John Slawny, VP Sales & Marketing at Gehl Foods

The big selling point that Mr. Slawny was making with their Main St. Cafe lineup was that they wanted their smoothie line to be featured along other beverages on shelves, not so much in the dairy case, even though they come straight from a dairy. The thinking is that they are another beverage option along with your standard collection of carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, etc. Though you may scratch your head regarding the way these things don't need to be refrigerated prior to opening, they are worth checking out.

For the purposes of this review, we looked at two of their three flavors, Peach and Mixed Berry; they also offer Strawberry. Each flavor comes in an 11 oz plastic container that somewhat resembles a bottle of milk. It's hard to miss the "10 g of Natural Dairy Protein Per Bottle" callouts on the bottles. With the phrase "Protein Smoothie" underneath the round Main St. Cafe logo, it's obvious that protein is a big selling point here.

Let's start things off with Main St. Cafe Protein Smoothie Peach, which Main St. says is one of their most popular flavors. They note on the bottle that this flavor comes from "freshly made yogurt and real peach puree." You'll also need to make sure you shake well before opening (don't confuse this practice with a bottle of Mountain Dew; your results will not be the same… nor will your kitchen floor.) After breaking the plastic seal on the cap, you'll find another foil safety seal underneath. The smoothie is a milky, yellow color, much like a light tan paint. It smells like it came from a dairy, with a sweet peach smell complimenting the yogurt base.

The taste produces a thick drink that you'd associate with a smoothie. Probably thicker than normal, perhaps because of the heavy inclusion of protein. It's very sweet, almost to the point of "wow, this is a smoothie?" However, the peach flavor was quite tasty. I'm not a big fan of peach as a fruit in general, but I quite liked the flavoring in this beverage.

Let's now take a look at Main St. Cafe Protein Smoothie Mixed Berry. The same packaging style applies for this flavor, however it takes on a notable pink/purple scheme vs. the orange/yellow colors of Peach. This drink has a milky, pink color tint. I'm not quite sure what it smells like. Yes, there is a hint of "berry" present, whatever that is. All I know is that it isn't peach, which is good enough for me.

The flavor is once again thick, but this time feels a tad bit heavy and pasty. Unlike the Peach flavor, Mixed Berry doesn't really hide the fact that it's a protein-laden beverage. In some ways, it parallels a pre-packaged protein shake. It's interesting to note that the ingredient list for Mixed Berry is quite a bit longer than for Peach. But overall, it's not bad, per se. However, when compared to the experience of the Peach flavor, there are noticeable protein elements. That said, Mixed Berry is slightly sweet and more muted, which is some ways provides for improved drinkability.

Main St. Cafe Protein Smoothie Peach
Lowfat yogurt [heat treated after culturing] (Cultured reduced fat milk), water, sugar, peach puree, modified food starch, fructose, whey protein, pectin, gelatin, natural flavor, citric acid

A 11 oz bottle contains 260 calories, 2 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 350 mg potassium, 54 g carbs (43 g sugars, 1 g dietary fiber), and 10 g protein.

Main St. Cafe Protein Smoothie Mixed Berry
Lowfat yogurt [heat treated after culturing] (Cultured reduced fat milk), water, sugar, fruit puree (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry), modified food starch, concentrated fruit juice (raspberry, apple), whey protein, pectin, natural & artificial flavor, citric acid, gelatin, malic acid, caramel color, cochineal extract, FD&C Red 40, potassium sorbate

A 11 oz bottle contains 270 calories, 2 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 330 mg potassium, 53 g carbs (42 g sugars, 1 g dietary fiber), and 10 g protein.

Overall, we liked Main St. Cafe Protein Smoothies quite a bit, with special emphasis on the Peach flavor. Interesting products as they are shelf-stable, but potentially offer the opportunity for dairy/smoothie products to reach a wider audience than what we're currently seeing in the beverage marketplace.

