Quickie

…but still satisfying. I’m talking about Garden of Life’s Raw Meal, a relatively new product I came across in Whole Foods tonight.

They are raw, organic protein and meal replacement formulas. Now I’m not a huge proponent of meal-replacement anything. But let’s be honest here. Sometimes we are just too busy to cook, make, or even go buy a quality meal. I’m going to be taking an accelerated Biology course over the summer, which meets four days a week. I’ll have my kids most of the time. I can tell you right now, when my days are that chaotic, not only do I not have time to even make a peanut-butter and jelly (my easy go-to) but sometimes my stomach is so knotted with stress I don’t even want to eat a meal that I have to sit there and chew, because that feels like it’s taking too long.

So I figured I would give these a try. They are raw, organic, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. They’ve gotten great customer reviews. You just mix the stuff with water and it’s equivalent to a meal.

Very Jetson-like. The dietitian in me is intrigued.

When you mix it, it gets pretty thick, pretty fast. And it is filling. The texture and consistency are like a thick yogurt drink but with a slightly grainy texture (not so much that it gags you though). The color is, as you can see, green. But what can you expect from such a healthy drink. It packs quite a nutritional punch, so I’d consider this a nutrient dense food, especially since the nutrients are generated from food. The flavor was surprisingly mild, lightly sweet and easy to drink. It’s not the best tasting stuff but for what it gives you, in the time it takes to make and drink it, I’d say it’s worth it.

Allergens: contains coconut, tree nuts.