- Meal Replacement Shakes, Raw Organic, Chocolate Protein Powder with Plant Based Pea Protein, Sprouts, Greens, Probiotics, Dairy Free 28 Servings

3/29 - Revised review: So I have to add the people that say the cans of this from Amazon are fresher are correct - it's even the newest recipe and the first one I got was the "old" recipe, even though it doesn't expire until next year. One of the main differences is the previous version didn't have pea protein in it, and this one does. Also, I no longer add cocoa powder to it and I still enjoy it with the greens added to it just fine :) Another reason I love this stuff - my hair has almost quit falling out by adding this to my diet. I have gastroparesis and am having issues with absorbing nutrients from my food. This seems to have done the trick - my skin looks 100% better too, I was very washed out looking and now I am back to looking like I used to. Back to first review: I love this stuff! Of course, now I have to tell you why :) So, first - I was a little worried about the taste after reading all of the reviews, so I bought the vanilla flavor as it got the most favorable reviews for flavor. I did buy it at a local store for the first time, even though it cost a little more because I wanted to get started, next time I'll be buying it on Amazon. The amount stocked on the shelves seemed to uphold the popularity of the vanilla because there was only one left of the vanilla in the large size. Second - it does seem to settle a lot, but it's sold by weight, not volume. See the picture - it looks half empty, but it's a weight measure package so I'm sure it's just settling that causes it to be that way. I suppose I can weigh the empty container and then weigh the next one to ensure I get all I pay for even when it looks half empty (I have a scale that weighs in ounces). Taste - The person who described it like Ovaltine was right on for me. I mix one scoop of Raw Organic Meal per 8 ounces of goat milk and add half a tablespoon of Ghiardelli dutch cocoa powder to it and mix it using my Blender Bottle. As long as you add the milk first and then the powders, it mixes effortlessly. That is not to say it will be perfectly smooth, because it won't - it's grainy, like everyone says, but the texture doesn't bother me. Sometimes I also add a scoop of Amazing Grass Green Superfood with chocolate to it. How filling is it? - If I mix 2 scoops of Raw Organic Meal with 16 ounces of goat milk and one tablespoon of cocoa powder - I'm good for 6 hours without being hungry. If I mix 2 scoops of Raw Organic Meal with 16 ounces of almond milk and one tablespoon of cocoa powder - I'm hungry - starving, can't stop eating! I tried it once and regretted it all day! It does also negatively change the taste to more of a watered down version of Ovaltine. However, if you are adding other things to this, like a nut butter and fruits, then the almond milk might work just perfect with the other foods. My goal is to keep it easy for work and not something that requires a blender other than the Blender Bottle. How does it make me feel? First few days - my body did have to adjust to the extra 11gm of fiber and to be honest I'm allergic to legumes so I wasn't sure if this would bother me or not (I eat most legumes just fine but not an entire meal of them). The first few days I was a little gurgly and I'll leave it at that. Starting day 3, my stomach felt amazing! My stomach is a lot flatter, completely happy, and I have a lot of energy. I am craving this and feeling like I'm addicted to it at the end of the first week. I'm not missing eating food and I would rather drink this over eating a piece of pizza because of how great I feel drinking this. I'm totally hooked! I've also lost a few pounds without really trying and that's nice too :) I drink it for lunch, so it's additional fiber over my high fiber breakfast and homemade kefir, and then I eat whatever I want for dinner with a few servings of vegetables. This is great though to add a lot of variety that I wouldn't get every day since we tend to get in a rut and eat the same veggies all of the time.