Official Website: Main St. Cafe

This is part four in a 4-part series reviewing the Zola smoothie line. Today's review covers the Zola Superfood Smoothie. For some background information on Zola see the Zola Açai Superfruit Juices review, and Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 three of this series covering the Immunity, Antioxidant, and Energy smoothies.

The superfood smoothie is described as a "Smooth Green Blend of Cupuaçu, Graviola & Açai" with "Super Greens & Antioxidants." For those that don't know, cupuaçu is a tree related to the cacao (cocoa), and the graviola is a tree native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. The smoothie contains 81% juice and 70% organic ingredients (as opposed to the Superfruit juices that are certified organic). It also has the same aesthetic as the other smoothies, but uses a green motif.

I had a little trouble getting the peel-tab off of the bottle, which I hadn't experienced with the other smoothies, but the good news here is that Zola cares enough to prevent tampering. As far as sensory qualities, it starts off with a smell that is like a blend of some of the other smoothies, but otherwise it is hard to describe. In the department of tactile quality, it is thin, which falls into line with the other smoothies, but also slightly gritty. The look of the drink is a dark, muddy green, kind of like the olive green in an oil paint-by-number kit from when I was a kid (the 1980's).

Moving to the taste, it was surprisingly sweet, but slightly pungent. The aftertaste also had some sweetness to it. For a "green" health drink, it was surprising how sweet it was, as many drinks with greens can be more vegetable-like and thicker. This was much more drinkable.

All in all, it was one of the better smoothies by Zola, but I would still place it behind the Immunity Smoothie, which was my favorite. It could be that the overall taste of the smoothies grew on me by my fourth flavor, so that could also be a factor. In general, I think that the Zola smoothie line is definitely a matter of personal taste, and will attract many customers within their target audience.

Here at BevReview, we have previously looked at a couple varieties of Sunkist Naturals smoothies: Strawberry Dream and Glorious Greens. Today we take a look at Sunkist Naturals Golden Mango (alphonso mango smoothie).

This drink comes in a 15.2 ounce bottle with a nice aesthetic appeal. As far as the name of the fruit, the golden mango is apparently named after the Portuguese King Alphonso, and is a trademarked name. The label tells us that the drink is: 100% juice, has no sugar added, is high in antioxidants, high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C, has 50 mg of omega-3s, and is a good source of fiber. They also note there are no GMO's for those that are looking out for that sort of thing.

Personally, when I looked at the nutrition facts, the high fiber content is what struck me first. Each serving has 3 grams of fiber, and there are 2 servings per bottle. The 6 total grams of fiber per bottle is more than one serving of many fiber cereals. Also notable is the 320 mg of potassium compared with 15 mg of sodium per serving.

The list of ingredients (without going into the full detail) includes apple juice, banana puree, mango puree, orange juice, passion fruit juice, carrot and pumpkin extracts, and Vitamin C. Apple juice is the main ingredient, which is often to be expected in juice blends, but I find the addition of carrot and pumpkin extracts especially interesting.

Moving to the sensory qualities of the smoothie, the drink has a nice golden orange color, actually looking like the old orange juice concentrate that comes in a can. It is also fairly thick compared to other smoothies I have reviewed. In all honesty it is not overly dense, but has some body to it. The scent is definitely a mix of fruits, with banana, mango, and orange seemingly present, especially the mango and banana.

As far as taste goes, the banana puree is what strikes me first, but there is also kind of a nice "sweetness" to the aftertaste. It is a fairly fresh taste. Per the body of the drink, I can almost taste the fiber, and that is what gives it some thickness and makes this more a smoothie than a juice. The drink has a coating quality also, building into this smoothie category, and I mean that in a positive way. It is a clean, but flavorful taste, avoiding the acidity that some drinks offer. The more I drink of it, the more I like it.

All in all, this is a good drink, and I would recommend it to those who like juice smoothies. I would also say it is comparable to some of the drinks made by Odwalla and Naked Juice. The freshness, nutrition, and taste combine to make this a strong entry in the smoothie market.

