Food Find: Kencko Smoothies I Trail Cooking

Back a few years ago, I was shown ads for Kencko Smoothies very often on social media, but they were a subscription service. When I reviewed Ruvi’s smoothies, I tried to see if I could get a one-off purchase of Kencko, but I was told they didn’t do that. So I moved on, as I usually don’t do subscriptions. I like to be able to try it out first. I like doing comparisons, but that didn’t happen then.

So….I was in the local Wal-Mart in Charlestown, West Virginia last week, and was shocked to see a huge display:

It’s on the grocery side of the store, with many flavor options. They are also selling some items on Amazon.

The products are imported from Portugal, and the bottle is made in China, so it’s got a carbon footprint. Something to consider.

They had a shaker bottle & smoothie pack, so I picked that up. It comes with 1 packet of protein chocolate.
My trailcooking gear hasn’t shown up yet (waiting on the movers), so I decided a new shaker bottle would be nice.

The smoothies are sold in packets of 2. The packet plastic is home compostable. The ingredients are mostly organic.

The protein smoothies call for 13 ounces cold water or milk, the fruit based ones 10 ounces. The nutritional stats are based on mixing with water, though by using dairy milk or plant-based milks, you can up the calorie and potentially the protein.

In theory, this gives you trail options. Just add water, add the packet, shake, and let sit for a minute or two to hydrate.

Protein Chocolate:

Ingredients: Dried banana, pea protein, dried date, cacao powder, sunflower seed protein, pumpkin seed protein, and ground cinnamon.

Nutritional stats: 130 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 55 mg sodium, 18 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 11 grams sugar, 12 grams protein.

I am always looking for protein drinks for Kirk, but we couldn’t get past the protein smell. It’s really…”Earthy.” I know it is from the seed protein, pumpkin, and sunflower have a strong aroma.

I always like iced lattes, so why not try it.

Ingredients: Dried date, dried banana, dried strawberry, cacao powder, coffee powder, maca powder, and apple fiber.

Contains 97 mg caffeine, sodium equal to a cup of drip coffee.

Nutritional stats: 70 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 5 mg sodium, 17 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 10 grams sugar, 2 grams protein.

This is a drink that desperately needed dairy milk to be good. The coffee was very bitter, reminding me of cold brew, from dark roasted beans.. The flavor was flat. It needed a pinch of salt, but also it had no sweetness, even with the date added (what was giving the sugar).

Ingredients: Lucuma powder, dried date, dried strawberry, dried rhubarb, dried red dragon fruit, dried raspberry, and apple fiber.

Nutrition: 80 calories, 21 grams carbs, 1 grams protein, 5 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar.

Again, it barely tasted sweet. It was also flat and needed salt. I don’t say that often, and rarely do I say a smoothie isn’t sweet. The fruit had no vibrancy, no deep flavor. It tasted weak and thin. Maybe milk would have helped, but that isn’t trail doable. hydrated.

The sad thing is, neither Kirk nor I liked any of the 3 varities we tried. They were a complete letdown, and it’s definitely not worth the cost. Each smoothie cost about $2.50, and the shaker bottle was $10. (Ruvi ones were far better tasting.)

Now then, I DO recommend the shaker bottle. It’s easy to wash. All parts fit tightly, and I really like it doesn’t have a metal ball clanking around in it, like many shaker bottles do. It has a plastic part that fits inside, which helps break up the powder while you shake. It also has markings for ounces, making measuring easy. Buying it for $10 and tossing the 1 packet of mix is worth it. I like the design far better than the Ruvi one I have, or Kirk’s shaker bottle.

FTC Disclaimer: We purchased product reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are ours.

– Sarah