First off, have to vent: irritated that so many people said this tastes horrible. It really made me second guess buying this because folks described it as one of the worst tasting things ever. I like my shakes creamy so I never do them with plain water. Maybe if you do this with just water it tastes different, but I still can't imagine this tasting TERRIBLE - unless the taste of grain just disgusts you. I will say the smell of the dry powder threw me off - smells like wet dirt or something which made me even more nervous about drinking it. I've been drinking at least one shake a day for a week now, going to try to knock it up to two a day this week. I do one scoop for a serving instead of two because I want to stay between 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day and halving the serving helps me better distribute my calories throughout the day. I use 9 oz of vanilla almond milk and a large banana, that's it. I might take out the banana or use plain almond milk on my next supply because right now my shakes are super sweet. But aside from the extra sweetness, I LOVE these. The taste reminds me of....chocolate cereals. Like Cocoa Krispies or Chocolate Chex, but less sweet. The shake leaves me full for 3.5 - 4 hours, and I usually feel more alert after my first few sips. I've been having a lot of bloating and gas and increased - ahem - "bathroom activity." Which is what I wanted and expected from a huge fiber increase. (Edited to add: I let a friend of mine try some and she also loved it, but was not a fan of the bloating and gas. She had her nutritionist check it out and the nutritionist said the sugar from the banana's probably making the gas worse than it needs to be. So if you try this and want to cut the gas, leave the banana out and use unsweetened or original almond milk.) I tried to let some of my shakes sit to see if there's a thickening problem....but that doesn't seem to be much of a big deal either. I just shake up my drinking mug and get nearly all the dregs, consistency is the same throughout. If I don't shake it up those last few sips are either thin or take forever to come down, and then I'm sad when I rinse my cup and see my precious grain bits going down the drain :'-(. I may be more than pleased....it's safe to say I'm mildly impressed. This packs a lot of protein per serving, tastes better than the other protein and meal replacements I've tried (there have been several), gives me immediately noticeable benefits, and as someone who doesn't really cook or prepare meals, saves me a good bit of money. If I stay at one 1 scoop per shake and do one shake a day, I pay less than 40 for nearly a month's supply. For meal replacement shakes, that is CHEAP. It tastes like real food that I actually eat instead of some processed, overly sugary, artificially flavored mess and seems to give much more benefit nutritionally than most other shakes. Hard to go wrong with this. I did, on the second day, have a sharp hankering for salty, fatty foods though. I got some salted cashews and have not had the craving since. I'm not a fan of vanilla shakes so I won't be trying the other two. But I will be buying another jar of this this week and will probably sign up for the subscription. I can easily do this every day. If you don't like the taste of....I guess wheat or just grains of any kind then this product will not work for you. And I recommend not using water as the base. Last thing - it is less likely to thicken up if the water/milk is cold.

Now, firstly, I want to say that when it comes to food, everyone has their own preferences... but I must say, those that did not like the taste or the consistency are just full of it (and are probably pretty picky eaters)... now, I don't have the highest level of refined palate, but this stuff is really great tasting! I was almost scared away this excellent find by reading some of the reviews here on amazon; But a friend of mine really swore by the stuff and I gave it a shot. What I originally did was take a lot of the suggestions that were posted here and did them all at once... My first mug of the stuff consisted of 20oz (4oz more than the suggested 16oz... because apparently it was too thick with the stated amount of water) of chocolate almond milk (to mask the poor flavor and to help with the consistency). It was a little too rich for my tastes, but rather good nonetheless... if anything it was a little thick for my tastes (which had me worried... after trying every trick in the book... I thought I was going to spend a fortune on buying tons of almond milk to try and 'water it down'...). Later I discovered, that the 16oz with water is actually how I like it the most. The advice to drink it up quick is the only way to do it (letting it sit for any amount of time turns it to bread pudding pretty quickly)... I just throw the 16oz water in with the two scoops of the mix into my blender, give it a whirl, and bam, time to drink up. For those that want to take this to work with them for lunch or enjoy it later in the day, I would suggest looking for a different product- because I would be scared to think what this would turn into if left unattended. For me (and my work at home type attitude), I can peel away for the 5 minutes it takes to 'make lunch' (virtually just add water)... and that is a lot better than the alternative of actually cooking (which usually turns into an hour long event if I do it right). The 'downside' to this product might be that it is 'chalky' (which I think I know what other reviewers are talking about when they say that)... honestly it does not turn me off of it at all. Instead of 'chalky' I personally would call it gritty... like little chocolate bits of sand... It is not all that off putting to me... it is hard to explain... But if you ever enjoyed a good bowl of chocolate cereal (co-co-pebbles fan here :D), and you get to the last bowl full of the stuff, and you get all the powdery and crumbly bits, yeah it tastes like a thimble full of that stuff got tossed into your milkshake. As far as the taste goes, I very much like it, and if anything I look forward to drink it (which should say something about the taste). For a 'health food', it is actually one of the tastiest things I have tasted... and I usually shy away from the stuff (I do juice, which is amazing too, but it takes too long and I usually only find the time to use it a couple times a week). I am not a vegan (what is the opposite of vegan? because I think I am that one...) or all that health conscious... so being told that I could have a chocolate shake for any meal of the day and it was good for me? Sign me up! After buying it again for the second time, I finally got around to read it's rap sheet about how much vitamins, minerals and all that nice stuff it has in it, and I am pretty impressed. I like how it says its organic and other things like that on the back, like the synthetic mineral and vitamin thing, I hear that is the better way to get em in ya. I was worried at first of the stevia that is in it (look towards the bottom of the ingredients list, there is not much of it, being so close to the bottom...), and I hate few things more than I hate the taste of stevia (and I can usually pick it out of a lineup fairly quickly)... but I don't know how they pulled it off, but it tastes wonderful and I am not turned off by the stevia (which is honestly the first time I can say that...)! I ate through my container of the stuff, and now i'm back for more (and this time i'll buy a couple). So my advice would be: If you are on the fence, buy a small container of this stuff (chocolate I hear is best, (the vanilla is awful or so says the guy that turned me onto the stuff) and that is what I am sticking with) and try it out. 16oz WATER. Not 20, not milk... just 16oz water. Blend and drink (in a timely manner... no need to chug or nothing, but just don't let it sit around). (I wish I read this review when I was on the fence about this stuff) I hope that helps someone out there!

