AD – When I recently got asked to review the new Upbeat protein drinks, I jumped at the chance as always have a keen interest in any foody/health related products. I like to see something new with a fresh idea.
More About Upbeat Protein Drinks
These drinks are designed as an alternative to an unhealthy snack. It is so hard, if you are trying to follow a healthy eating plan, to not grab a sugary or fatty treat when hitting that mid-afternoon slump. You need something with a reasonable protein content but lower calorie to keep you feeling full until your evening meal. This is so important if you are trying to follow a weight-loss plan.
Upbeat drinks do just that. They contain 20g of protein and less than 150 calories. I recently wrote a piece about not fearing sugar and discussed how we all need to be cutting down on the white stuff. Upbeat drinks contain the benefits of having a fruit smoothie but only half the sugar, which is great. They also have very few ingredients which is always a plus.
I also occasionally have protein shakes in the afternoon prior to a gym workout and I was keen to see if the Upbeat drinks would fill me up in the same way. They are based on whey protein, which many protein shake powders are too.
These drinks come in 4 flavours – chocolate orange, blueberry and raspberry, strawberry and mango and passionfruit. The bottles are small and attractive and I was keen to have a taste.
I managed to get 3 of the drinks to trial; strawberry, chocolate orange, and blueberry and raspberry. I was quite surprised by the taste as am used to my protein shakes which are quite sweet and milky. They were not too sweet and tasted like a low fat yoghurt drink. I particularly liked the chocolate orange flavour. They were easy to drink and very tasty chilled. I had one mid-morning as wasn’t going to be eating for a while; it definitely kept me going and I didn’t need to reach for anything else.
Where I picked up my samples, these drinks were retailing at £1.75 so they are not the cheapest snack. However, if you tend to pick up a couple of snacks mid afternoon, you could be spending a similar amount for a potentially unhealthier option. I have also been told they are cheaper in other places so shop around.
For someone trying to keep off the unhealthy, stodgy snacks, Upbeat drinks are a great option. They are tasty, filling and low calorie. Definitely worth a go!
Disclosure – we were provided with this product in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
