Toxylicious: Are you Upbeat about protein?

Now do you ever think about how much protein you are getting in your diet? You eat chicken right...so that must be enough. Well yes you do get protein from chicken however for a healthy balanced diet it is recommended you get your protein from various sources and this is where Upbeat have stepped in to help fill that gap!!

What is Upbeat?

Upbeat is a protein drink which is made up of 99% whey protein concentrate taken from British Milk. To add flavor it also contains fruit juice and puree and Upbeat is currently available in Strawberry and Mango & Passion Fruit Flavors. In addition they add a small amount of pectin as a stabaliser, lactic acid which improves taste and overall texture and also a small amount of sucralose to aid with the sweetness.The drink is freshly made so doesn't last long....once you open it must be consumed within 24 hours. Its 145 calories a bottle and can be taken any time of the day.....breakfast, as a snack, lunchtime, evening meal and its also hugely beneficial as a post workout drink.

Who is the drink suitable for?

Those who want to have a healthy balanced diet
Those who train regularly
Children over 3 will benefit from the protein and calcium content which are essential for growth and healthy bones.
Also suitable for Vegetarians.

For those who are diabetic, an allergy to milk, lactose intolerant, coeliac or vegan please check the FAQ page on the website to see if this drink is suitable for you.

Adults need about 50 to 90g of protein per day however our bodies can only use about 30g at any one time as it cant be stored. The ideal method of consumption is to spread your intake throughout the day. Ideally you should be having protein with every meal.....not an easy feat if you have a busy lifestyle and are constantly on the go....and that's what Upbeat helps with, fueling those protein gaps. One bottle of Upbeat contains 20g of protein so is perfectly sized to increase your daily protein intake.

The taste test

So we've covered the science bit the key thing is what does it taste like?? Well for me its basically like a yogurt drink. Just the right amount of sweetness as i hate anything overly sweet. I have to admit the large bottle did take me a while to consume as im used to the standard smaller sized yogurt drinks.

Is it something i would buy....id say yes, but i think the bottle size would take a bit of getting used to. I think this would certainly be popular for people who train regulary and are keen to follow a healthy diet. As far as competition in the market i think Upbeat are aiming more main stream, the other protein type drinks out there all seem to be geared towards people who train so don't really appeal to others, Upbeat on the other hand has a family friendly brand image and therefore will have a much wider market appeal.

A bottle of Upbeat costs £1.75 and can be purchased from Tesco, Ocado, Waitrose, WH Smith, Holland & Barrett and Booths. To find your nearest stockists there is a handy little

stock locator on the website.

Thank you to the lovely people at Upbeat that gave me the chance to trial there drink.