Having recently returned from a trip home to Vancouver, Canada, I brought back a load (read: entire suitcase’s worth) of healthy goodies, which included a tub of something I’d never tried before: Vega One.

The first time I saw it was in my mom’s kitchen and then again at my cousin’s, and at first I passed it off as some local Burnaby-made blah shake mix. But then, I started seeing it more and more at different places around town, like Whole Foods’ smoothie bar and health foods stores along Commercial Drive, so I thought I’d better have a closer look.

What it is

Vega One is a plant-based shake that provides about 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fibre, 1.5 grams of Omega-3s, antioxidants, probiotics and greens, and 50 percent of your daily vitamins and minerals in just one scoop! (I’d list out all the ingredients, but Vega One’s already done that on their site).

All you need to do is mix one scoop with ice-cold water, juice or a non-dairy beverage of your choice (remember, it’s vegan), shake it like a mofo, and drink.

I brought back a small tub of the natural Vega One shake mix (C$39.99), and two sachets of the flavoured mixes to try (French Vanilla & Vanilla Chai), and found that the flavoured mixes are MUCH better tasting than the natural one. 

How to mix it

For the Vega One Vanilla Chai, I mixed it with a cup of Almond Dream, a banana, and some ice in a blender to get a delicious banana-chai flavoured smoothie — yum! On another day, I mixed the Vega One French Vanilla sachet with some ice cold water from the office cooler and just shook it up in a big plastic cup — that tasted pretty fine too.

But I’ve started using the natural flavour one at home, and made the mistake of trying to STIR the shake with water, resulting in lots of clumps and a chalky texture. I tried to down it this way, but couldn’t stand the clumps, so I ended up pouring the mixture into my blender and throwing in a frozen banana and some ice, which was much better. Still, that chalky after taste remained. :p

Verdict

I really love how Vega One packs so much good stuff into just one scoop and it certainly feels healthy to have one of these shakes every day (they’re only 120-140 calories each). You can either use it as a meal replacement, or a snack in between meals, but I’m thinking of having it for breakfast on a daily basis.

Also, I’ll definitely be buying the flavoured shakes from now on — most likely the Vanilla Chai — as I can’t seem to stomach the natural taste. Be sure to shake and/or blend well, unless you like clumpy drinks (I can’t imagine who would though)!

Note: Vega One is not being sold in Hong Kong yet (as far as I know). If anyone out there knows where you can get it, please leave a comment below! Alternatively, I may be asking for a personal shipment from Canada soon, if anyone wants in. 🙂

www.myvega.com