Vega Plant-Based Energizing Smoothies
It seems like only yesterday that I tried the first product from Brendan Brazier’s product line, My Vega. Apparently I haven’t been paying close attention to the food supplement aisle over the past few years, as it really was yesterday when I spotted nearly an entire half aisle of Vega products at the grocery store! Brendan and team have been busy triathlete-loving beavers, churning out an amazing array of products.
To get up to speed, I decided to start by testing out the full line of Vega Energizing Smoothie Powders. I’m always looking for good brands of dairy-free “meal replacement” type shakes to recommend to viewers, and a dairy-free protein powder that Tony, husband and chief technical guy, will like. I’m excited, as I think we’ve found a winner with this one!
Here are the details on Vega Energizing Smoothie …
- It comes in five flavors: Tropical Tango, Vanilla Almondilla, Bodacious Berry, Choc-a-lot, and Natural.
- Each flavor is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan / vegetarian, made with all natural ingredients, and contains no added sugars (sweetened with stevia).
- Each serving (1 scoop / 12 per package) contains 10 grams of protein (a combination of pea, Saviseed, hemp, and brown rice proteins), 5 grams of fiber, digestive enzymes, prebiotics, ground flax seed (for some added omega-3’s), and a “greens” blend (alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, kale).
- Even with all of this nutritional power, there is just around 95 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of fat per serving of Vega Energizing Smoothie (the chocolate variety has slightly more protein and calories).
- All flavors can be bought in both single serve or pouch packs (12 servings) – we found both to be very useful.
With that awesome nutritional profile, you are probably thinking “yuck!” I know; I was skeptical myself. But, I can honestly say that WE LOVED IT.
Tony and I are pretty picky about vegan protein powders. Brown rice protein powders have an unctuous, powdery feel, while hemp protein powders are typically quite gritty. But Vega got it just right with this blend of protein powders. It is much silkier than your typical vegan protein powder.
As for the flavor, I can detect the stevia notes when tasted straight (in water), but it works seamlessly in smoothies (how I enjoy Vega Energizing Smoothie powders) and stirred into unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (one of the ways Tony enjoys it) adding a nice brightness in flavor, without tasting off in the least bit.
Unlike most brands of, well … just about anything, I liked ALL of the flavors. My favorites were the Tropical Tango and Bodacious Berry; they add a tasty fruit flavor that went perfectly with my banana breakfast smoothies. However, I could see myself buying the Vanilla Almondilla (great almond overload taste with almond milk and almond butter) and the Natural varieties, since I tend to use more neutral flavors most. Tony, naturally, liked the Choc-a-lot best.
One cool thing about the Choc-a-lot (pictured above) and Bodacious Berry (pictured below) Energizing Smoothies is that their colors are brown and pink, respectively. Yes, they look like chocolate and berry shakes, masking the green! I am a true kid when it comes to food; I still don’t like drinking something that looks green or a mottled brown if I can avoid it. It just hampers the indulgent experience a touch, don’t you think?
Overall, an enthusiastic two thumbs up from our household for each flavor of the Vega Energizing Smoothies!
Quick Note: Vega Energizing Smoothies are the new and improved version of Vega’s former “Shake & Go Smoothie” product line.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, the Vega One Nutrition Bars are vegan, vegetarian, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. Nonetheless, check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product.
For More Product Information: Visit the Vega website at www.myvega.com
Tagged gluten free, healthy living, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan
6 Comments
Leave a reply
Lyn HartSeptember 19, 2012 at 9:34 am
This produce is absolutely awesome. I purchase my Vega at Whole Foods and it has become my #1 breakfast. Love it, love it, love it.
JillOctober 30, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Would I use these as added protein to smoothies? How much will they alter the taste? I’m currently not adding any protein powder to my smoothies since I am new to dairy free. Just wondering how they will change the taste of a smoothie recipe.
Alisa FlemingOctober 30, 2012 at 4:41 pmAuthor
Hi Jill, I try to explain the flavor as much as possible in the review. The Plain one one change the taste the least, just adding a hint of sweetness. The others are definite flavors. As for the texture, most protein powders are a bit, for lack of a better word, powdery. And this can come across in smoothies. I find the Vega to be one of the least powdery of the protein powders. This is more of a “meal replacement” or supplement in that it does add protein (some other types do have more protein) but it also has some added supplements for additional nutrition. Vega has an extensive dairy-free product line, this is just one of the options.
GratefulfoodieNovember 1, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I saw these at Whole Foods the other day, would you happen to know if they are peanut and tree nut free?
Alisa FlemingNovember 1, 2012 at 5:51 pmAuthor
To the best of my knowledge, they are by ingredients, but if allergies are a concern then you really should check the packaging specifically and contact the company directly to inquire about manufacturing processes!
Vega One Nutrition Bar Review - Go Dairy FreeApril 3, 2013 at 5:28 am
[...] protein supplement person myself, when I do consider a protein powder, my favorite thus far is Vega. Dairy-free protein powders are a tricky thing on their own - too gritty, too powdery, or simply [...]