About the Product Drink Chobani™ Beverage is a smooth drinkable yogurt available in eight different varieties including Mixed Berry, Strawberry Banana, Pineapple Coconut, Mango, Apple Veg™, Peach, Vanilla Bean and Lemon Lime. One 10-ounce bottle supplies 200-210 calories, 26-30 g carbohydrate, 14-15 g protein, 5 g fat (3-3.5 g as saturated fat). These drinks are gluten free, kosher and contain live and active cultures serving as probiotics. A full bottle supplies an excellent source of both calcium and protein. You will also find between <1g-2g fiber per serving derived from chicory root fiber, which is included as an ingredient in all varieties except vanilla bean.
These drinks are made with milk from cows not treated with growth hormones like rBST (note: according to FDA no significant difference has been found between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST treated cows). Each bottle is sold individually in the dairy case in supermarkets nationwide and retails for approximately $2.19.
Dietitian’s Review Greek yogurt is typically strained in a way that yields a thicker, richer product that’s higher in protein than typical yogurt. While this product states it is crafted from “authentic Greek yogurt,” the drinks were not as thick and creamy as I had anticipated. The texture was indeed “smooth,” “sippable,” and “shakable” in alignment with its stated attributes.
I am very familiar with a national brand of kefir cultured milk smoothies, which have been available on the market for more than thirty years. In comparison, kefir offers similar calorie and protein content ounce for ounce to Drink Chobani®, yet supplies a more diverse and substantial lineup of probiotic strains offering 15 to 20 billion beneficial CFU (colony forming units), a thicker, creamier texture and a wider variety of flavors. What exactly constitutes ideal flavors, viscosity and texture in cultured dairy drinks? These are all points of personal preference. Therefore, I encourage registered dietitians to taste various options to familiarize themselves, come to their own conclusions and be in the best position to discuss and recommend cultured dairy drinks to patients.
It is refreshing to see this portable, single-serve yogurt drink available to consumers as a lower sugar alternative to beverages such as iced mocha, fruit punch drink, sweat tea, soda, or energy drinks. As an RD, I would like to see Chobani® provide more specific details regarding the quality and quantity of CFU, and the health benefits that can be attributed to the particular strains of active cultures (S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus and L. Casei) featured in Drink Chobani™.
To learn more , visit chobani.com. If you decide to give this product a try, please share your experience. Comment below, tag Nutrition Connections LLC on Facebook, or tweet me using #FoodNewsReviews and @KarenBuch.