“But Where Do You Get Your Protein?” (Garden of Life Review)

If you are or have ever been a plant-based eater, you’ll know that the protein question is all too common…and annoying! Many omnivores believe that the only sources of protein are found in animals, and vegans especially are scrutinized for the presumed lack of protein in their diet. My parents, though both omnis, are luckily very open to my veganism (they’ve even tried and loved some vegan dishes) and don’t question my protein content, but I know that I’ve been making more of a conscious effort over the past year to increase my protein consumption without turning to animal-based sources.

When I first started AlmostVegGirlie, I was mostly vegetarian but had never heard of tempeh or peanut flour. As I transitioned into a vegan diet, I eschewed shrimp and Greek yogurt, only to find myself lacking in the protein department. A year ago, I was only getting about 15% of my calories from protein on a daily basis–I know some sources say you only need roughly 10-20% from protein, but I wasn’t feeling as energetic as I knew I could be. So I started incorporating more protein sources: sprouted tofu, nutritional yeast (2 tbsp has 8 grams of protein!), nuts/seeds, tempeh, peanut flour and plant-based protein powders all entered my rotation of food within the last year.

One of my favorite (secret) sources of protein–a 1 ounce serving has 9 grams of protein!

Now, I try to include a source of protein with every meal and snack, and I’m getting between 25 and 30% of my calories from protein–what a difference! I feel like I’m benefiting more from my workouts and I tend to feel less hungry when I get enough protein (though increasing my healthy fats in the last few months has helped too). I’m strongly considering starting a strength training routine soon and I know that having more protein will be beneficial for that.

So what does all this protein talk have to do with a review? Well, about a month ago the lovely people at Garden of Life sent me some samples to review. I’ve mentioned my love of their protein powders before and I’m so glad I discovered them because they’re my favorite plant-based protein powder.

What I love about Garden of Life is that their protein powders are made from sprouted protein sources including quinoa, lentil, flax and chia seeds (instead of the usual soy-based powders), they’re sweetened only with stevia and they are a source of raw probiotics from chlorella. But the best part is, they don’t taste plant-y at all! The flavors are true to life and not overpowered by sweetness.

I was sent the RAW vanilla and RAW chocolate flavors to try. I had bought and tried the chocolate before myself so I knew I’d love it but it was nice that they sent individual serving size packets which are perfect for taking on-the-go. I had never tried the vanilla before but I was excited to see if it was better than other vanilla protein powders I’d tried. Usually, vanilla powders are hit or miss–some are delicious and not too sweet but others just taste fake. Garden of Life’s vanilla was very clean and a little bit ‘green’ tasting but I liked it. The consistency was great for making protein frosting and it works well in baked goods.

Chocolate peppermint buckwheat waffle with Garden of Life RAW chocolate protein frosting.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Garden of Life RAW protein powders. They’re well-priced (you can get them for $28 on iHerb, $25 on Amazon and Whole Foods has them for about $30 but they usually have a $5 off coupon for them in their monthly flyer), taste great, are made from plant-based clean ingredients and have great stats (90 calories, 17 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar per scoop). I would recommend any of the flavors, but if you have a Whole Foods near you, be sure to check out the store’s exclusive vanilla chai flavor–it’s my favorite!

Disclaimer: I was given this product to review by Garden of Life. All opinions are my own. 

Have you ever tried Garden of Life protein powder? Do you prefer chocolate, vanilla or other flavors of protein powder? 

WIAW: What I Ate (& Made) Monday

Most of my WIAW posts are a random assortment of food pics I happened to take through the week. But not this week, no, I was actually on top of things and managed to take a picture of everything (well, basically everything) that entered my mouth on Monday. Plus I’ve got a recipe to share with you so it should be one of my better WIAWs in awhile. Let’s do it to it!

[from left] Leftover pumpkin”water”. Pumpkin chip buckwheat waffle topped with real maple syrup, Vega chocolate protein frosting and pumpkin spice latte quinoa granola.

Most people are either “pancake people” or “waffle people”. I am most definitely a waffle person. Not frozen waffles, of course, but I love whipping up a homemade waffle for breakfast. I like pancakes, but I am horrible at making them turn out perfectly fluffy and circular. So I’m sticking with waffles, which are more foolproof. Except that one time I tried making a coconut flour-based waffle and it got majorly stuck to the waffle iron. Let’s just say that vegan pancakes and waffles don’t work so well made with coconut flour. This waffle was amazing though and it didn’t get stuck to the iron at all. Win win. Yes, I am obsessed with all things pumpkin. But it’s even better combined with chocolate.