This is Part 3 in a 4-part series reviewing the Zola smoothie line. Today's review covers the Zola Energy Smoothie. To learn more about Zola, why not take a look at our Zola Açai Superfruit Juice line review, as well as our first two Zola smoothie reviews: Zola Immunity Smoothie and Zola Antioxidant Smoothie.

The energy smoothie is described as a "Tropical Blend of Caja Fruit & Açai" with "Guaraná & Yerba Maté." It contains 80% juice and 70% organic ingredients (as opposed to the Zola Superfruit Juices that are certified organic). This smoothie follows the same label format of the other smoothies, using a reddish motif.

As far as sensory qualities, there is a fruity smell, but it is not overly strong. The drink itself is thin, but not runny, and contains some sporadic, visible particles, which I assume are from the fruit. It has a light purple color, which is not out of line with many of Zola's drinks. The taste is similar to the Antioxidant Smoothie, but better, with less aftertaste. Does it truly add a burst of energy? That is debatable, but it does taste fresh.

In general, Zola Energy Smoothie is not bad, but I hesitate to jump in with both feet in recommending it, which is an opinion I share with many of the Zola Smoothie offerings. It's good, but definitely a matter of taste.

Featuring strawberries, bananas, passion fruit, apples, and a "splash of Sunkist orange juice", this drink is advertised as having a high amount of Vitamin C and potassium. The 15.2 oz. bottle is rounded and attractive, with a red-colored cap and scheme proclaiming the primary hue of this flavor.

Upon opening the bottle, you are greeted with a typical smoothie scent, heavy on the banana smell. The color of the drink is a milky, cloudy pinkish-red. It's not as thick on texture as a smoothie you'd order fresh. That's not a bad thing, per se, just something to note if you are looking for an "authentic smoothie experience."

As for the flavor, there's definitely a strawberry presence — thankfully without those annoying seeds. But to be honest, the berry flavor is pretty weak when compared to the overwhelming banana taste. The percentage of flavor distribution here seems a bit out of whack, too much in favor of a dancing Chiquita lady and not enough love to cute little Strawberry Shortcake and friends. With the branding being heavy on the red color, as well as a name like "Strawberry Dream", one would expect more actual strawberry flavor.

This is not to say that the drink is bad; it's not. It just doesn't meet the perceptions I formed while looking at the bottle. As a consumer, that's sort of an important thing. Case in point… how many people expect Pepsi Natural to taste a lot like Pepsi? It's a completely different flavor. Not a bad flavor, but given that it has Pepsi in the name, your perceptions are formed in advance.

Here's what's inside:

Sunkist Naturals Strawberry Dreams
Apple juice (water, apple juice concentrate), banana puree (banana, citric acid and ascorbic acid), strawberry puree, orange juice (water, orange juice concentrate), natural flavor, pectin, blackcurrant and carrot extracts, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Each 15.2 oz. bottle is technically 2 servings, but seriously, who just drinks half a bottle? Thus, if you do the Nutrition Facts math for the whole bottle, you are looking at 260 calories, 20 mg of sodium, 680 mg of potassium, 64 g of carbs — including 6 g of dietary fiber and 52 g of sugars, and 2 g of protein.

You'll also get 200% of your daily values for Vitamin C, along with Vitamin A (2%), Calcium (2%), and Iron (2%).

This is a perishable drink, thus it must be kept refrigerated… and why there's no preservatives. It also has no GMO (genetically modified organisms). The fine print on the back of the bottle also notes that it's "flash pasteurized and cold filled for quality."

Sunkist Naturals Strawberry Dream is a quality smoothie product made from fine ingredients. Unfortunately, it probably should be renamed "Banana Dream With A Hint Of Strawberry" due to the weak berry flavor. Visually appealing and still tasty, the branding on this product influenced my perceptions in a way that created an unmet expectation on flavor.

