NOW FoodsSports Nutrition, Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, 80% Protein, Unflavored Powder, 2-Pound

Pros:Sprouted grain so there are zero carbs.Zero total sugars.Unflavored.Good protein source.80% protein.No dairy.No soy.Value for money.Cons:Not organically grown.Notes:I use this everyday for my morning smoothie. LOL a morning without my smoothie is like a day without sunshine! My smoothie recipe follows.THESE INGREDIENTS ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON AMAZONSharon’s Superpowers SmoothieMakes 1 Serving - ½ before exercise and ½ after.Approximately 29.5 grams of protein.12 oz water3 Tbs NOW brand Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Powder, unflavored1 Tbs NOW brand Yellow Pea Protein Powder, unflavored¼ c Oat Groats or steel cut or rolled oats1 Tbs Flax seeds, whole or ground1 Tbs Chia seeds1-¼ tsp Turmeric, ground1 Tbs Raw Cacao Powder1/8 tsp ground ginger or ¼ tsp fresh grated1 Tbs Nettle Leaf (optional)1 medium stalk of Kale2 Ripe bananas in pieces (really ripe frozen bananas work best because they get sweeter when frozen)2 – 4 Tbs beets, roasted or raw OR ¼ c beet greens with stems (I prep in bulk & freeze these)1 c frozen berriesFor a blender of medium power this is what works for me:1) Place the first group of ingredients in blender jar. I use Ice Crush to break down kale; Chop; Puree for 30 seconds; liquify 15 seconds.2) Add bananas one at a time if frozen. Use Ice Crush, Chop, Puree.3) Add beets and berries. Ice Crush; Chop; Puree 30 seconds; Liquify 15 seconds.***********For a bulk supply of dry ingredients (@ 45-day supply) mix the following together thoroughly in a VERY large bowl and store in tightly sealed container in frig. Use 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs mix per smoothie:2 lb jar NOW brand Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Powder12 oz jar NOW brand Pea Protein Powder12 c Oat Groats or steel cut or rolled oats3 c Flax seeds, whole or ground3 c Chia seeds1-¼ c Turmeric, ground3 c Raw Cocoa Powder6 tsp ground ginger16 Tbs Nettle Leaf (optional)

Now, this product is exactly what's advertised: Rice Protein powder. Is it the most delicious form of protein? Many say no. Does it blend perfectly? With a blender, it blends just fine. I mix it with pea protein in a 1:1 ratio. Is it a bit gritty by itself? Yes. Yet I use it every day to get extra vegan protein for my workouts. It's unfair to judge this product for being what it is. It would be like rating bananas with a 1-star because you personally can't stand banana flavor. Or the effort of having to peel a fruit. Or an aversion to the color yellow. So don't be a hater and appreciate this for the fine product that it happens to be by nature. Amen.

Wow. The other reviewers were not kidding when they said this stuff tasted straight-up "foul." It really is some of the nastiest-tasting protein powder I have ever had. I tried mixing it with something sweet, and it has this tangy/bitter during-and-aftertaste that refuses to fade. It's absolutely horrendous. I think maybe it might work well under grapefruit juice... maybe? It would still be chalky, so that would still be totally gross. Like a chalky, grainy glass of bitter grapefruit juice with a hint of old cheese and aloe. I would want to return it, but I have already opened it. I'm glad it wasn't so expensive, but it was more than I would ever volunteer to pay for it given the circumstances. I was mixing this with the pea protein powder of the same brand (which is not so bad as this one) to get a complete protein source. It tasted so bad, and I had to figure out which one of them was ruining my drinks/meals. Definitely this one. For the love of Pete, get a different rice protein powder. The low carbs do not make up for anything.UPDATE (08/12/2016):Based on my previous review, I was able to concoct a somewhat acceptable sauce/soup using this protein powder. I made it into what tastes like a Creamy Citrus Parmesan Soup, using lemon flavoring along with some spices and coconut milk. It made sense out of all those flavors that I couldn't quite enjoy. Holy crap, I'm glad I can cook. Since I have figured out a somewhat decent way to utilize it, I will up my rating to at least 3 stars.UPDATE (08/13/2016):Just tried making a "Citrus-Vanilla Shake," but the bitterness is overwhelming. It's just palatable enough that I can get it down. It really does taste like aloe. Yuck. The "cheesy" flavor is only highlighted when it is mixed in with something savory. I guess, I was just determined to see if I could make it taste good, but I've failed. It cannot taste "good"... only "tolerable." I, at least, was able to get the "Citrus-Vanilla Shake" down faster than the soup. I'll use the rest of it because I don't want to be wasteful, but I'm so not purchasing this powder again.UPDATE (08/22/2016):Okay, so I figured out the fastest way to consume this stuff if you HAVE TO do it for the nutritional value... DON'T TRY TO MAKE IT TASTE GOOD. Just mix it with a good amount of water, and chug. Then you can enjoy whatever you were going to mix it into without it, and you get closer to your water requirement for the day. Problem solved. I appreciate the price and the nutritional profile, so maybe I'll give it one more star. The taste is downright appalling, but it serves its purpose, and keeps me satisfied for hours.

It is very difficult to mix manually with any liquid (it might be more workable with a blender). I've never seen a protein powder so difficult to work with. The taste is bad, but by itself that's not something I'd hold against an otherwise-valuable protein powder... the hydrophobic way it resists mixing with water, the way it puffs up into airborne clouds of ultrafine powder whenever you stir it into a liquid, combined with the bad taste and unfortunate texture, make this one of the only nutritional supplements that I know I won't ever try a second time.I even used to take l-ornithine powder (notorious as one of the worst-tasting and most overpriced supplements around) mixed with water, so I'm very prepared to drink bad tasting stuff if it has a distinct health benefit, but this brown rice protein powder isn't something I can see any justification for using over other protein powders, *unless* you have serious enough allergies that this is the only protein powder you can use without having allergic reactions.

Satisfifed!