****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
The Origin… Where it began for me with Nature Zen and this formula blends just as beautifully as the Essentials and delivers quality flavor and nutrition that I can count on!Requested this for a powder to keep in a shaker that I could then add water to at work for a quick protein fix midday.My wife also tried doing this.The flavor was disappointing.. not gross but not pleasant either. I was able to finish mine but aren’t looking forward to more of it.The biggest issue is with how poorly it mixes in a shaker. It forms a thick protein puck at the bottom that you only discover when you come to wash it. For both my wife and I, we threw away more protein than we consumed based on the thick residue glued to the bottom of our shakers.If you typically use powders at home and blend it into smoothies, this might work great for you.But for a quick protein fix on the go, look elsewhere.3 stars because it’s nice to have more keto-friendly options.Pros:- gluten free- plant based (vegetarian/vegan)- soy free- organic and gmo-free- good quality, simple ingredients- good flavor, goes best with a slightly sweetened chocolate milk ( i used chocolate almond milk)cons:- this was very hard to mix... I usually prefer a powder that could be shaken up in a bottle with a lid... sometimes that doesnt do the trick so i have one of those metal coils to help break it apart but that didnt work either. with the coil it ended up being a curdled type texture but chunks were very small, and making the drink chalky.. It would probably blend fully in a blender but i dont like to pull out my blender to make a quick protein drink.This is best if you use it in a smoothie, and you use a good powerful blender. If you try to stir or shake this, it doesn't blend up as well and gets a bit clumpy. The flavor was okay for me, not my favorite due to a slightly gritty aftertaste. I can use it but I would probably not order again.Summary: I ordered this product for my wife. I use this too for a quick protein based snack in the afternoons. The rice base, with the cacao flavor is nice. We like that the ingredients are natural.Pros: Reasonable cost $1.67/serving; made in Canada.Cons: Does not blend well.Conclusion: At $30 for 18 servings, rating this 4-stars (doesn't blend well).I’m primarily on a plant-based diet and as a result I often try to supplement my protein needs with protein powders. I do prefer a pea protein over a whey as it’s a bit easier on the kidneys although I like both. I have friends whose preference is just the opposite as they find pea protein to be on the gritty side. There are a full 15 grams of protein per serving, around a third of what I need in a day. I added some of this Nature Zen Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder to my yogurt and it mixed quite well.I didn’t add a full scoop, which provides that fifteen grams of protein, but rather eyed it. I don’t do smoothies so can’t say if this will mix well but I suspect it will do so easily enough. The chocolate taste was quite good, better than their strawberry flavor. The canister was sealed nicely with a zipper-like seal that kept it from opening during shipping.When I opened up the protein powder there was no powder clumping. I could smell the cacao when II opened it. It’s got that all-important USDA Organic seal and non-GMO, a must for many individuals. This Nature Zen protein powder is an excellent choice for the vegan or vegetarian.INGREDIENTS:Sprouted brown rice protein*, Raw Cacao Powder*., Locust Bean Gum*, Citrus Pectin, Stevia Extract, Pink Salt,*Organic.Certified organic by Ecocert Canada.USDA Organic certifiedALLERGY ALERT:May contain tree nuts.Oh, gawd, this was awful. Bitter, just yuck. I passed it off on my kids. Even they won't use it. I had high hopes for this, as one of the kids is a vegan. But just NO. Even blended with great stuff. Still no. The taste is awful.I ordered three types of this protein powder:- pure cacao- strawberry- bananaAll of the ingredients are crazy healthy with the exception of Stevia, which I trust you've made up your own mind about by now. But it is Stevia which makes this protein powder suitable for Grandma's smoothies, since Grandma has Type II Diabetes.Reasonably good taste, which we preferred in the order listed above.RECEIVED: SEPTEMBER 2021BEST BY: FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2023
