Showing posts with label Naked Juice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naked Juice. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Naked Juices Mighty Mango Is A Worthy, Flavorful Drink!



The Good: Very nutritious, Tastes good
The Bad: Expensive
The Basics: Naked Mighty Mango might have an initial aroma that turned me off, but it more than made up for it with its delicious flavor and worthwhile nutritional benefits.


In addition to the fact that they were on sale, I truly began my reviews of Naked Juices bottled smoothies because I wanted to be more useful to my readers. I have gone through almost the entire line of Bolthouse Farms beverages and reviewing Naked Juices gives consumers a good comparison between two similar product lines. That said, I’ve been picking up Naked Juices much more sporadically; usually when I find them on sale or on clearance right before they expire. The latter was how I got my hands on the Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothies and I think perhaps the best endorsement of them would be for me to admit that I would purchase this beverage again, at full price if I had to.

I picked up the standard 15.2 fl. oz. bottle of Mighty Mango smoothie and the four bottles I had, which were three days away from expiring when I drank the first couple, tasted consistently good compared to the one I ended up having on the final day (supposedly) of its viability.

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 Mighty Mango comes in a 15.2 fl. oz. plastic bottle that is rectilinear, smooth and very portable. The #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the opaque rich orange liquid, which looks much like carrot juice or peanut butter soup in a bottle. Naked Juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, mostly of 100% Juice Smoothies, like Mighty Mango.

The 15.2 fl. oz. bottle is intended to give consumers just under two servings, which is both ridiculous and annoying. To make up for it, Naked Juices puts the nutritional values for both the single serving and the whole bottle, which is decent of them. Would it actually kill the manufacturer to make the bottle a full 16 fl. oz. and give consumers two full servings? I think not.

Ease Of Preparation

Naked Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothie is a liquid in the 15.2 fl. oz. bottle and is a ready-to-drink beverage. So, preparation is as easy as shaking the bottle vigorously and opening it. Mighty Mango 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

It might seem ridiculous for me to note that Naked Mighty Mango smells lightly of carrots, because one might figure I am simply reacting to the color of the drink. However, recently I was quite nauseated by the Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice (reviewed here!) and I had a powerful reaction to smelling the Mighty Mango that reminded me instantly of my very visceral reaction to that beverage. There is a stronger mango and citrus scent, but there is an underscent of carrots and that caught me off guard.

On the tongue, Mighty Mango is dominated by the flavors of mango and banana. The mango instantly manifests on the tongue as a sweet, slightly tangy citrus flavor that finishes with the hints of orange and apple juice that are present in the beverage. The aftertaste, however, is all banana. Almost as soon as the beverage is swallowed, there is a distinct dry, sweet taste that is the definition of banana. This is a good combination as mango and banana seem to complement one another in an absolutely delightful way.

Despite having an instantaneous dry aftertaste from the banana, the Mighty Mango Juice Smoothie has no lingering aftertaste and the result is that Mighty Mango is a fairly decent thirst quencher.

Nutrition

As a healthy fruit beverage, Naked Mighty Mango 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 Mighty Mango is a good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Mighty Mango is primarily composed of mango puree, apple and orange juices. 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 very healthy for you. One serving of Mighty Mango has 150 calories and no fat. While there are 36 grams of carbohydrates, the beverage has no cholesterol and a gram of protein! There is a negligible 10 mg (less than 1% RDA) of sodium in each serving. A single serving is a significant source of Vitamin A.

Storage/Clean-up

Naked Mighty Mango Protein Juice Smoothie comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps for only a few weeks. The bottle I bought in the middle of July had an expiration date of July 16, 2012, which was why I was able to get it so inexpensively. This beverage must be refrigerated!

This drink is a fruit product and an opaque orange. 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 Mighty Mango 100% Juice Smoothie is a great alternative to less nutritious fruit juices, despite the expense.

For other Mango flavored products, please check out my reviews of:
Mango Jelly Belly jelly beans
Peeled Organics Much-Ado-About-Mango
Dole 100% Juice Orange Peach Mango
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Mango All Natural Protein Shake

8/10

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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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

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.
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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Delightfully Complex On The Palate, Green Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie From Naked Juice Is A Winner!


The Good: Very nutritious, Tastes great
The Bad: Expensive
The Basics: Naked Green Machine is a winner from the eclectic juice producer.


A few weeks ago, I found myself more than a little despondent, whatwith having taken my wife to Michigan and been forced to leave her there for her summer job. It’s not an easy thing and on my way back to our (now much emptier) home, I stopped at the grocery store. I certainly do not advocate eating away the pain, but I went shopping and subconsciously, I think that might have been what I was planning on doing!

At least I chose healthy. One of the first things I picked up was a collection of Naked Juice juices. I was not at all wowed by the Protein Zone (reviewed here!), which was my first experience with the company’s drink line. So, I was a bit hesitant about trying the Green Machine I picked up. I was actually a little surprised I had picked up a whole 32 oz. container, but I guess that was what was on sale.

I had no reason to fear this weird beverage. Neither do you!

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 and vegetable juice that is packed with nutrients. Naked Green 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 green liquid, which looks much like an split pea soup in a bottle. Naked juice products is one of the leading manufacturer of healthy prepared beverages, mostly of Boosted 100% Juice Smoothies, like Green Machine.

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 Green Machine 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. Green 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 Green Machine smells like broccoli and mango and the scent is very disconcerting. The aroma is very hard to place and has a vaguely citrus, equally vague vegetable scent.

In the mouth, Green Machine is very sweet and the dominant fruit flavors are apple and mango. While none of the vegetables – broccoli, spinach, parsley or barley grass – are overly evident in the flavor, the banana gives the Green Machine a slightly dry aftertaste. Still, sweetness dominates and as the temperature of the beverage rises closer to room temperature, the flavors of pineapple and kiwi come closer to the surface.

Despite having an instantaneous dry aftertaste from the banana, the Green Machine Juice Smoothie has no lingering aftertaste and actually results in being a fairly decent thirst quencher.

Nutrition

As a healthy fruit beverage, Naked Green 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 Green Machine is an exceptionally good option for those who are dieting or are trying to improve their health. Green Machine is primarily composed of apple juice, mango puree, and pineapple juice. 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 Green Machine has 140 calories and no fat. While there are 33 grams of sugars, the beverage has no cholesterol and 2 grams of protein! There is a negligible 15 mg (1% RDA) of sodium in each serving. A single serving is a significant source of Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12.

Storage/Clean-up

Naked Green Machine 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 August 8, 2012 and I suspect it lasts longer than things like the Protein Zone because there is no milk in it. And, it is not evil. This beverage must be refrigerated!

This drink is a fruit product and an opaque green. 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 Green Machine Boosted 100% Juice Smoothie tastes good and is healthy, which seems to be hitting the essentials for the health drink market! It is well worth picking up.

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

8/10

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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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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