I originally purchased the vanilla spiced chai flavor, but then the price went up on it, so I switched to vanilla (and have since re-ordered several times) - I've never tried the chocolate as it states above - but I have to say, I really like both flavors I've tried. As everyone else states, it gets thick fast - so I drink it faster! I mix one scoop with one cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (30 cal. per serving) and one frozen banana - I liquefy it in my blender and it turns out good. I used to use a room temperature banana and a handful of ice cubes, but found that using a frozen banana and eliminating the ice cubes gave it a cremier texture and produced a smaller glass to drink, making it easier to drink before getting too thick. I've seen some reviewers say not to use a banana because it makes it thicker, but I find that the banana really helps eliminate the "gritty" factor - plus it adds that touch of sweetness, which I like (and yes, I tried it without the banana and it was definitely grittier and just not as good). I make it for breakfast and find that it easily holds me over until lunch. My husband really enjoys it, too, as an after work-out drink (mixed the same way). Compared to others I've tried, it holds its own. I guess if money weren't a factor (at almost 3x the price) I may get Shakeology because it is my favorite as far as taste is concerned... but honestly I feel the ingredients in the raw meal are better and it's therefore healthier for me, so maybe I wouldn't. I also had Isagenix before and I really didn't care for that taste at all. Overall, I think it's a great drink offered at a great price - a win, win combination. I am interested in trying the Garden of Life Raw Meal chocolate mix with chocolate almond milk and a banana... will update if I do. I give it four stars vs. five because I'd really love them to figure out a way to keep it from thickening up so quickly... but that's the only downfall I can find. UPDATE - 2/9/15: I ordered the chocolate Raw Meal and mixed it with chocolate almond milk and a frozen banana - I love it! No, it's not a chocolate shake, but I don't compare it to that when I drink it. For what it is, I really like it and am happy to have another option to change it up. Also, I have tried a new way of mixing the vanilla Raw Meal to make a smoothie that my children really enjoy! I take a 32 oz. tub of plain yogurt, two scoops of Vanilla Raw Meal, about 16 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a frozen banana or two and about a cup of grape juice. Okay, the grape juice cuts down on the health factor, but it tastes great! It makes an entire blender full which allows my family to each have a glass with a piece of fruit or boiled egg for breakfast. Also, I noticed that when it is mixed this way, it stays smooth for a long time (it doesn't get thick so quickly).