This is Part 2 in a 4-part series reviewing the Zola smoothie line. Today's review covers the Zola Antioxidant Smoothie. To learn more about Zola, why not take a look at our Zola Açai Superfruit Juice line review and well as Part 1 of this series covering the Zola Immunity Smoothie.

The Antioxidant Smoothie is described as a "Berry Blend of Açai Berries & Banana." It contains 82% juice and 70% organic ingredients (as opposed to the Superfruit Juices that are certified organic). Aesthetically, the antioxidant smoothie bottle follows the same general label design, only the lettering is light purple.

Jumping right into the drink qualities, I was struck by the smell of the drink, and not in a positive way. To me it smelled sort of like cold olives. The Antioxidant Smoothie was similar to the Immunity flavor in viscosity, thin, but not runny.

The color of the liquid was a sort of purple-orange color, and was opaque with particles, as other Zola drinks. Regarding taste, it was sweet with an almost olive flavor. Upon a second opinion (my wife), I was informed that the olive smell was the grape seed. Either way, it will be a different smell/taste for those who have not experienced it previously. The sweetness does carry through in the aftertaste, which may be seen as a positive aspect by some drinkers.

As with the Immunity Smoothie, the taste grew on me over time, although it was definitely distinct. I wouldn't recommend this drink to everyone because of its unique taste. In this regard, I still think the Immunity Smoothie has the upper hand, but as the different flavors show, taste is not the only factor to consider when choosing one of these drinks.

It also depends on what health benefits you might want to maximize. There are other antioxidant drinks that also fit the bill on that count, so this would not be your only choice. Personally, I don't think I would choose the Zola Antioxidant Smoothie over other antioxidant drinks, including the Zola Açai Superfruit Juices, assuming taste is the main factor. Either way, Zola has produced a unique Antioxidant Smoothie that some may want to give a try.

With 10 flavors to choose from, there's bound to be a fruit smoothie combination that you like. I'm a big fan of apples, so the Glorious Greens flavor caught my eye. This flavor is described as containing green apple, kiwi, bananas, mango, pineapple, and lemon juice, along with 14 superfruits including wheat grass, flax seed, spirulina, and green tea.

I'm impressed with the package design on the Sunkist Naturals products, which each feature an attractive rounded 15.2 oz. bottle, a bit more curved than what we saw with the Zola Immunity Smoothie. The caps are color-coded to match the flavor, which also ties into the visual imagery on the lower half of the bottle. Below the prominent "Sunkist" name and smaller "Naturals" brand, is the flavor description, along with a small explaination. This is superimposed on attractive photographic art showing the fruits included in this drink. In the case of Sunkist Naturals Glorious Greens, apples and kiwis can be easily seen with a greenish-hue.

The back of the bottle not only contains Nutrition Facts, but also a short story about the flavor (in this case, it was "Enjoy Your Greens!") that further describes the process of making this particular smoothie flavor. They don't shy away from all the stuff that's included in this drink. For example, this description of Glorious Greens was pulled from the official website:

Each sip contains vitamin filled green vegetables including broccoli, cabbage and kale; along with antioxidant rich green tea and phytonutrient rich echinacea, dulse and spirulina. Plus, heart-healthy omega-3 rich flax seeds and blue-green algae. The smoothie is a good source of vitamins B-complex, C, K and also contains dietary fiber.

In college, I worked in food service management and used kale quite often as a display garnish. And I can't say that I even know what "phytonutrient rich echinacea" is, but apparently, I drank it!

And speaking of drinking, I bet you are wondering what this beverage tastes like! Upon opening the bottle, you are met with, well, somewhat of a scary green drink. It's darkish green, something looking like blended spinach. Add to that the sweet — yet uniquely odd — scent of vegetables. If you aren't familiar with drinking smoothies (include me in that group), then you have to ask yourself, "seriously, you are going to drink this?" I was wondering if starting with the green-colored drink was a good idea or not!

