Friday, June 22, 2012

Not Overly Impressed: My First Experience With Naked Juices Is Mixed With Protein Zone.


The Good: Very nutritious
The Bad: Expensive, Taste is a wash, Dry aftertaste
The Basics: Naked Protein Zone Protein Juice Smoothie does not taste horrible, but it is not at all incredible, outside the nutrition aspect.


Despite having things that I know I like, I do try to open myself up to new experiences. I hope that makes me a better reviewer, by experiencing more of what life has to offer and trying to share those experiences with readers. So, branching out from the Bolthouse Farms beverages, I figured it was time I try some of the drinks from Naked Juice. Actually, the 32 fl. oz. containers were on sale locally, so I picked up a few figuring it was a good way to introduce myself to the product line. I am, therefore, starting my reviews of Naked Juice juices with the Naked Protein Zone Protein Juice Smoothie.

Meh.

It’s not the worst, it’s nowhere near the best . . . and that makes it awfully expensive for what it is! Even so, Protein Zone has some decent benefits – like keeping me feeling quite full! – that put it more in the lower “average” range than anything worse.

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 beverage that is enhanced with nutrients. Naked Protein Zone comes in a 32 fl. oz. plastic bottle that is rectilinear, smooth and very portable. The #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the opaque light yellow liquid, which looks much like an Orange Julius pineapple fruit shake used to. Naked juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, mostly of fruit smoothies and nutrient-rich shakes.

The 32 fl. oz. bottle is intended to give consumers a full four servings and it truly seems to fill one up!

Ease Of Preparation

Naked Protein Zone Protein 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. Protein Zone 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 Protein Zone smells like fresh, tart pineapples and that is a delightful aroma. The Naked Protein Zone has an energizing scent that invigorates, especially on cloudy, nasty mornings!

On the tongue, Protein Zone tastes more like the abstract name it possesses. The dominant flavor is chalky. This is a remarkably dry drink, with no hint of the sweetness or even tartness of pineapple in its initial flavor. Instead, as the Protein Zone washes over the tongue, there is more influence from the whey and coconut milk than any of the citrus juice flavors. On the plus side, the more one drinks, the more the flavor of pineapple and orange comes out. Ironically, this taste only seems present when the beverage is moving over one’s tongue! If one fills up their mouth, the chalky taste reasserts itself as soon as the beverage stops moving!

The Protein Zone Protein Juice Smoothie has a fairly dry aftertaste, which was enough to make me want to have some water after drinking this.

Nutrition

As a healthy fruit beverage, Naked Protein Zone 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 Protein Zone is an exceptionally good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Protein Zone is primarily composed of apple juice, banana puree, and orange juice. It contains nothing bad, which might be why it expires so quickly. It is gluten free, but contains whey so it is NOT Vegan compliant! As well, there are no preservatives, but there are milk and soy ingredients!

This drink is also exceptionally healthy for you. One serving of Protein Zone has 2 g fat and 220 calories, 20 of which come from the fat. While there are 34 grams of sugars, the beverage has only 30 mg cholesterol and an impressive 16 grams of protein! There is a significant 140 mg (6% RDA) of sodium in each serving. A single serving is a sufficient source of Potassium and it has more than your daily needs for Vitamin C.

Storage/Clean-up

Naked Protein Zone Protein 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 June 6, 2012 (fear not, this beverage was consumed and this review was written well before that!). This beverage must be refrigerated!

This drink is a fruit product and an opaque yellow. 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 Protein Zone Protein Juice Smoothie does not taste horrible, but it is not the best health drink I have had since I started reviewing them.

For other healthy beverages, please check out my reviews of:
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Chocolate
Dole 100% Juice Orange Peach Mango
O.N.E. Active Cranberry Grapefruit Coconut Water

4/10

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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