Vegan Naked Nutrition Shakes – A Review

We asked Team RunRun coach Erin Hunt to review the Vegan Naked Nutrition Shakes from the Naked Nutrition company, both from the perspective of runner and coach. It should be noted that she was given the product for free, but otherwise, neither coach Erin nor Team RunRun have any financial stake or affiliate interests in the company. Enjoy the review, and a maybe one of these shakes when you’re finished!

Protein powder remains a hot topic in the fitness industry. Some swear by its efficiency and believe it necessary for building muscle. Others think a well balanced meal, including protein, carbs, and fat, is the way to go post-workout. Us runners are often more focused on building endurance than muscle mass, and might not turn to powdered drink mixes unless we’re using one with carbohydrates during our runs.

I’ve gone through phases when it comes to protein powders. As a vegan, years ago I didn’t have options when it came to protein shakes. They were packed with whey protein, a dairy product. Even non-vegans often run into trouble with whey based shakes, because the concentrated form of lactose can cause upset stomachs and inflammation in consumers with the smallest levels of dairy intolerance. I’m not a big fan of artificial sweeteners either, and many powders are full of them. It takes a lot of flavoring to make a powder taste like cookies and cream or strawberry milkshakes.

However, I did see benefits of using liquid nutrition. After workouts I wasn’t always hungry, but my body needed replenishment. The convenience of grabbing something balanced, quick, and easily transportable is another huge upside to powered drinks. I’ve bought a few containers of pea protein without flavor, but they just weren’t exciting to drink. It’s been a few years since I’ve really given a nutrition shake a solid try, and I wasn’t disappointed at all by Naked Shake.

Naked Shake is a plant based protein supplement made by Naked Nutrition. Their ingredients are all words I can pronounce, including pea protein, MCT oil, banana juice, and freeze dried strawberries. I was lucky enough to try both the peanut butter blueberry and the strawberry banana flavors. Peanut butter blueberry took the crown for me, but both had great flavor that mixed well with other fruits in smoothie form.

The nutrition profile of Naked Shake is great for runners, including 8 grams of carbs, 5 grams of sugar, and 20 grams of protein in 120 calories. When drinking this shake, I didn’t feel like I had to select convenience over health. I wish I could give some constructive feedback about this product, but I love using it and will continue to incorporate it into my nutrition plan. My only request for Naked Nutrition is to make more flavors so I can try them all!

asheville running coachErin Hunt is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with Coach Erin, check out her coaching page.