Saturday, November 17, 2012

Vega Shake and Go Smoothies

A couple of months ago, Vega generously put out a call to bloggers offering samples of their Shake & Go Smoothies.  Since I've been toying with the idea of a short-term juice fast, I thought this might point me in the right direction and I took them up on it.  I was impressed to receive a 5-pack assortment of varying flavors and thrilled to see that the directions were simple: "Just add water, shake, and go!"  Since I have water, my measly muscles are capable of shaking, and I really do have to go (to work every morning), this sounded just right; being healthy ain't so hard after all ;-)


I decided to start with the tropical tango flavor because I rarely keep orange juice in the house and I really miss the citrus.  It was suggested to me that I actually mix the Vega with orange juice, but I didn't have any (see above).  I wasn't too disappointed since I really wanted to try the product exactly as intended;  an additional element would have both defeated the convenience aspect and affected the taste. 


I was surprised that the powder smelled like Hi-C, but the green-tinged orange color of the mix allayed any concerns that it might taste the same.  I vigorously shook the contents of the package with ice water in a lidded Magic Bullet mug, but could see unappetizing bits of green on the sides of the cup and collecting on the bottom; I was afraid to try it.  Thanks to No Meat Athlete's suggestion, I quickly added about a dozen small ice cubes, gave it another shake, and headed off to work. 


I'll admit that I feared it might taste like Tang (which I never liked), but it was much too thick to even be compared.  After two small sips I had to add some extra water to dilute it.  That seemed to thin it out, but although the powder was no longer visible, it was still discernable between my teeth.  I did manage to drink the whole thing and may have even felt a little bright-eyed as a result- albeit slightly nauseous.  A large glass of water was in order to wash it all down.

the only bits I like in my drinks are chocolate chips
I had every intention of trying the chocolate next, but punked out and went with the vanilla almondilla (like godzilla?).  The mix smelled unpleasant, but once it was shaken with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup ice, the smell inexplicably transformed into something dinstinctly almond.  The hue, however, was decidedly green.


Despite the unappealling color, I do think this flavor was better.  Unfortunately, I was still left unsettled by the consistency- which is that of a watery smoothie, but with a bit of chalkiness.  It did fill me up, but I had to have a few pretzels an hour later to get the taste out of my mouth cleanse my palate.

I really did shake and go.
The next day I decided that I would really try the chocolate flavor; it was go big or go home time.  Best case scenario?  Yoo-Hoo.  Worst case?  Well...


I admit that I wussed out and didn't just shake and go this time.  Instead, I mixed it up- smoothie style, with a banana and lots of ice; this was the best of the bunch!  I'm not saying it was a chocolate shake, but it was a relatively outstanding chocolate smoothie- and that's saying a lot.  Mixing it with the water, fruit, and ice absolutely solved the problem I was having with consistency.


I've yet to try the remaining flavors: raspberry and plain, since I think I'd prefer to just stock up on the chocolate for now. 


But, I think it's safe to assume that if I enjoyed the chocolate, those of you who normally enjoy fruit smoothies may enjoy those flavors much more than I did; give them a try and see for yourself.


Thanks to Vega for sending me the samples to review; I would recommend the Vega Shake and Go Smoothies as a great way to get your nutrients when you're on the go, but I'd definitely add fruit and ice for improved taste and texture.  

7 comments:

  1. You're braver than I am — I didn't even ask for samples. Do the mixes have vitamins and minerals too along with the protein? The reviews I've usually seen usually include fruit in a smoothie-type drink so I think you probably made the right decision adding the banana. Thanks for the honest and helpful review — maybe I'll try Vega.

    Now, go look at my blog! :)

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  2. Andrea- Gah!! So excited for you.

    The smoothies contain 11g protein, 2 servings of veggies, probiotic, omegas 3, 6, and 9, and more. Check out the video here: http://myvega.com/products/vega-shake-and-go/features-benefits

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  3. As you know, I'm a huge fan of Vega. I've been using it religiously for nearly two years and can say my recovery time has definetely imporved. I prefer to mix the Vega Chocolate One along with 600 other calories from various whole foods. That said, I also bring a shake and go contain of vega and maca for post-races. I think the taste and texture improves with difficult and long workouts.

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  4. BYOL- Now you're crediting exercise for making food taste better? I'll never believe anything you say again! You probably DO like the bullet better than the Vitamix.

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  5. hahahaha!
    VITAMIX ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!!!

    And what I meant was, after 3 hours of running, I become less aware of taste and texture. Vega is my favorite thing after a workout... Again, I always like to mix it with fruit and other goodies whenever I can!

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  6. ahhh i tried the vanilla/almond one, i too was a bit surprised when it was green, but unlike you i was only able to have a few sips cos i thought it was so disgusting! i really wanted to like it! & was quite disappointed that it was as bad as it was ha maybe i'll try the chocolate one though. the pharmacy where i bought it from told me after the fact that whenever she uses them she always puts in berries etc with it. how nice of them to offer to send out samples to bloggers!

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    ReplyDelete

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