Garden of Life Perfect Meal
“Perfect Meal” is a meal replacement powder produced by Garden Of Life, as a part of CEO Jordan Rubin’s “Perfect Weight America” program. Other weight management products included in the program are FucoTHIN (a weight loss supplement) and FucoProtein bars. Perfect Meal comes in two flavors: Milk Chocolate and Creamy Vanilla.
Manufacturer’s Description: Perfect Meal™ is a delicious and satisfying high protein and high fiber drink designed to be used as a meal supplement, available in two great tasting natural flavors: creamy vanilla and milk chocolate. As part of a healthy diet and exercise program, Perfect Meal™ will help you successfully manage your weight by naturally curbing your appetite.
Product Label:
| Serving Size: 47 g (2 scoops) Servings Per Container: 14 Calories 180 Calories from Fat 10 Total Fat 1 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 45 mg Sodium 95 mg |
Total Carbohydrate 24 g Dietary Fiber 5 g Sugars 3 g Protein 19 g Vitamin C 50 mg Calcium 275 mg Iron 1 mg Chromium 200 mcg |
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Native Whey Protein Undenatured, Bioactive, Minimally Processed, with Glycomacropeptide – 25 g Fibertrol Blend Konjac Glucomannan, Organic Oat Beta Glucan, Oat Fiber – 6 g Glycemic Balance Blend Calcified Red Algae, Organic Acerola Cherry, Chromium Rice Amino Complex (chelate) – 880 mg Proprietary Probiotic Blend Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus paracasei – 6 mg Other Ingredients: Xylitol, natural flavors, salt. |
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Comments: I picked up individual packets of both Perfect Meal flavors from “Christine’s Cleanse Corner” – not one of my usual haunts, but the first vendor I found that offered single servings. This made the meals rather more expensive per serving ($3.50 each)…buying the larger, 658 g containers would have brought the price more in line with other MRPs (roughly $2.00 per serving).
Nonetheless, I’m glad I bought only the two sample packets. The Perfect Meal powders are classic examples of the cliche, “if it tastes bad, it must be good for you.” Ok, that’s probably a bit harsh: they didn’t really taste “bad”…but they didn’t taste particularly good, either…the flavors were flat and watery and the glucomannan used in the fiber blend caused the shakes to thicken excessively before I could finish them.
I daresay they’re healthy enough: the shakes are made with whey protein concentrate and soluble dietary fiber, with added vitamins, minerals and probiotics. They contain no artificial sweeteners or other superfluous additives. They’re low in calories and feature a reduced amount of low glycemic index carbs (company literature states the GI of the shakes is 14 – which is very low). They also made some impact on my appetite, although the effect was only sustained for about 2 hours.
All told, the Perfect Meal powders could make a good, healthy, snack-on-the-run, provided you’re more concerned with the benefits than you are with the taste.
[usrlist “Taste:2.5” “Quality:5.0” “Efficacy:4.0” “Value:3.0″ avg=”true”]
March 18, 2010
I LOVE the Garden of Life Perfect Meal Shake!! I have it for breakfast and it sustains me for 3 – 4 hours afterwards!! I add 2 strawberries with it, along with a 1/2 handful of blueberries and I find it very yummy!! Thanks!!!