Protein Shakes

Soylent Ready to Drink Meal, Strawberry

This tastes like a delicious strawberry milkshake. It’s made with soy protein and a vitamin and mineral premix.  The drink has 20 grams of plant based protein, 39 essential nutrients, and slow burning carbohydrates. In addition to being gluten free and vegan, it’s also nut free, has a low glycemic index and has 1 gram of total sugar. Other flavors include chocolate, banana, mint chocolate and vanilla.

Koia Protein Vanilla Bean

Koia has a strong vanilla taste with specks of vanilla beans like a creamy vanilla milkshake.  It’s made from almond milk, brown rice, pea, chickpea proteins and sweetened with monk fruit. It’s dairy free, gluten free and soy free. And it only has 4 grams of sugar.

Orgain Vegan All in One Nutritional Shake, Vanilla Bean

The drink has a mild vanilla taste and a slight aftertaste which may be from the vegetables – it contains beets, kale and spinach. In addition to the vegetables, it is also made with fruit, pea protein and rice. It contains 16g of plant based protein, 25 vitamins & minerals. And it’s gluten free, vegan and soy free.

Ready to Drink Coffee

Califia Nitro Latte, Salted Caramel

Nitro infused coffee is cold-brewed and infused with nitrogen gas which results in a texture that is thick, creamy and frothy. And it has a smooth mouth feel. An advantage is it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. This canned coffee is made with oatmilk and Direct Trade Arabica beans. The salted caramel flavor tastes like real caramel even though it is vegan. The oatmilk also makes the coffee thick and creamy. It’s free of nuts, soy, gluten, carrageenan, BPA, dairy and preservatives.

Rise Oat Milk Latte, Nitro Cold Brew

Like a true latte, this drink has a creamy milky taste with a touch of coffee. It’s smooth and frothy. Sold shelf stable, you can drink it from the can or over ice. And it won the People Food Awards 2019 Best Canned Coffee. A well deserved award.

Starbucks Almond Milk Frappuccino, Caramel

Like the Califia Salted Caramel, this has a nice caramel taste made with almond milk and real Starbucks coffee. It’s free of the 8 major allergens and other flavors include mocha and vanilla. It’s sold on the shelf and I’ve had it at room temperature and from the fridge. Turns out I’ve been drinking it wrong all this time. I just found out you’re supposed to place the Frappuccino in the freezer for it to turn into, well, a Frappuccino. After chilling in the freezer for a few hours, you shake it and it turns into a blended iced drink. I can’t wait to try it this way.

Califia Farms XXX Espresso Cold Brew with Almondmilk

The coffee has a strong espresso taste, but also a slight bitter aftertaste. It is made with Direct Trade Arabica beans and almond milk. It is vegan, gluten free, BPA free, kosher and carrageenan free.

Ripple Coffee Protein Shake

Made with pea milk, the drink is low in carbs and high in protein (20 grams). While it has too mild of a coffee taste for me, I really like that pea milk is a great alternative for those who don’t like or are allergic to other alternative milks. Other flavors include vanilla and chocolate. It’s dairy, nut, soy and gluten free.

Silk Latte Espresso

Made with cold-brew coffee and a shot of espresso blended with almondmilk and oatmilk, it’s rich and creamy, like a coffee milkshake. It’s free of dairy, gluten, carrageenan, cholesterol, and artificial colors & flavor.

Silk is my favorite coffee creamer brand and they have two delicious varieties, one with soy milk and the other with oat and coconut milks ( https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/dairy-free-not-non-dairy-coffee-creamers). In addition to making great tasting dairy free products, they offer a variety of alternative milks.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Horchata

This drink is mild coffee with a mellow cinnamon taste.  Horchata is made with rice milk, but the oatmilk used is a tasty substitute.  It’s sold refrigerated and is dairy free, gluten free, and low sugar.

Evolve Mellow Mocha Protein Shake

This coffee is sugary and for some odd reason the sweetness reminded me of maraschino cherries even though it does not contain cherries. The sweetness comes from organic cane sugar and stevia, and it has a strong, but smooth chocolate taste. It is made with non-GMO pea protein and the texture is velvety.  It’s dairy, soy and gluten free. Other flavors include chocolate and vanilla.

Owyn Cold Brew Coffee

I like that the plant based drink has only 5 grams of net carbs and does not contain dairy, soy, nuts or gluten. However, the coffee is so bitter, I had to brush my teeth afterwards.  Not only does it contain pea protein and coffee, but also broccoli, spinach and kale. Vegetables with coffee not only sounds weird, but also tastes weird. It would have been better as a super green drink without the coffee.

Plant Based Smoothies in a Pouch

All of the reviewed “smoothies” are made with apples mixed with other fruits. The pouches don’t need to be refrigerated. I put “smoothies” in quotes because the texture is more like applesauce than creamy smoothies.

Noka Superfood Smoothie

I had the strawberry/pineapple and blueberry/beet and both were delicious. The fruit taste is prominent, it has 0 grams of added sugar, is vegan, gluten free and BPA free. It also contains brown rice protein. The 4 oz. pouch is small enough to put in a purse or bag. And it has less natural sugar than an apple. You can always have a delicious and healthy drink on hand.

GoGo Squeez, Zippin’ Zingin’ Pear

Their pouch says fruit and veggies on the go which is an appropriate way to describe the product. It contains only fruit, vegetable and juice. I’m not going to lie- it looks like pureed baby food and is marketed to children. However, it’s still a great portable drink. You can taste more of the fruit flavors in Noka, whereas GoGo tastes more like applesauce, and you barely taste pear. Whether you want to buy it for your children or try it yourself, it’s gluten, nut and dairy free with no added sugar.

Mama Chia Squeeze, Blackberry Bliss

Like Noka and GoGo Squeez, the drink in a pouch is made from fruits and vegetables and has the consistency of applesauce. The difference with this one is that it contains chia seeds which are a great source of Omega-3. It has no added sugar and only 10 grams of carbs with 3 grams of fiber. It is gluten and dairy free and other flavors include raspberry, strawberry banana, cherry and mango coconut, Also, the company is a 1% for the Planet Member. Through the program, businesses pledge 1% of their annual salary to environmental nonprofit companies.

Drinkable Yogurt

Once Upon a Farm Dairy-Free Yogurt, Strawberry

This is a refrigerated and drinkable yogurt in a pouch.  It’s made with strawberries, seeds and fruit. I was surprised it doesn’t contain alternative milk or dairy free yogurt, but it does contain probiotics. The product is more similar to the smoothies reviewed above. Their website confirms it does not contain allergens.

Califia Farms Probiotic Drinkable Yogurt, Strawberry

This refrigerated yogurt has the taste and texture of a smooth strawberry milk shake. It’s made with a blend of almond, coconut and oat milks. Other flavors include mango, berries and unsweetened plain. It also contains probiotics.

I am impressed with Califia Farm drinks. I like their caramel nitro latte and they also have a rich, unsweetened oatmilk creamer: http://(https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/dairy-free-not-non-dairy-coffee-creamers/2/)

Conclusion

Not having to think about getting a meal while on the run is one less thing to worry about. These on the go drinks are great as meal replacements with a variety of flavors and textures. And the fact that many are nutritious, portable and don’t have to be refrigerated make them even more convenient.

Fun Food Fact

Plants used in alternative milks require less land, water, fertilizer, and energy than cows. 

Did You Know

Researchers estimate that 32 million Americans have food allergies, including 5.6 million children under the age of 18. That’s one in 13 children. And approximately 40 percent of children with food allergies are allergic to more than one food. (source: FARE – Food Allergy Research and Education)

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