The Good
“Low in calories”.
“Competitive cost”.
“Pleasant fruity taste”.
“Natural fruity tang”.
“Fruity sweetness”.
“Pleasant thicker texture”.
“Initially pleasant aftertaste”.
“Very good full mouthfeel”.
“Strong flavour”.
“Bottle looks nice superficially”.
“Natural fruity smell”.
“Clear brand message”.
The Bad
“Smell fades too quickly”.
“Not session-able”.
“Acidity became overpowering”.
“Aftertaste becomes overpowering”.
“Taste becomes harsh”.
Introduction
Berry light contains 36 calories per 100 ml. This is far lower than similar products such as (Innocent Mangoes, Passion fruits, Apples), or (Strawberries & Bananas) (both 51 cals per 100ml), and Energise (at 52 per 100ml).
Cost here is £2.00 for 300ml (67p per 100ml), making Berry light competitive in cost, coming in at the same price as Energise, but less than Berry protein at 77p per 100ml.
There’s also plenty of reinforcement of the brand message, with a nice little anecdote relating to being low in natural sugar. Writing on the packaging stands out sufficiently well, and the bottle looks nice superficially.
Now for nutrition …
Description below = number of fruit for one of your 5 a day.
Please note though that the NHS suggests smoothies shouldn’t contribute more than one of your 5 a day, so you can only count one of the fruits below. It’s also noteworthy that the juice extraction process can reduce nutrients, compared to whole fruit consumption.
The 3 most abundant fruits here are pear, orange and strawberry.
Every 300ml bottle contains half a pear, 3/4 of an orange, and 5 strawberries.
According to NHS 5-a-day portion sizes, 1 pear, 1 orange, and 7 strawberries all equate to one of your 5 a day.
This means the above 3 most abundant fruits collectively work out at 1.96 of your 5 a day, or at least the maximum NHS recommended amount for fruit smoothies of 1.
1 Pear
Pear is rich in copper, which is an important mineral for your immune system. Without it, your bodies ability to kill infected cells and produce antibodies may be reduced. This is due to a lack of immune cell production.
2 Orange
Oranges are a good source of fibre and vitamin C. 1 large orange provides all the vitamin C the average adult would need per day. Fibre slows sugar absorption, increases feelings of fullness, and improves digestion. Vitamin C helps your body produce connective tissues, assisting wound healing.
3 Strawberry
Strawberry is vitamin C abundant, and is also high in antioxidants which can improve blood sugar control and heart health.
4 Other nutrients
Vitamin E, B2, and B1 appear as the 3 most abundant micronutrients with 38%, 37%, and 36% respectively of % Reference intake per 100ml.
This suggests for the 300ml bottle depicted above, sufficient levels of all 3 vitamins are contained for the “maximum amount of nutrients you should eat on average in a day”.
Smell
Smell was sweet and fruity. It faded rather quickly however, but had good strength.
Taste
Taste was full and fruity, assisted by a good full mouthfeel. This I feel was due to bits of fruit contained within. Surprisingly then, consistency felt silky smooth, yet became a little harsher with tartness increasing throughout the bottle.
After a number of sips, taste became overshadowed by this, since it became too strong. This acidity was present as a natural fruity tang though.
Whilst sweetness wasn’t noticeable, the taste was fruity, and the brand message specifically stated low in sugar.
Due perhaps to low sweetness, acidity seemed to dominate the taste, particularly after the first few sips. This was perhaps expected, but could have been balanced out more with other fruits potentially.
Despite flavour and texture beginning very nicely, the overwhelming acidity meant it wouldn’t be session-able. At least flavour was natural throughout, which kept things pleasant.
Aftertaste lasted well, with a slightly tart feel, which wasn’t initially overpowering.
Summary
Clear brand message, but became overpowering.
Photo credits: Reasea.org
Photo edits: Reasea.org
Reaseaorg Smoothie reviews
Innocent “Energise” smoothie review https://reasea.org/2021/09/03/energise-smoothie-review-9-0-10-tastes-similar-to-more-expensive-drinks/
Tesco – Berry bliss smoothie review https://reasea.org/2019/01/14/berry-bliss-smoothie-review-9-0-10-naturally-fruity-and-textured-bliss-bit-too-sharp-and-insufficiently-sweet-for-perfect-balance-though/
Aldi – The juice company wow green smoothie review – https://reasea.org/2019/01/08/the-juice-company-wow-green-smoothie-review-6-5-10-a-naturally-tangy-practical-yet-fruity-smoothie-unfortunately-expensive-and-sickly-with-an-unpleasant-smell-mix-well-before-drinking/
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26827/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-pears
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/oranges#nutrition
5 a day portion estimates
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day-portion-sizes/
Tags: Berry, light, low, natural, sugar, innocent, smoothie, nutrition, health, fruity, pear, orange, strawberry, copper, fibre, vitamin c