[from left] Kelp noodles. Spicy peanut sauce. Shredded carrots. Steamed edamame. Alter Eco dark chocolate with quinoa crisps. Black Mission figs. Justin’s vanilla almond butter.

Lunch was faux stir fry with a side of figs dipped in AB and a square of chocolate.  The stir fry was faux because it wasn’t really stir-fried but it tasted like a peanutty stir fry. Kelp noodles are amazing, because they totally soak up the flavors of whatever sauce you pour on them, and they are pretty similar to noodles, without the calories and carbs but with all the nutrients of sea vegetables. The chocolate, well, I swear, I can’t not eat chocolate in some form for most of my meals or snacks. It’s kind of a problem.  Oh, and BTW, if you have access to fresh figs and Justin’s vanilla AB, please try them together. It’s a magical combo.

[clockwise from left] Chocolove raspberry dark chocolate square. Apple nachos topped with Udi’s g-free cranberry granola, almond peanut cashew butter, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds. Cookie dough inspired protein microwave muffin.

Those apple ‘nachos’ are my favorite snack discovery. They are a million times better than regular nachos, obviously health wise, but they also taste great for being so simple. Basically you slice an apple (I used a Pink Lady, my fave) really thin, microwave it for 30 seconds and then top it with whatever you like. I went with drippy almond butter, chocolate chips, granola and pumpkin seeds. So. Good. And then there are the usual suspects, a microwave protein muffin (easy to make and a great way to get in some extra protein) and a square of one of my favorite chocolates. Missing from the pictures is a little bit of some dry roasted edamame I ate during my late class.

Almost raw granola inspired by a classic Starbucks drink.

I was obsessed with making rawnola (raw granola) over the summer when I got my dehydrator. But since being at school, I’ve only lugged it out once to make some kale chips. That obviously had to change, since I missed homemade granola. Like everyone else, I’ve been loving pumpkin lately (which is weird ’cause I didn’t like it much last year) so I decided to make a pumpkin-y rawnola. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can totally make this in an oven, set to a low temperature.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Quinoa Rawnola (vegan, gluten-free, raw)

1/2 cup dry Alter Eco organic royal rainbow quinoa, soaked for a few hours

1/2 cup rolled oats (can sub buckwheat groats to make raw)

1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 tbsp raw agave or maple syrup

1 tbsp ground coffee (I used Archer Farms caramel apple coffee)

2 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp chopped nuts and seeds

In a large bowl, mix oats and soaked quinoa until combined. Add in coffee, raisins, nuts and any other mix-ins you’d like. Stir in agave and pumpkin until mixture is a little sticky and thick. Spoon granola mixture onto wax paper lined dehydrator trays (or use reusable dehydrator liners, if you have them) and dehydrate for 4-6 hours. Turn off dehydrator and let rawnola sit uncovered for several hours or overnight. Serve with almond milk or on top of fruit. Makes about 1 cup.

[clockwise from top left] navy striped sweater (Hollister), navy lace pencil skirt (Gilly Hicks). Mom-made veggie chili. Spiced yellow squash, red grapes, giant corn coconut microwave muffin. Celestial Seasonings tropical iced tea.

Like how I threw in a random outfit shot there? Yeah, it looks so dark ’cause I forgot to take one until it was already nighttime. Oops. Dinner on Monday was a winner, though. I reheated some spicy veggie chili my mom made a couple weeks ago and sent with me to freeze for future dinners. So if I can’t make it to the grocery store, I guess I’ll be set for a few days! Lately I’ve been loving yellow squash–I bought it randomly at Target and I can’t get enough of it sauteed with a little coconut oil and seasoned with chili powder and cinnamon. But the giant corn muffin was the best part of the dinner, obviously. I don’t know how it turned out so giant, I just made it with 2 tbsp of corn meal, 2 tbsp of coconut flour, some water, salt, stevia, baking powder and flax. Whatever, I’m not complaining. It was so good, especially for being thrown together, and it actually wasn’t too crumbly for a grain-free vegan microwave cake.

Are you a pumpkin fan or not so much? Are you a waffle person or a pancake person?

This post was submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday #10.

WIAW (on Sunday)

So I haven’t done a legit WIAW (aka, posting all my meals from one day) in a really long time…why not do one now? I managed to take Instagram pics of basically everything I ate on Sunday so here it is!

