best price nutrition {review and giveaway}

I don't know why I cook in the summer. I do it all. the. time. It's 90 degrees outside and 88 in our apartment, and I decide to boil a pot of water and heat the oven to 350. Ten minutes later, I'm sweating and glaring at whoever makes the mistake of stepping into the kitchen (it's usually Joe).
So this giveaway is great for the season. Recently, Best Price Nutrition sent me samples of the Garden of Life vegan nutrition line, which can be mixed up in water or vegan milk for a really easy and healthy drink. No cooking...perfect.
I got to try their "raw food", protein powder, and raw meal. All three are packed with tons of vitamins and minerals and are made mostly from sprouted grains (no soy!) and a ton of other crunchy granola-ish ingredients. Here's what I thought of each...

The raw food is rich in chlorophyll, and tastes that way. I'll be honest, I was reminded of fish food, and couldn't get it down just mixed in water. I blended a banana in, and was able to drink it, but I didn't enjoy it much. I'd recommend this as an additive to a strongly flavored smoothie.

The protein powder is awesome for vegans who don't want to over-do it on the soy. It feels a bit powdery in your mouth, but the taste is really nice. I had mine with almond milk and some frozen fruit blended in.

The raw meal was my favorite. The chocolate flavor really does the best job of blending with all of the other strong ingredients. I think there was still a bit of that powdery texture, but it was much less noticeable. I especially enjoyed it mixed up with a frozen banana and some peanut butter.
The raw meal has less protein per serving. I really think it's intended to be used as a meal replacement, but I can't bring myself to give up a meal for a drink, so I preferred it as a way to boost my breakfast with some extra protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Would I buy it with my money?
If I had more money, sure. At this point, the convenience of instant vegan protein just isn't worth the strain on my wallet. But otherwise, it's tasty enough, convenient, and super healthy.
Best Price Nutrition wants to send the same three samples to one of my readers! There are three ways to enter:
1. Visit BPN and leave a comment telling me which product you'd like to try the most (it doesn't have to be from Garden of Life). 2. Tweet about this giveaway, or share it on facebook. Include a link to this page. 3. Follow my blog on bloglovin' or feedly or with google followers.
Leave a comment for each separate entry. If you already follow me, leave an extra comment for #3. The winner will be selected randomly next Tuesday, 7/23.