The vegan diet has increased in popularity as a healthier diet option for most. Finding vegan beverages and dishes have become more accessible within the past few years. The crave to be vegan is not only a fad, but also a lifestyle most are choosing to live. Being aware has become more important, since labels don’t always tell you the truth.

What Are Naked Smoothies?

The Naked brands products are not just smoothies but also juices. They provided an expansion of different varieties for on the go, whether it be at home, school, work, or the gym. The products are blends of fruits while others are a combination of fruits and veggies.

The brand Naked comes from the fact that they use no artificial sweeteners, flavors, sugars, and preservatives in their products. The sweet taste comes from the juices extracted from the fruit themselves. 

Pros

            So, what are the advantages for these smoothies? The most obvious reason is that it is on the go and can be used as a refresher or pick me up. It’s sweet, and quite delicious to the taste.

            If you are wanting your children to have their fruits and vegetables in a bottle this could be a great option. They will be begging to have more until the entire container is empty.

            The bottle is entirely made up of biodegradable materials, so it is 100% eco-friendly. Not only is it packed with nutrition, but it is good for mother earth as well. These are the big wins for a busy and calm lifestyle.

Cons

            Paying attention to the nutrition label is a must with these beverages. They may have no artificial flavoring and sugars but watch out for the natural sugars. The sweet taste comes from the blended fruits, making it extremely sugary.

            Yes, kids can have their daily fruits and vegetables for the day, but this drink will create a sugar rush, so maybe limit it down to once a week.

            This product is owned by PepsiCo, and we all understand how sugary the soft drinks are. Pay special attention to the label, and always research what has been added to what your intake. This drink is far from healthy even though it portrays to look healthy.

Vegan Friendly Naked Smoothies

• Fruit Smoothie O-J

Per Serving:

• Calories – 210
  • Total Carbs – 51g
  • Total Sugars – 42g
  • Protein – 4g
  • Calcium – 40mg
  • Potassium – 700mg
  • Vitamin C – 132mg

• Coconut Water

Per Serving:

• Calories – 40
  • Total Carbs – 10g
  • Total Sugars – 6g
  • Protein – 0g
  • Calcium – 50mg
  • Potassium – 420mg
  • Vitamin D – 0mcg
  • Magnesium – 15mg

I’m sure you are just as surprised as I am to learn that only 2 out of 21 products are vegan friendly. I feel as though the brand wants to portray as vegan based but upon looking further that is far from the actual truth.

            Diving into the ingredients list I decided to dive into heavy research to make sure their products were truly vegan. The findings will explain why 19 of their drinks were crossed off the list for being vegan friendly.

Suspicious Ingredients

• Milk

Some of these smoothies were scratched off right away, as they contained milk, which is a huge no. These are found in the protein shake smoothies, so that eliminates a whole section off the list.

• Vitamin D3, B12, B5

These vitamins are extracted from animal skins, making them unfriendly to our vegan lifestyle. These vitamins may not be in large percentages, no matter they are still above 0% which counts as non-vegan in my book.

• Thiamine

It is also considered B1, but the process doesn’t exclude meat and fish as being a source of where it is extracted from. This one is more so on the fence as to being added but can be found in some of the products.

Disclaimer

Even though these two seem promising, the only healthy drink without causing health problems down the road would be the Coconut Water. The sugars in these drinks are a major health red flag, and one shouldn’t consume daily. 

The only beverage worth drinking isn’t even a smoothie. The coconut water is the healthiest drink out of all. This contains coconut ingredients, so be aware of allergies.

            Further inspecting the containers, in today’s label marketing, if they were truly vegan friendly, they would have it labeled on their products. Marketing can be a dangerous game played, always be mindful of the words, and the nutrition labels.

            Changing a lifestyle is becoming harder these days, yet so easy with the right research done. Who knew vitamins could play a part in which way a product could go? Vegan or not vegan, always double check before you consume.

Conclusion

            Since 2 out of 21 products are vegan friendly, I would say the answer is on the fence depending on how you look at it.  With only 2 products being vegan but high in sugars I say it’s not worth the health problems down the line.

            Finding a healthier beverage on the go is highly recommended. Perhaps making your own smoothies is a healthier way to have a vegan drink. The only downside is that these homemade drinks are not quick grab and go.

Alternative Options

If you are wondering if there are any smoothies that are truthfully vegan friendly, you should give Evolution Smoothies a try. They are low in calories, sugars, and overall healthier than the Naked Smoothie brand.

This brand has 20 different blended options available at your local grocery markets and can even be found at some Starbucks stores. Below are some good options of the Evolution Smoothie brand.

• Organic Apple

Ingredients: Organic apple juice

• Calories – 150
  • Total Carbs – 36g
  • Sugars – 36g

• Organic Cucumber Glow

Ingredients: Organic cucumber juice, Organic lemon juice, Himalayan pink salt

• Calories – 20
  • Total Carbs – 4g
  • Sugars – 4g

• Organic Raspberry Renewal

Ingredients: Organic apple, cucumber, raspberry puree, and lemon

• Calories – 90
  • Total Carbs – 22g
  • Sugars – 22g

• Organic Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients: Filtered water, Organic lemon, strawberry puree, organic cane sugar

• Calories – 110
  • Total Carbs – 27g
  • Sugars – 24g

Note: I am by no means a health professional or dietician. This is research from the internet, please consult with your doctors before consuming any products.

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