Breakfast

Homemade oat flour waffle with semisweet chocolate chips and frozen raspberries, topped with chocolate protein ‘frosting’ and fresh raspberries.

It’s obvious that I’m obsessed with waffles for breakfast. But I haven’t spent a dime on frozen waffles in probably 2 years. Why not make your own, with all the things you want and nothing you don’t? My waffle maker is getting so much use by me that my mom said I could take it with me to my apartment! My basic recipe always includes oat flour, baking powder, Truvia, unsweetened almond milk and chia gel. But I always include add-ins. And you can’t forget the protein frosting, that’s the icing on the cake waffle.

Lunch

Steamed edamame topped with nooch, baby carrots, mini raw carrot cake bite topped with pineapple cashew cream frosting, fresh pineapple and blueberries.

I love having edamame at lunch! Lately, I’ve been increasing my protein and it keeps me so satisfied. I’m not straying from veganism for the sake of protein though–there are plenty of plant based proteins that I’m obsessed with. Edamame is definitely one of them, it’s just so good and easy to make. And it tastes awesome with nooch–sounds weird, but it does.

Snack

Simply sprouted sweet potato chips, wasabi rice crackers, kettle corn, dried edamame, maple cashews, Medjool date, Alter Eco dark mint chocolate square.

I don’t think it’s possible for me to get sick of snack plates–there’s just so many combos! I always have a good mix of carbs (sprouted chips, rice crackers and organic kettle corn), protein (edamame), fat (cashews) and fun (chocolate and date). I just love the mix of flavors and textures, plus it lets me be indecisive 😉

Tennis

It’s a Christmas court!

I’ve been trying to play tennis with my dad every weekend this summer. It hasn’t always happened, but we’ve been playing a lot and it’s always a fun break from the norm. On Sunday we only played for half an hour since we started out late (around 5:50 pm) and the clouds were rolling in but we were running around the court more than usual.

Dinner

Spinach and mixed greens topped with falafel and homemade vegan tzatziki, veggie straws (unpictured chocolate banana protein smoothie).

I was feeling lazy and uninspired when dinner rolled around but I decided to make use of some falafel balls taking up space in the fridge. I whipped up a vegan tzatziki sauce made from some coconut milk yogurt I just bought, topped some greens with the baked falafels and sauce and had some veggie straws and a protein smoothie on the side. It was actually a great dinner, especially for being on the fly!

Coconut Tzatziki (vegan, gluten-free)

1 container So Delicious plain coconut milk yogurt (can use Greek-style or regular)

1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped

mint leaves, to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper, to taste

Scoop yogurt into a bowl. Add in cucumber, mint leaves, garlic and lemon juice. Stir until combined, and add in salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let flavors mix. Makes 4-5 small servings.

Dessert

Half of a WF vegan chocolate chip cookie, fresh raspberries, mint chip coconut milk ice cream.

I know I post a picture of a vegan cookie and ice cream all the time, but I don’t have it every night! The cookie I buy maybe once every two weeks when I hit up Whole Foods, and I split it in half to make it last two nights. And I have a small bowl of vegan ice cream a few nights a week, it’s just too good not to enjoy often! But it’s expensive so I try to make it last!

I just noticed that I was obsessed with chocolate and berries on Sunday–not bad obsessions at all 😛 Actually, I’ve been loving both a lot lately, along with pineapple, mango, quinoa and sunflower seed butter. Hey, food ruts aren’t all bad!

Have you been in any ‘food ruts’ lately? Do you like eating salads for dinner?

Recipe submitted to Healthy Vegan Friday #42. 

WIAW: Coffee Burns & Giant Veggies

Happy Wednesday, ladiesssss 😀 I have been loving all your responses to part 2 of my story–they have truly been making my day(s).

So what have I been up to since last WIAW? Oh, nothing much, just slowly dying a painful death doing a crap ton of studying and homework that’s all due this week. I don’t really have midterms, per se, just two tests this week, a quiz on Friday and several other random assignments. So you could say this is my crazy midterm week. I just can’t wait til it’s over. But on the bright side, my semester is officially HALF over as of today! Wooooooohoooooo 😛 Just 5 1/2 more weeks til Thanksgiving break and only 8 more until Christmas. Wow time really does fly when you’re having fun super busy!

Enough blabbing, let’s get on with what I know you came here for–the food! This week, I’ve just got a random assortment of my eats of the past week or so, plus some random survey questions. Lessssss go!

Trail mix-topped oats, spicy veggie sausage, golden and regular raisins, AWESOME gummy vitamins. I know you want some...