The primary reason I chose this particular product, the Garden of Life Raw Meal (Chocolate), is because of its raw nature. I can see from other reviews that there are complaints about consistency, sugar content, flavor, etc. I know of few other such quality vitamin- and mineral-rich drinks, and I know of only 2 other that are raw. The ingredients are mostly sprouted then dehydrated. From my readings on the arguments around raw foods, the proteins, fats, and carbs are all of a high caliber and are highly digestible, meaning the protein and other macro (and micro) nutrients are quickly absorbed into the system yet stabilized and balanced by each other (meaning the glycemic load is pretty low overall - no sugar highs). I agree that the sugar content is rather high, but, if you are like me, counting grams of macronutrients is not the point: maximum bioavailability of said nutrients IS the point. You are to mix this powder with other ingredients, which can greatly alter the ratio of nutrients. I like to use soy, hemp, or almond milks as part of the fluids for any drink or shake I make with Raw Meal - that increases the protein and slightly increases the fat. Again, calorie-counting, close macronutrient tracking, and general mainstream ideas of healthy eating are not my style; I go by nutrient-density, and I go by what nourishes my body. I have compared this meal replacement with other high-quality brands (like Vega and BeachBody's super smoothie mix) and this is, by far, the most bioavailable, reasonably-priced, truly raw product. Of course, I have not had time to do a thorough and exhaustive comparison, nor do I have time or money to personally test many brands, so you may have better results with other brands (ones that I've probably never heard of!) than I have. Again, the main point is that the sugar content IS balanced with the healthy fats, enzymes, probiotics, fiber, and protein. Read that label! Also, if you're like me, you drink this stuff a little before intense exercise, and a little extra naturally-occurring sugar is just fine for most people IF they are about to go for a long walk, workout, bike ride, hike, whatever. The sugars are burned off with exercise or "heavy thinking." So, this is also my mid-afternoon snack, and, again, that extra hit of naturally-occurring sweetness, balanced as it is against the other nutrients, gives my brain the energy that glucose-monster-consuming organ needs to help me think clearly. The protein and fiber both stabilize my body and mood, too. The ratio of EFAs to protein to carbs is an excellent one - Garden of Life seems to have done their homework. The EFAs are abundant, as is the unbelievable amount of fiber per serving. By the way, the reason for the odd gelatinous consistency is the ground flax and chia seeds - both of which are impressive superfoods, especially since they are sprouted first (well, I THINK the chia is sprouted first, anyway). Please read Brendan Brazier's Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life , as he explains all these superfood seeds and grains in a way that better expresses why this meal replacement is so cool. It also talks about how glucose is utilized during exercise (I like this book, can you tell??). Chia seed and flax seed are both mucilage-forming (can't remember the exact word for this!) in a GOOD way - they promote fullness, soothe digestive and intestinal tracts, etc. That slimy taste CAN be somewhat avoided, though ... The trick I have found to make this powder far more palatable is to use an electric (or manual) hand mixer. Put the powder into a deep vessel (a large, thick glass or whatever) so the hand mixer doesn't splatter the fluids and powder everywhere. Then put in a little fluid (I use rice milk to start this process). The initial liquid should be twice the amount of powder. We like to make chocolate milk with this, so we add a little pure unsweetened bitter cocoa powder (put in however much you want - it's a matter of personal taste). We then mix this small amount of fluid, meal replacement, and cocoa powder together like you would when making hot chocolate: blend the dry stuff with the wet stuff THOROUGHLY before adding any more liquid. This keeps the meal replacement from separating too much, getting rid of some of the chalky consistency. Add a little liquid at a time, mixing thoroughly with the hand mixer each time. Keep mixing it a little longer (just a few seconds) after you have all the liquid you want. Separation is just going to happen due to the seeds and such in the powder. The slimy thing starts happening pretty quickly, as the chia and flax seed start doing their thing, so drink quickly and use a straw! The slimy stuff often stays on top. KEEP STIRRING as you drink. If you've mixed it enough with the hand mixer, you end up with a somewhat creamy consistency, depending on the amount of liquid you used. It's up to you; experiment with liquid amounts. We all (family of four) really love this stuff, and I'm talking about a picky 10-year-old, too. Just mix it well with a hand mixer or blender, and keep stirring if you're making the chocolate milk-like drink I described above, and it's really great. You'll come to love it. A few of the reviewers mentioned blending the powder in smoothies and/or shakes; we've had great success with those, too - especially blending in frozen raspberries and a banana or an avocado! Yummy! Good luck and enjoy!

