The Good: Good taste, Very nutritious
The Bad: Expensive, Not as nutritious as many of the other Bolthouse Protein Plus beverages.
The Basics: Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake is a good drink, but not one that capitalizes on all that Bolthouse Farms can do.
Every now and then, I get a truly great deal at my local grocery store. They throw things on clearance or they put discount coupons on things I might enjoy trying. A few days ago, I was at the store and I noticed that Bolthouse Farms shakes were on sale buy one get one free for the 15.2 fl. oz. size. This is the size I tend only to get when I am trying a new-to-me flavor for review (having graduated to the larger sizes for the selections I know I enjoy). So, when I saw the Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake was part of the buy one get one free deal, I looked closer. There were two with dollar off coupons! There is nothing like starting the week with 2/$1.00 Bolthouse Farms drinks! Of course, it meant that I had to drink two of the Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shakes within a day of each other, but it was more than worth it.
Having consumed both of them now, the verdict is good news for Bolthouse Farms! The Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake is delicious, even if it is not as much of a health food as the other beverages in Bolthouse Farms’ “Protein Plus” line.
Basics
Bolthouse Farms is a health drink brand, which includes all sorts of fruit shakes designed to enhance one’s health. This is a fruit beverage that is enhanced with nutrients. Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola comes in a 15.2 fl. oz. plastic bottle that is smooth and very portable. The #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the opaque light pink liquid, which looks much like a Strawberry shake. Oddly, the 15.2 fl. oz. container represents just under two full servings, which is irritating. On the other hand, drinking up all of the Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola in one sitting (which is not at all unheard of) means one hasn’t completely gorged themselves on it! Bolthouse Farms juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, both of fruit juices and dairy beverages.
Ease Of Preparation
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural All Natural Protein Shake is a liquid in a 15.2 fl. oz. bottle and is a ready-to-drink beverage. So, preparation is as easy as shaking well and opening the plastic bottle (in that order!). Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola has a plastic cap that easily twists off and can be put back on in order to reseal it. It is important to note that this is supposed to be refrigerated, so quality of the beverage may degrade if it is left out at room temperature before or after the bottle is open. This has a pretty standard security seal ring around the lower half of the cap and informs the consumer as to whether the product has been opened by cracking off when the top is twisted.
Taste
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola has an aroma identical to that of strawberry yogurt. The fruity, somewhat tart, scent of the strawberries is almost entirely overwhelmed by the sour scent of the yogurt cultures. The result is a smell much like strawberry yogurt or, more precisely, strawberry ice cream!
The Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake tastes almost exactly like it smells, save that it might be a little more fruity than I would have guessed from the aroma. The strawberry flavor comes alive and while it is cut some by the milky yogurt flavor, the dominant initial taste is that of strawberries. The granola flavoring comes through in a dry, cinnamon aftertaste that is indicative of rolled oat granola. The three flavors work well to give the consumer the sensation that they have just consumed a strawberry yogurt with granola!
Interestingly, it is not the dry granola aftertaste that lingers when one is done consuming the Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake; it is the sour of the strawberries that really fills the mouth and makes the mouth taste like one needs something to drink. This is not a great thirst quencher, but when one has just a little water after it, this smooth blended strawberry parfait is actually delightfully filling!
Nutrition
As a healthy fruit beverage, Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake is designed to fill in some of the nutritional gaps one might have in their diet, while tasting pretty awesome to boot! Nutritionally, Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola is a good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola is primarily composed of water, apple juice from concentrate, and yogurt. It contains nothing bad, though it is neither gluten free, nor Vegan compliant! As well, there are no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors or genetically modified ingredients!
This drink is healthy, though not the superlative outing from Bolthouse Farms. One serving of Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola has 180 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. While there are 27 grams of carbohydrates, the beverage has only 10 mg of cholesterol and a whopping 13 grams of protein! Unfortunately, are only 115 mg (5% RDA) of sodium in each serving! A single serving has a 20% of one’s RDA of Vitamin C and 15% of one’s Calcium!
Storage/Clean-up
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural All Natural Protein Shake comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps for only a few weeks. The bottle I bought on clearance was on clearance because it expired two days later! This beverage must be refrigerated.
This drink is a fruit product and light pink. If this gets on clothes, it is likely to stain them, at least light clothes. Consult a care guide for your clothes, though I suspect light clothes would need bleach to get this out. Still, the drink wipes off surfaces easily with a cloth, assuming the surface is impermeable.
Overall
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Strawberries + Yogurt + Granola All Natural Protein Shake tastes good and is worth recommending, but for those who are truly health conscious, there are better Bolthouse beverages.
For other Bolthouse beverages, please check out my reviews of:
Vitamin Rich Strawberry Banana Fruit Smoothie
Protein Plus Mango All Natural Fruit Shake
100% Carrot Juice
7/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page for a complete listing by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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