Supermarket beverage aisles are rapidly evoking pharmacy aisles with drinks promising more than simply taste and hydration, such as kale-infused water for improved skin or probiotic-packed beverages that promise better digestive health. Functional drinks have rapidly taken hold in supermarket aisles.
Green Smoothies
Green smoothies made with leafy greens have quickly become an increasingly popular wellness trend, offering numerous health advantages. Packed full of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables as well as chia seeds, plant protein powders and other healthy additives, green smoothies offer many health advantages when consumed regularly.
Green smoothies contain dark leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale as the foundation, along with fruit for flavor and nutrition. Together these ingredients create an invigorating beverage that’s deliciously refreshing yet filling and deliciously filling!
Leafy greens provide essential vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium, vitamin B6 niacin magnesium as well as other essential elements. Furthermore, their abundance of fiber makes for healthy digestion as well as helping control appetite.
This smoothie recipe utilizes two servings of leafy greens and three servings of fruit to provide a nutritional punch. Banana provides potassium while ginger and cilantro offer detoxifying and immunity-enhancing benefits. Coconut milk adds an appealing smoothness, but you could use any dairy- or plant-based beverage of your choosing instead.
Plant-Based Protein Shakes
Protein-packed beverages can help increase nutrient intake while satisfying hunger and fueling exercise. Plant-based powders are easy to mix into water, non-dairy milk or smoothies for quick consumption of various macronutrients – perfect for lactose intolerant or dairy avoiders!
Vega offers revitalizing nutrition shakes that combine 15g of plant-based protein and 3g of fiber with omega-3 DHA from marine algae for added energy and health benefits. Their raspberry blackberry flavor pairs perfectly with immunity ingredients such as moringa (Moringa oleifera) and chamomile, while fermented flavors provide additional digestive support.
Many consumers seek functional beverages to support their individual health and wellness goals. Ingredients like green tea extract and ginseng can increase mental focus while adaptogen herbs like ashwagandha can reduce stress levels and promote sleep. Calcium and collagen rich beverages may aid bone and joint health while other beneficial beverages include Kombucha for digestion support and Ginger shots for inflammation relief.
Ready-to-Drink Beverages
According to Randy Burt, AlixPartners’ managing director for food and beverage, wellness beverages reflect a decades-long shift in consumers’ diets and habits. Demand for healthier beverage options is driving growth of RTD category overall – this segment includes low-cal, natural drinks made with fruit juice blended with lower-calorie sweeteners such as Stevia that add flavor while providing nutritional components such as vitamin combinations, plant extracts or cognitive enhancers such as Ginko biloba extract or creatine for instance.
Bai Brands L.L.C of Hamilton, New Jersey offers an assortment of ready-to-drink drinks called Bai 5, which include tropical fruits and flavors sweetened with stevia and erythritol. In addition, they provide a coffee flavored drink made with coffee fruit previously discarded during coffee bean harvesting that carry robust wellness claims like joint support, weight management and brain health benefits.
Functional Beverages
As consumers become more proactive about their health, they’re looking for beverages that offer more than simple hydration. Functional drinks claiming to support specific goals like immunity, mental energy or bone health have quickly become a growing segment in the beverage industry.
Beverages with wellness claims often contain natural ingredients from nature such as antioxidants, amino acids, phytonutrients or probiotics. They may also include emulsifiers to lower interfacial tension between two immiscible phases to avoid flocculation, creaming and coalescence during storage – such as lactic acid monoglycerides glycerol or other derivatives as an example of such additives.
Consumers increasingly want their beverages to help with stress, anxiety and mood. Functional beverages are an expanding category in the market and may include ingredients like L-theanine for relaxation or adaptogenic mushrooms for mood improvement. When choosing beverages with wellness claims, make sure they contain a transparent ingredient list and fit with your health objectives; our Glanbia Nutritionals team can provide all of the ingredients and formulation expertise required to create functional beverages tailored specifically to consumer needs.
