Healthy To Go: Go Greens - Functional Foods

Healthy To Go: Go Greens

I first encountered the To Go Brands products at the Natural Products Expo in Boston last October.  The company manufactures portable, single serving, antioxidant-rich drink mixes, designed to be added to a bottle of water (one of the product slogans is “Water’s Best Friend”).  The mixes come in five different varieties: Omega-To-Go, Green Tea Energy Fusion, Berrie Crush Plus C, Acai Natural Energy Boost and Go Greens.

Manufacturer’s Description: Go Greens® ~ A Salad Bar in Every Packet™! Do you get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet? Wish you could carry your fruits and veggies with you wherever you may roam? Now you can with Go Greens®! Made with 15 certified organic fruits & veggies, it has the antioxidant power of 6 servings of fruits & vegetables in just 1 packet! A delicious green apple flavor. It’s Healthy To Go®!

Product Label:

Serving Size 8 grams
Calories 32
Calories from Fat 4
Total Fat <1g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 12mg
Potassium 93mg
Total Carbohydrates 6g
Dietary Fiber <1g
Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 2100 IU 41%
Vitamin C 28mg 46%
Vitamin K 29mcg 36%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 369mcg 3%
Nature’s Greens Blend 1400mg
Barley Grass Juice, Chlorella
Nature’s Antioxidant Blend 395mg
Isoquercetin/Rutin, Aloe Vera Extract, Marigold Extract (10% lutein with zeaxanthin), Cinnamon Bark, Cinnamon Extract, Blueberry, Green Tea Extract, Grapeseed Extract, Cranberry, Raspberry, Tart Cherry, Pine Bark Extract, Broccoli, Tomato, Carrot, Spinach, Kale, Brussels Sprout, Bilberry, Elderberry, Pomegranate, Blackberry
Nature’s Garden Blend 1755mg
Apple, Lemon, Carrot, Spinach, Quinoa Sprout, Peach, Kale, Broccoli, Acai, Cranberry
Nature’s Super Fruits 305mg
Acerola Cherry Extract, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Mangosteen Extract, Acai Extract
Nature’s Fiber Blend 2250mg
Rice Bran Soluble, Oat Beta Glucan
Nature’s Sea Vegetables 70mg
Dunaliella Salina, Atlantic Kelp
Nature’s Super Tea Blend 160mg
Green Tea Extract, White Tea Extract
Lecithin 650mg
SteviaLite (Stevia rebaudiana) 205mg
Other Ingredients: Natural Flavors (plant-based), Erythritol, Silica (prevents caking), Citric Acid

Comments: I picked up a box of 6 packets at my local Fred Meyer for $7.59 – pricey, although less than what they were selling for on the product web site ($8.95). Netrition.com had the best price, however ($5.99) – so if you’re interested in the product, it’s worth doing some comparison shopping online.

The box claims each packet has an ORAC value of 4000 – which is a pretty solid number. The label, however, suggests that the bulk of this probably comes from added, antioxidant extracts (i.e., green tea extract, grape seed extract, etc.) rather than the vegetable and fruit powders. While this doesn’t matter from your body’s point of view, it’s important to not misinterpret statements like “Antioxidant power of 6 servings of Fruits & Veggies” as “Nutritional power of 6 servings of Fruits & Veggies”. Needless to state, a packet of Go Greens is NOT the equivalent of 6 servings of veggies/fruit w/respect to common vitamins, minerals or fiber. Thus, the slogan on the box, “Salad Bar in Every Packet” needs to be qualified, somewhat.

Nonetheless, Go Greens has its advantages: its low in calories and has no added sugar(s), which makes it a suitable addition to most diets. It also has a pleasant, sweet, fruity flavor that belies the somewhat unappetizing color (sort of a pea-soup green).  Of the green drinks I’ve tried, I thought this was one of the better-tasting ones.

[usrlist “Taste:4.0” “Quality:4.5” “Efficacy:3.0” “Value:2.5″ avg=”true”]

Author: elissa

Elissa is a former research associate with the University of California at Davis, and the author/co-author of over a dozen articles published in scientific journals. Currently a freelance writer and researcher, Elissa brings her multidisciplinary education and training to her writing on nutrition and supplements.

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