Thankfully, that choice was redeemed when I actually took my first sip. I was really surprised by the flavor! (Apparently, the color green set my bar low, but still, it tasted good!) The flavor was sweet and provided a very clean aftertaste. The prominent tastes came from kiwi and banana, I felt, though there was a nice touch of that bitterness you find with green apples. The scent and flavor experience together also brought out the hint of pineapple influence, in sort of a tropical, citrusy way. Frankly, when I got beyond the look and the scent, I had a pleasant drinking experience.

Here's what's inside:

Sunkist Naturals Glorious Greens
Apple juice (water, apple juice concentrate), apple juice puree, banana puree (banana, citric and ascorbic acid), mango puree, pineapple juice (water, pineapple juice concentrate), kiwi puree, nutrient blend (spirulina, chlorella, green tea extract, spinach, broccoli, wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, green cabbage, dulse, kale, echinacea, flax seed, citrus bioflavonoids), lemon juice concentrate, natural flavor

Each 15.2 oz. bottle is technically 2 servings, but seriously, who just drinks half a bottle? Thus, if you do the Nutrition Facts math for the whole bottle, you are looking at 280 calories, 50 mg of sodium, 520 mg of potassium, 68 g of carbs — including 6 g of dietary fiber and 56 g of sugars, and 4 g of protein.

Unlike most of the carbonated soft drinks you'll find us exploring here on BevReview.com, this is a drink that really shines in the nutrients area. For example, it contains 80% of your daily values for Vitamin A and 60% for Vitamin C. Round that out with Calcium (2%), Iron (4%), Vitamin K (15%), Thiamin (4%), Riboflavin (2%), Vitamin B6 (15%), Vitamin B12 (20%), Iodine (40%), Magnesium (6%), Zine (4%), and Manganese (20%). The bottle proclaims that is contains 100% juice, nothing artificial, no preservatives (thus why you have to keep this stuff refrigerated), and no GMO (that's genetically modified organisms — yeah, I had to look it up!)

And for you Pepsi Throwback lovers out there… there's no high fructose corn syrup either (ha ha!)

Despite the odd green color found in Sunkist Naturals Glorious Greens, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. With a balance of apple, kiwi, and other smoothie-ish flavors, this drink hit the spot. Hats off to the solid packaging design as well, which drew in a non-smoothie drinker like myself with its nice visuals and familiar brand name.

In a previous review I presented the Zola Acai Superfruit Juice line. In that same vein I will present the first in a four-part series reviewing the Zola line of smoothies. We begin with the Zola Immunity Smoothie.

Zola Immunity Smoothie

The smoothie line draws on a similar aesthetic as the Acai Superfruit Juice line in bottle art and design. As I stated in the previous review, it still gives a "rainforest" feel, although in the smoothie line there is a lighter look and each flavor has a different color scheme. Immunity has blue lettering. As with the previous drinks, the smoothies come in 12 oz bottles.

Zola Immunity Smoothie is described as a "Tangy Tart Blend of Acerola & Acai." It contains 80% juice and 70% organic ingredients (as opposed to the superfruit juices that are certified organic). It is a broad mix of fruits as you might expect out of a smoothie. But again, let's get down to business. What effect does it have on our senses (i.e. how does it look and taste)?

When I first opened the bottle the smell hit me like a mixed fruit blend, sort of similar to what I might expect out of an Odwalla juice drink. Although not one of the top items in the ingredients, I feel that the pineapple comes through clearly in the aroma. The smoothie looks dark yellow to orange and was fairly thin, yet I feel it was thicker than the Zola Acai juice drinks.

As far as taste, it didn't sit well with me at first. I don't know what I was expecting, but it tasted like a liquid, lemony cough drop. Upon a second taste, and a taste the next day, I found this to be inaccurate. The taste is fresh, and gets better the more you drink it; it grows on you. As mentioned previously, the label calls it tart, and this is somewhat accurate. It is slightly tart, but not as much as you might expect.

All in all, I liked this drink and would buy it again. I can't speak to its actual impact on my immune system, but I am sure it was somewhat beneficial, and it's a lot healthier choice than most soft drinks on the market.