UPDATE 2015: Once again, a company "improves" a formula and makes it worse. The new formula very quickly gels into a sludgy thick substance akin to drinking mud with a high clay content. As I wrote before, if you drink it fast it tastes fine, but the icky, gloopy texture is not in the least palatable. If you need a high quality meal replacement at a reasonable price, this is still a good choice if you're VERY dedicated. However, I've basically given up and gone back to the more expensive Amazing Grass meal. They've "improved" their formula too, and it has some of the same gelling, gloopy problems, but not nearly as bad and tastes much better. I've now changed this review from 5 stars to 3. UPDATE 2014: I just finished my second tub of this and wanted to update my comments. This is really important for those of you who are afraid of the taste and texture of this mix. Get a vortex blender. It's a pint-sized plastic cup (mine is 16oz) with a built-in battery-powered blender. One scoop of powder to 10 oz water is ideal - do it twice if you want the "full meal" and you get the added benefit of extra hydration. The vortex blender eliminates the clumps and you only need to blitz it for 5 seconds or so. I use an eneloops rechargeable and haven't had to charge it in several months. Drink it as soon as it is mixed, and as fast as you can guzzle. I used to add ovaltine but I don't even bother anymore. This mix tastes good if you drink it fast. Let it sit and it will taste just as bad as they say in all the reviews. DON'T LET IT SIT. I really do feel better using this product. I can focus more and feel more creative. I sleep better, wake up feeling better, my cravings are lessened and I have lost weight (which is one of my goals). I use 3-5 scoops a day and treat myself on the weekends. If you want something that tastes better, try the Amazing Grass meal, but be prepared to pay about the same price for about half as many meals. My original review: My usual meal shake is Amazing Grass Amazing Meal, Organic Chocolate Infusion Powder, Gluten Free, 15 Servings, 17.1-Ounce Container and the price has gone up a bit, so I've been looking for alternatives. I take the Amazing Grass Meal, 1 scoop, in ice cold milk and a spoonful of ovaltine to cover a slight grassy flavor, and it is delicious. Creamy and smooth. I don't guzzle it. This is not creamy, not smooth and not delicious. My first three RAM meal shakes increasingly had the consistency of, and tasted like, heavily sweetened vomit. This appears to be a common theme in RAW products. Keep reading - I did give this 5 stars after all! The problem was that I was treating this like the Amazing Grass, a nutritional treat to be enjoyed. I mixed 1 scoop of RAW (a half dose) with 10oz milk and ovaltine and drank it slowly. More unhappy with each dose, it took me longer to drink and it tasted worse and worse. So I changed tactics. 1 scoop, 8oz water, 1 tsp ovaltine for flavor, and GUZZLE. It actually tasted just fine - no sick or gross flavors or textures at all. The lumpy texture only happens when you let it sit and the chia seeds start thickening the liquid (ground chia and water make a vegan gelatin you can flavor just like jello). The bad taste only happens when you let it sit, and I don't know the cause. Use only thin liquids like water and apple juice and drink it as fast as you can swallow, and you discover that this really is a great health shake. The reasons for my 5 stars: 1. Great price 2. Long lasting energy 3. Really curbs the hunger pangs, better than the Amazing Grass If you want a meal shake that does the job without breaking the bank, you've found it. If you want a meal shake that you can savor and enjoy like a healthy treat, try the Amazing Grass.

Using Garden of Life Raw Organic Meal has given me a quick, filling option on busy days without feeling heavy. The texture blends smoothly when I use a blender, and the flavor is mild enough to mix with fruit or almond milk. I appreciate that it keeps me full for a while, making it a reliable meal replacement when I’m short on time. It feels clean and natural, which makes it easier to use regularly. For a convenient, nutrient‑packed shake that supports my daily routine, this one has been a solid choice.

