Every once in a while, I am delighted when I am contacted by brands who ask me to try their products. I am in no way indebted to them to write a positive review (or any review for that matter) but it’s fun to try products that I ordinarily would never come across.
When I was contacted by CalNaturale about their product, Svelte , I was excited to try it.
They tout it as a gluten-free, vegan, all-natural protein shakes that give you energy. While I am not gluten-free nor vegan, an all-natural protein shake that gives you energy sounded like a good idea. Though I’ve had my share of protein shakes in the past, and frankly, most of them taste pretty chalky and chemically. I thought it would be an interesting test to see if these guys had a protein shake that I’d actually drink.
I was also amused by the tag line they included in the email:
When the product arrived, I was further entertained by the messaging on the packages:
A product that is good for me AND compliments me? Sold!
I looked over the assortment of 4 flavors and decided to crack open the spiced chai first. I was skeptical… but I was immediately enamoured. It tasted creamy and delicious, almost like dessert. How could this be good for you?
So I started reading the website… “16g of organic protein from fresh organic soymilk, along with organic complex carbohydrates for sustained energy. Svelte is tested to be low-glycemic and has only 9 grams of sugar per full bottle. It’s also a good source of fiber and is dairy-free and gluten-free. Here’s to you.”
Awesome. But hold the phone… this has soymilk? I HATE soymilk! What gives?
I cracked open the other 3 flavors and enjoyed them all just as much. It reminded me a bit of Slim Fast, you know, if Slim Fast actually tasted GOOD. Soymilk or no soymilk, I liked these things.
I’m not entirely positive if they would be filling enough as a meal replacement, but I drank half of one for breakfast and it held me until lunch. I actually just ordered a case so I can test it for lunches.
My favorite flavor was definitely the chai, but I’m a chai girl, so I like it spicy. My second favorite was probably cappuccino, but they’re all good.
(I also found out that they make organic wines! They sent me a white and a red to try and while I liked them, I’m not as excited to purchase these on my own as I am the drinks)
What’s even better is that CalNaturale has given me the opportunity to share these cool products with you! THREE lucky winners will be able to receive gift packs, each including one of each flavor of Svelte.
How do you enter? Simple! Comment on this post below and answer the question “When do you need an energy boost most?” Is it when you wake up in the morning? The 2pm slump? The 4pm “I need to finish my day” rut?
You can also gain one additional entry for every place you post about this giveaway. (Please link me to your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. so your entry can be counted. You can always email me at sara@nycnomnom.com.)
You have until 10pm EST on Monday, May 2nd to enter.
Good luck Nommers!
_____
UPDATE: Svelte just informed me that they are also doing a fun promotion called #MeatlessMonday on their Facebook Page where fans can win a tote bag filled with awesome CalNaturale goodies, along with a $50 gift card to Whole Foods! You can get all the details here.
Tags: calnaturale, diet drinks, drink review, energy shakes, fiber, giveaway, Gluten, Gluten-free diet, inulin, Meal replacement, product review, Protein, protein shakes, Soy milk, svelte, sweepstakes, vegan, vegan meal replacement
I get up for work at 4am, so I need an energy boost right off the bat!!!
I’m definitely not a morning person. So I need the boost when I wake up!
I need energy all the time! Maybe the most when I wake up though.
I definitely need an energy boost every morning I wake up.
I shared the giveaway on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/thomas0503/posts/110621605690121
I tweeted about the giveaway. http://twitter.com/#!/adthomas/status/62260023090364416
MAN, i always get super sleepy between 2 and 4…why is that?
4 pm is my danger time. I have been using the protein powder from Trader Joes for the last 4 years, but look forward to trying this new product. Where do they sell it?
3 pm is the worst time of the day for me, right when my energy starts to fade. Unfortunately, it is also right in the middle of important work meetings. These shakes would be perfect!
I could use a boost around 10pm on Wednesday nights… when Wii Wednesday lasts until 2am, you need the go juice!
Breakfast on the run sounds good to me.
“When do you need an energy boost most?”
Typically I will need my energy boost at my mid-afternoon snack time of 3-4pm. I usually go with a nut butter and jam sandwich but something that I can carry and will save me time and planning in the AM is for me. Sounds like a great product.
I will be tweeting this via @cooktraineatrce as well as posting on the CTER Facebook page and my own personal page with links back to you.
Thanks for the review as a vegetarian endurance athlete I am always on the lookout for great new products that will help sustain my lifestyle.
Can I answer all of the above? Morning noon and night energy boosts needed to keep this twin mama going
I need an energy boost at the 2-3pm slump. Right after the lunch wears off I’m ready to just go take a nap!
I need an energy boost asap in the AM… and then again at the dread 2 pm slump.
These sound like they would be perfect for breakfast. I’m not a morning person and can always use an am boost!
I’m so not a morning person so it would be much needed in the AM
tweeted giveaway
@climbrunliftmom
shared on my FB page
linked to my blog sidebar
I need an energy boost when I first wake up in the morning. It is hard to get going.
need my energy boost at 5 p.m. to gear me up for my weight training workout!!!!
shared on twitter
I generally tend to need a bit of a boost in the early afternoon around 2pm. My office has a snack table with candy bars, chips and cookies. I’d rather have something healthy to snack on.
I’ve been looking for a great tasting protein drink to sip after my weight lifting! I need something to rebuild muscle and keep me going and NOT take a nap! And I hate chalky protein powders!
i definitely need my boost right towards the end of the work day because i am exhausted
. Thanks for this splendid giveaway
I tweeted at http://twitter.com/#!/anashct/status/63751049911078912
email: anashct [at] yahoo [dot] com
I need an energy boost at 4:30 – I seem to get sleepy during my evening commute.
I am a chocolate Svelte addict, and one Calnaturale’s biggest fans!! I will freely admit that the main reason I first picked one up was because the package said “hello beautiful.” and just below that, “chocolate”– I mean really, who could resist that?
I was starving and was going to get another brand of protein drink, even though I usually hate the taste, or they have ingredients that I don’t want. I saw this new product, and it was flirting! with me, and then I saw it was called “Svelte” and I then I was sorta disappointed because that sounded like a “diet” shake–yuck! But I looked at the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised, it sounded like pretty good stuff. So I bought and took my first sip as I was leaving the store. It was so great I went right back in and bought another one so I’d have it for tomorrow’s breakfast or lunch.
That was a few months ago, and ever since I keep my fridge at home, and the one at work, stocked with chocolate “hello beautiful” Svelte–it’s been such a lifesaver!
I love it, love it, love it! The taste, the lack of sugars or, worse, nasty artificial sweetners, the non-dairy protein, and the fiber. Sustained energy, YES! I’m a massage therapist and my work is obviously very physical, and sometimes I don’t get a break for hours. Also, I commute an 1&1/2 hours to work, & sometimes I don’t have time for breakfast. Now I just have a Svelte in the car & I’m good for hours of hard work, and I’m not tempted by junk food and sugary snacks when I do get a break.
It’s a hard call to say when I need that energy boost the most– first thing in the AM, or after several hours of non-stop physical work. Probably my commuter breakfast is the most important, but the afternoon Svelte break has saved me from candy bars and worse so often that I’ve lost weight just by consistently having a Svelte for my break! And I don’t crash 2 hours later, so I have energy when I’m off work.
YAY SVELTE!! And THANKS Calnaturale for making such a fabulous, yummy, healthy product!
And