 What is your favorite drink from Starbucks? Year-round, the skinny hazelnut/vanilla latte. Iced or hot, depending on the season. I always get tall because anything bigger makes me feel sick and get a huge headache–no fun 😦 My favorite seasonal drink is the peppermint mocha light Frappuccino. I never got a Frap before I realized you could get it made with skim milk and no whip. It’s still totally delish. But I haven’t been able to get my Starbs fix lately, so I’ve had to resort to making my own with VIA packets. I love em, even though I’ve already totally burned my tongue off. Ah, fall 😉

A random lunch I had last weekend back at home: sweet potato tots, veggie sausage, half a nanner, Sriracha. No worries, I didn't dip the banana in the Sriracha!

What did you do this weekend? Oh, it was SO much fun (not!). I did laundry, went out in the pouring rain/cold/wind to pick up some gum and applesauce (just the essentials 😉 ) from the dining hall express store, tons of studying and homework, organized my dresser, made my outfit list for next week and my packing list for the weekend and watched the new SNL. Fun stuff, no?

I was attacked by a giant cauliflower! No seriously, this was just one piece from a mix of broccoli and cauliflower, but it's almost as big as a whole head of cauli. Scary stuff!

 What is your favorite dessert? Gelato, no question. Guys, if you’ve never had it before, doooooo itttttt. Now. Seriously, even if you’re lactose-intolerant or vegan, ’cause the fruit flavors are dairy-free. It’s 100000 times better than ice cream and even froyo. I love this little place in my college town called Gelazzi, even though they’re expensive, because they have like 30 flavors at a time. My personal faves are soy chocolate and birthday cake. So. Good.

A breakfast way out of my norm, but still so good: date with almond peanut cashew butter, homemade mocha made with Starbucks instant coffee and unsweetened chocolate soymilk, plain Oikos mixed with raw wildflower honey.

Have you ever been run over? YES. Just last Wednesday, I was walking innocently across an intersection with tons of other college students when BAM, this chick on her bike ran into me. I ended up riding along on her front tire for a few feet and then I found myself on the street underneath her bike. WTH? Anyways, she apologized over and over, and I ended up with two nasty scrapes on my legs. I’m so tough 😛

Oats in a jar time! I finally finished the almond butter (it took forever, because I fell head-over-heels for almond peanut cashew butter...) and decided to make carrot cake over(hours) oats for dinner. Cinnamon, APCB, date and carrots (duh) mixed in, apple on the side.

 What is the best thing you’ve made/ate this week? Sweet potato protein frosting say whattttttt?! Yeah, so basically I wanted to use up some sweet potato puree I had on hand so I thought, why not make a dip/frosting out of it? It’s so simple, you just mix 1/2 a cup sweet potato puree (from a can) with a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a tablespoon of nut butter of your choice (I used almond peanut cashew butter, aka APCB, the new love of my life). Stir it up and you’ve got yourself a nice “frosting” for pita bread, apples or whatever. Plus it’s got like 4 grams of protein per spoonful!

Sweet potato protein frosting (see recipe above)! You can substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato, use whatever kind of vanilla protein powder you prefer and any nut butter. The combinations are (almost) endless.

 What are you most looking forward to in the next two months? Ummmmm Christmas and Thanksgiving fo sho. And New Year’s, I love the holiday season. There’s still like 5 1/2 weeks til Thanksgiving break, but I get 9 days off, including weekends! I’ll be cooking up a storm, definitely. And Christmas is a month-long break 😀 Gosh I love being in college.

My outfit on Saturday, aka randomly cold and extremely windy day. Brown zip-up hoodie (Hollister), orange babydoll tank (Hollister), brown striped leggings (American Eagle), brown Bearpaw boots. Yep, I totally did the whole leggings-boots college girl thing, but with my own twist.

 What is your favorite protein-type bar? Gosh, I absolutely love Clif Mojo bars, especially the mountain mix (I love all the random nuts, seeds, raisins, pretzel pieces and chocolate chips of course). I also really love Pure bars, the chocolate brownie has my heart, and in my opinion, SO much better than Lara bars. I’ve also started to love Halo bars, in s’mores and nutty marshmallow. True story, I used to be obsessed with mini Clifs but then they changed the formula and now they taste totally nast. So I pretty much only buy Clif C and Mojo bars, but when the seasonal ones come my way, you better believe I’m buying them all up!

Have YOU ever been run over? What is your favorite protein bar/Starbucks drink/thing you’ve made or ate this week?