight gain.
Where is Garden of Life protein powder made?
Garden of Life protein powder is produced in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, where the brand is currently headquartered.
Is Garden of Life a complete protein powder?
Garden of Life offers complete protein powders, regardless of protein source. Whey protein is automatically a complete protein, while plant-based protein powders include protein blends that use different plant sources to make them complete.
Final Thoughts
Garden of Life is a leading brand in the nutrition world, and its protein powders are staples across many households. With 70 products to choose from, it’s no wonder that Garden of Life protein powder is so popular - and there are protein supplements that meet a variety of health and fitness goals, like weight loss, muscle gain and meal replacement. If you’re considering a Garden of Life protein powder, be sure to consult our list of bestsellers to learn more about its prices, health benefits, ingredients, protein source and flavor options.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
