Evolve Plant Based Protein Shake, Double Chocolate, 20g Vegan Protein, Dairy Free, No Artificial Sweeteners, Non-GMO, 10g Fiber, 11 Fl Oz (Pack of 12) - (Formula May Vary)

Vega: * Pros: Vegan/ soy free/ gluten free, extra supplemented vitamins/ minerals, ‘green powder blend’ for extra nutrition, 4 grams fiber * Cons: Chalky, chocolate flavor is a miss, difficult aftertaste Evolve: * Pros: Vegan/ soy free/ gluten free, 10 grams fiber, great chocolatey taste, smooth * Cons: less supplemented vitamins/ minerals The background: In the last month I found myself needing to go on a very restricted diet (nut/ dairy/ soy/ wheat free) as I worked through what my nursing baby was sensitive to. Not being able to have my regular premixed whey protein shake to turn to on busy mornings was rough, so I set out on trying to find a suitable replacement. SO many people recommended Vega, so I started there. Chocolate is always my flavor of choice, vanilla flavored anything isn’t really my jam. Long story short- they were tolerable. I could drink them if I had to.... but found myself opting to just be hungry and eat an early lunch rather than grab one (which completely defeated the purpose for me). The texture was chalky, the chocolate flavor didn’t quite taste chocolatey, and I always had to follow it with gum because the lingering aftertaste wasn’t great. It checked all of my required boxes, but I was looking for something more than that. I decided I’d try something else in spite of the fact that Vega got good reviews and many people seemed to be settling with ‘Vegan protein just isn’t that good.’ Evolve was my next trial- and though I planned on sampling several others in order to give a thoroughly rounded review, I decided to stop with Evolve. Why? Because it’s actually good! The chocolate flavor is rich and chocolatey, the texture is super smooth, and it’s still Vegan + soy/ gluten free. I’m compromising in pretty much all areas of my diet right now, but this doesn’t feel like a compromise and I’m thrilled to have found something that meets all of my current requirements and is enjoyable to drink. The only real thing it’s missing is the extra vitamins/ minerals that Vega has, but I’m happy to just continue eating well and taking a multivitamin rather than relying on my protein shake to supplement in that area.

I was looking for a protein shake that tastes good to replace a couple of meals. I tend to not eat until I'm ravenous and then make really poor food choices. That led to a ten pound weight gain in a short space of time. So I'm trying to right the ship while staying realistic about how I operate. I wanted something easy, with grab-and-go convenience, and it had to taste decent. I also did not want any dairy products because, and this is idiosyncratic to me, whey protein/milk protein isolates make me gain weight. So even though I love the taste of whey protein products, they were off table. Let the search begin! I read a few online reviews for the best meal replacement shakes and this one popped up on a couple of the lists and the Amazon reviews looked promising. Now down to the nitty gritty. Does it taste like a real chocolate shake?? Absolutely not. lol. Does it taste amazing? No on that too. But is the flavor decent for what it is? YES!! Look, it's a low-cal vegan protein shake. It's not gonna taste like melted ice cream or even melted non-dairy ice cream. Let's just be realistic here. It does taste like chocolate- Yay! It has a bit of an aftertaste which I think is coming from the artificial sweetener. I do not drink diet sodas or use artificial sweeteners regularly, so I'm pretty sensitive to those kind of tastes. Honestly, my first sip was not great, but as I worked my way through my first shake I got a bit more accustomed to that aftertaste/artificial sweetener taste, and I was able to ignore it. That might not seem great to you, but that's pretty amazing to me. I have jars of other low cal vegan protein powders lying around because I just couldn't get past the taste (I also paid like $50 for each of them and have somehow convinced myself that if I keep them long enough, I'll somehow have gotten my money's worth. lol) I'm on day two of the shake and honestly, I've gotten used to the flavor and I'm finding it pretty tasty. The texture is beautifully smooth and not at all gritty. So overall, I think this is a total win. They're convenient, pretty tasty, they keep me full and I think the price is quite reasonable. I will definitely be repurchasing.

With 20g of Protein and 10g of Fiber, these are the go-to shake that you can just throw in your bag and get your macros on the run. The chocolate is really good, not chalky, and plant based so no issues with lactose. Definitely recommend.

I’ve been ordering this product for 6 months for myself and my teen. We both need more protein and after trying many shakes/other brands, we settled on this make and flavor. Unlike many other shakes we tried this one doesn’t have an unpleasant aftertaste. It also contains real sugar rather than any of the many gross substitutes that other shakes often use (monk fruit, stevia, etc), which we also appreciate. Neither of us like the vanilla flavor at all, but the chocolate is tasty and not hard to digest. That’s all the good news. The bad news? The price of his item has gone up by $20 in the last two weeks - alarmingly close to double the price now of what it has been. We can’t afford this luxury item any more.

Fantastic supplemental drink. 20g of protein, 10g of fiber, 4.5mg of iron, only 2g of sugar for 150 calories is awesome. I bought these because I don’t meet the daily protein, iron, or fiber intake dietary recommendations more often than not. I’m trying to stay healthy. It’s fairly filling which is nice for when I’m at work and can’t take a lunch break. It’s not chunky so I suppose you could mix it into a smoothie if you wanted to add fruits, chia seeds or whatever else. My only complaint is the price, but most protein drink are expensive so I might as well as complain about the sky being blue. I’m not even a vegetarian or have any kind of dietary restrictions but it’s pretty impressive that this is plant based. 10/10 will buy again.

I’ve been a die-hard fan of this drink for 6 years. I’m type 1 diabetic and this is the best tasting drink I’ve had. I hate that I now have to find an alternative because they’re constantly raising prices. Got a 12pk off of Amazon in January for $35 and now it’s $50 ($4/shake) 😭 two years ago it was $22 for 12

You will like this drink! Drink it cold and shake it up. I'm picky about my protein shakes and I have to say, this is THE BEST non-whey-ready-to-drink shake I've ever had! I like chocolate, and this tastes like chocolate. It is comparable to a skim milk chocolate milk, in other words, not thick, and I didn't find it had any weird texture to it at all. It is a little sweeter than I prefer (I like my chocolate a mix of sweet & salty), BUT I will happily drink this smooth, chocolate drink every day. I'm so glad I gave this a shot and wasn't swayed by some of the so-so reviews talking about the after-taste. I don't like an artificial after-taste, but I don't find that this drink has one at all. If there is one, it's mild. If you must, just finish the shake with a swig of water and be done, I don't understand the big deal. Maybe they didn't shake it up first.

After finding out I could not have protein drinks with whey, even if they were listed as suitable for those with lactose intolerance, I switched to vegetable protein drinks and have now tried several powders and the three major chocolate flavored ready-mixed drinks: Evolve, Vega and Orgain. I much prefer pre-mixed because it's more convenient, and the drinks are more consistently mixed than what I can achieve with a shaker and powder. Evolve is my second favorite of the three chocolate ready-mixed vegetable protein drinks I've tried so far. It has a nice consistency that is smooth and not grainy, and a light chocolate taste that isn't cloying. It sits well and has never upset my stomach, and the containers are sturdy and easy to recycle. My only complaint is that it is kind of thick and artificially smooth, and the mouthfeel isn't that great, which is why it's my second favorite (Vega being my fave) but it's a fine product and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking to try a ready-mixed plant protein drink.

Great chocolate taste. No sugar alcohol after-taste and no chalky texture.