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Vega Energizing Smoothie – Product Review

A few weeks ago, my friends at Vega sent me some samples of another new product to try. It’s called Vega Energizing Smoothie.

Unlike the Vega Sport products that I reviewed in February, the Energizing Smoothie isn’t necessarily targeted at athletes.  Instead, it’s for anyone (including athletes) who want a quick and easy, on-the-go, energy and nutrient boost.  It comes in single-serving packets and Vega sent me one packet of each flavor: Bodacious Berry, Choc-a-lot, Oh Natural, Tropical Tango and Vanilla Almondilla.

Each packet gives you two servings of veggies, 10 grams of plant-based protein, five grams of fiber and one gram of Omega-3.  It’s sweetened with natural flavors and stevia.  And, like all Vega products, it does not have any dairy, gluten or soy.  Each packet (one serving) has between 90 calories (natural flavor) and 105 (calories).

Since it’s made to be used where ever/whenever, all you need to do is tear open the packet, add it to some water, juice or non-dairy beverage, shake or stir, and drink!

So far, I’ve tried all of the flavors except Choc-a-lot.  Since I’m not much of a juice or almond milk drinker, each time I just mixed it with water.  Of the four flavors I’ve tried, I like Bodacious Berry and Tropical Tango the best.  Vanilla is pretty good on it’s own, and Oh Natural would definitely be better in some juice or blended with fruit.  I bet Vanilla would be really good with Almond Milk and I think I’ll try the Choc-a-lot mixed with Coconut Milk.

Three times, I mixed it in a water bottle and the other time (Oh Natural – photo above), I stirred it up in a glass.  The water bottle definitely works better, but stirring it in a glass works OK too.  The packet says to use 8 ounces of water, but I used at least twice that much to get a “lighter” consistency.  Even with 16-20 ounces of water, the powder doesn’t completely dissolve all that easily, and it “settles” at the bottom of the bottle/glass pretty quickly, so either way, I found that after I drank it up, I needed to add more water to get the rest of it.  It is a little chalky, but it’s way better than the whey protein shakes I used to drink so the texture didn’t really bother me at all.

It will be nice to have some packets of the Energizing Smoothie in my desk drawer at the office or with me when I’m travelling.  It’s not enough calories for a meal or even a hearty snack, but will be great in a pinch when I’m feeling nutrient-deprived or need a quick mini-version of my daily Vitamix shake.

Thanks Vega!