Alisa Fleming ~ Normally, when I think of smoothies, I think of thick, spoonable, sweet delights that I whiz up in my blender with the base of a frozen banana. But smoothies do come in all flavors and textures, and can be refreshing fuel for those of us who don’t really care for straight juice. And though I’d never thought of purchasing a pre-packaged smoothie on-the-go, I’m a bit smitten with Odwalla’s Smoothie Refreshers.

They come in three flavors: Mixed Berry Shuffle, Pear Berry Jive, and Mango Lime Twist (pictured below in that order). Beyond the cutesy names, these drinks deliver on wholesome ingredients and are a tasty treat to boot. Each has a base of Orange Juice, Coconut Water, and Apple Juice (except the mango version – it doesn’t use apple juice) that is thickened with real fruit purees, and brightened with just a touch of stevia. If you have seen my smoothie recipes then you know that I love adding a touch of stevia. I don’t use it to sweeten so much as to heighten the natural sweetness in the other ingredients. Odwalla does this perfectly. There isn’t a funky stevia flavor in any of these drinks – rather the potent taste of pure sweet fruit.

True to name, these Odwalla smoothies are so refreshing. They are light, not too thick, and the range of flavors seemed to suit my various “taste” moods. Since I’m still not a big juice fan, and these are juice-based, I liked them most for cooling down on hot days or after a hard workout.

As an added bonus, Odwalla Smoothie Refreshers come in what I consider a perfect 12-ounce size. Since the sweetness of smoothies often urges me to finish every last slurp in mere minutes, no matter how large, I appreciated that these were just the right amount and only 150 calories for the whole bottle to boot.

To note, these refreshers are made with juices that are not from concentrate, and are kept wonderfully fresh in the refrigerated sections of major supermarkets. Odwalla even goes the extra mile, selling their Smoothie Refreshers in 100 percent recyclable PlantBottle™ packaging.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, the smoothies are Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free, Wheat-Free, and added Sugar-Free. See the packaging for allergen and manufacturing "may contain" labeling, and contact the manufacturer when severe food allergies are of concern.

For More Product Information: Visit the Odwalla website at www.odwalla.com. 

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications and a recipe creator for the natural food industry with an emphasis on dairy-free living and other special diets.

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