I work in a busy restaurant where I don't always have time to eat lunch; that and needing to lose weight caused me to look through the Amazon.com Meal Replacement category a few nights ago, Upon seeing this product, I was intrigued! I decided to give it a try. I won't go into the health benefit or composition of this product- it's covered quite thoroughly on the products page, and they do a much better job then I could. So how does it perform? Taste: I received this right after waking up and decided to try it for breakfast: I mixed 1 scoop with 8 ounces of 1% milk (half a serving). This takes a LOT of effort to mix by hand!!! I definitely should have gotten out the blender, because I never did get it to mix completely! I have a Blenderbottle on order that I hope will make it easier. It tastes.....well, it's ok; nothing to write home about though. To be fair, that's probably to be expected of an all natural, Raw, Organic healthy product. I had some Slim-Fast Chocolate Royale Powder sitting around, so I mixed a half scoop of that in and the taste was much improved! My advice is to experiment; I plan on mixing a batch with a banana, one with greek yogurt, one with a couple drops of peppermint extract, and trying some sugar free flavored syrups I have. Keep in mind that they recommend you mix it with water, and I can't vouch for the taste if you do. By itself, mixed with milk, I personally think it's good enough to stand on it's own. I hope to try it with coconut milk, and there's a Dark Chocolate almond milk that I think would make this REALLY good! Again, try different things and find something that you like! Satiety: I tried a half serving (which contains 17 grams protein and 8 grams fiber) and I actually felt pretty full! If, like me, you're looking for something to get you through 3 or 4 hours until you get home, this is probably a good bet- especially if you get some "real food" (fresh fruit or a granola bar) to go with it. I haven't tried it as a stand-alone meal for a long shift at work, but I think a full serving (2 scoops, 16 oz fluid) would do the job for me for a few hours. Bottom Line: This is actually a pretty good Meal Replacement if you're busy or don't want to be tempted by junk food. As with any product, you will need to figure out how to use it to best suit your lifestyle; I think you'll find that it does have a place! Update: Tried this for a few meals, and figured I'd add a few observations! * It's definitely better if you premix it a few hours ahead, or even the night before! If you drink it right away, it tends to have an odd, grassy taste (but hey, it's mostly raw, sprouted grains- so no surprise). * I mix it with milk, and it comes out very thick; not sure if mixing with water is different. * You don't drink this like a milkshake, slowly sipping and enjoying it! I treat it more like a shot of strong booze; sit down, distract myself with some paperwork and let it go down my throat. * This has a LOT of fiber! Your digestive system adjusts itself accordingly!! * Finally, Remember that being full is a state of mind as well as body- if your body is used to consuming food at regular intervals, even a shake with 34 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber might not make you feel full; I find it keeps me full for about 3-5 hours. Hope all these help!

Ottima lista ingredienti e buon sapore. Formula più sottile rispetto ad un Herbalife ma sicuramente migliore come composizione La confezione è davvero grande :) Consigliato

If u know then you know

Parfait au niveau diététique : hyper protéiné, bio, sans gluten, sans produit laitier... Bref, produit sûr et qui donne de l'énergie. Au niveau goût : moyen quand on mélange avec de l'eau (un peu comme un chocolat chaud avec de l'eau, pas terrible, donc) ; mais TRES BON avec du lait écrémé, du lait d'amande, du lait de riz + une poignée d'amandes effilées, ou une demie banane... Vous trouverez plein de recettes différentes sur le net, y compris sur les sites des concurrents (qui sont tous beaucoup plus chers que Garden of Life...!). Le goût chocolat est bien marqué, ce qui ajoute au plaisir gustatif. La texture reste liquide avec du lait de vache, mais s'épaissit un peu avec du lait végétal (à vous de trouver votre dosage idéal). Le même produit en version vanille est plus épais, même avec de l'eau, et le goût de vanille est quasiment inexistant, donc je ne le recommande pas si le goût est important pour vous. LE PLUS : consommé au petit-déjeuner, ce produit me donne une pêche incroyable ! Digestion impeccable, pas faim jusqu'à midi, et vraiment une énergie d'enfer !! Bonne dégustation à tous...

While the ingredients list is impressive, and the organic stamp very appealing (if it's true) the drink doesn't keep you feeling full for much more than an hour, and the taste is quite bland. I think this one comes down to personal inclination, but I'm going to try some other options before i commit.

*Edit February 2016* They changed it! I've been buying it for years, and now they changed it, for the worse. It now comes with a white screw on lid instead of yellow and tastes awful! Gone is the chocolate/cacao taste, its been replaced by an an oversweet, slightly salty taste. It no longer thickens like before and is now very difficult to drink. I no longer recommend purchasing this. *Original review* This is not a milkshake, it does not taste like one. It is a healthy meal replacement.... You have been warned! I personally like the taste of this, so does my son. My other half and daughter however despise it. They can't understand how I can drink 'mud'! It's grainy and can become gloopy if left for too long before drinking (if you make this mistake just add some water and mix again) I use a blender bottle to prepare this and without the ball I think it wouldn't mix well because the powder tends to clump in the bottle. I like this best with raw milk and it fills me up without any preparation. I would recommend that you try the sachets first if you are unsure as that way you aren't stuck with something you can't stand.