Very Healthy, But Weaker On Flavor, Naked Juice Blue Machine Is Still Worthwhile!

The Good: Nutritious, Tastes good
The Bad: Expensive, Not as distinctive a flavor as most juices.
The Basics: Naked Blue Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie is a very healthy, less-robustly flavored beverage for health-conscious individuals.


This has been a summer of health drinks for me! I have managed to go through almost the entire selection of Bolthouse Farms fruit beverages and now I’m on to the Naked Juice line! Already, I have tried the Green Machine (reviewed here!) and Protein Zone (reviewed here!), with split results. So, picking up Blue Machine on sale was what would determine whether I kept trying other Naked Juices. And the verdict is . . . I will!

Blue Machine did not have the richest or most interesting flavor, but did not taste bad and is exceptionally healthy.

Basics

Naked is a health drink brand, which is like an energy drink except that is designed for more of a full-health solution and they tend to taste better. This is a fruit juice that is packed with nutrients. Naked Blue Machine comes in a 32 fl. oz. plastic bottle that is rectilinear, smooth and very portable. The #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the opaque rich purple liquid, which looks much like mixed blueberry yogurt in a bottle. Naked juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, mostly of Boosted 100% Juice Smoothies, like Blue Machine.

The 32 fl. oz. bottle is intended to give consumers a full four servings and it does!

Ease Of Preparation

Naked Blue Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie is a liquid in the 32 fl. oz. bottle and is a ready-to-drink beverage. So, preparation is as easy as opening a plastic bottle. Blue Machine 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 will 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

Naked Blue Machine smells like curdled yogurt. In fact, the moment I first smelled Blue Machine, I double-checked the expiration date! With almost two months until it’s expiration date, it seemed like something must be up. After letting the beverage breathe for a moment, it started smelling more like tomato juice, which is a far cry better than curdled yogurt.

As it passes over the tongue, Blue Machine is actually surprisingly bland. The taste is muted, like an artificial fruit drink . . . until the motion of the beverage ends. When the Blue Machine is held on the tongue, in the mouth, it suddenly bursts out with flavor, most noticeably the flavors of blueberries and strawberries. It is like this drink gives the consumer two options; take something healthy and get it over with or savor a fruit smoothie.

The aftertaste is more sour than dry, though there is banana that lends its distinctive dry flavor to the drink. The aftertaste, like the “moving taste” is not overly strong.

Nutrition

As a healthy fruit beverage, Naked Blue Machine Protein Juice Smoothie is designed to fill in some of the nutritional gaps one might have in their diet, without compelling consumers to take a pill. Nutritionally, Naked Blue Machine is an exceptionally good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Blue Machine is primarily composed of apple juice, banana puree, and blueberry puree. I was actually surprised, given how it tastes so strongly of strawberries, that there are no strawberries in the drink! It contains nothing bad, which might be why it expires so quickly. It is Vegan compliant, has no added sugar, preservatives, or genetically modified ingredients!

This drink is also exceptionally healthy for you. One serving of Blue Machine has 170 calories and no fat. While there are 40 grams of charbohydrates, the beverage has no cholesterol and a gram of protein! There is a negligible 10 mg (<1% RDA) of sodium in each serving. A single serving is a full day’s source of Vitamins E, C, B3, B5, B6, and B12. It also has a decent amount of Potassium! Storage/Clean-up

Naked Blue Machine Juice Smoothie comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps for only a few weeks. The bottle I bought at the beginning of June had an expiration date of August 10, 2012 and I suspect it lasts longer than the dairy-based Naked Juices because there is no milk in it. This beverage must be refrigerated!

This drink is a fruit product and an opaque purple. If this gets on clothes, it will certainly 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 they are impermeable.

Overall

Naked Blue Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie might be a little lighter on taste than I would have figured coming from the juice manufacturer, but is sure is healthy and it does not taste bad!

For other healthy beverages, please check out my reviews of:
Bolthouse Farms Strawberry + Yogurt + Granola Smoothie
Dole 100% Juice Orange Peach Mango
O.N.E. Active Cranberry Grapefruit Coconut Water

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.
| | |