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How are you starting your morning? Have you tried a breakfast shake?
Breakfast shakes are becoming super popular with athletes and I wanted to share our review of two very different shakes. One is more the “green juice” style popularized by Athletic Greens, and the other is more of a “meal” as a shake that is packed with all day energy.
Gnarly Greens Vs. Kyoku
Our Green Juice of choice is Gnarly Greens. This is a low-calorie shake, more like a juice you mix with water and shake in a bottle. It is a tasty way to get all your micronutrients for the day.
Our Meal Shake of choice is Kyoku. This is a tasty meal shake with 16 superfood-based ingredients that you blend with non-dairy milk and will fill you will energy and keep your hunger at bay well into the afternoon.
There isn’t a right or wrong choice here, just different choices. One day you might want the lighter “juice” of Gnarly Greens, and other days (and especially before a big workout), you want more of the energy-packed shake of Kyoku.
Here is what we thought of both:
Gnarly Greens
Gnarly Greens is 50 calories, 6g of carbs, and 2g of protein. It provides essential micronutrients to support performance and recovery. This is an excellent option for those not wanting to add additional calories to their day but want to help optimize their vitamins and mineral intake.
We love the key athlete-focused ingredients, which include beetroot, tart cherry, pomegranate (excellent for supporting blood flow), and cordyceps and ginseng for energy.
It tastes like a pretty typical green shake, light and easy to drink, but almost everyone that sampled it rated the taste much higher than other green juices like Athletic Greens.
Kyoku
Kyoku is a superfood breakfast shake that is more calorically dense than Gnarly Greens at 220 calories, 22g of carbs, and 22g being protein. You can rely on it as more of an addition to a meal or meal replacement than just filling in the gaps.
The thing to know about Kyoku is they spared no expense in the formulation. It is not cheap, but if you want to start your day right and get quality nutrition, this is the shake to try. I feel this is not where I want to save a few dollars, and I appreciate they have focused on quality over cost.
The ingredient mix is specifically optimized for the needs of athletes or people with an active lifestyle; we love that there is turmeric, sweet potato, chickpeas, collard greens, broccoli, and so much more in an all-in-one shake that tastes amazing. It is creamy with a bit of vanilla “zip” to it.
When we have done taste tests events for Kyoku, most first-time drinkers are put off by the ingredient list vis a vis the taste, and their first reaction after trying, it is “This actually tastes really good”.
The secret of Kyoku is that it is surprisingly delicious.
Final Word:
Both products provide a valuable bump in nutrients for active lifestyles. The demands of athletes are just more significant than most of us can get from our diet alone. If you aren’t taking a nutrient-dense multivitamin, both drinks will be a great option.
I like to think of them as an insurance policy for my energy production. I know I need all these micronutrients to produce energy efficiency to support my training. One of these daily shakes ensures I never have insufficient levels of what I need.
The best part is how simple both are to grab and go at breakfast. They are super quick to make and run out the door.
