Product Review:
Vitamin Enhanced Flavored Hydration Water
The Contenders:
Trader Joe's Vitamin Enhanced Water vs. Vitamin Water
Vitamin Water, Revive Fruit Punch flavor
Shelf-Appeal: The original, vitamin-enhanced water with those appealing names like Revive, Focus and 50/50.
Label Check: Vitamin/electrolyte enhanced elements. Sweetened with fructose. 50 calories per serving. About 125 calories a bottle. Seeking vitamins get the Lemonade flavored Multi. Looking for hydration? Get Revive. The new XXX flavor also has some interesting nutrients of valor and is antioxidant rich.
Taste Test: Light, very refreshing in a sweet-tart way. Crisp snappy flavor. Chilled tastes leagues above room temp. Slightly frozen is hydration bliss..Think slushy effect.
Price: $1.19-$2.50 here in New York. Not cheap for water and some vitamins. Buy in bulk if you can and save.
Last Word: Mysteriously addicting. Always refreshing, despite the empty sugar calories. The original healthy version of Gatorade.
Trader Joe brand Vitamin Enhanced Flavored Water, Fruit Punch flavor
Shelf-Appeal: Clearly a knock-off of the successful Vitamin Water brand.
Label Check: Good variety of flavors. Same vitamin/electrolyte enhanced elements as Vitamin Water. Sweetened with crystalline fructose. Colored with fruit/vegetable colorings (grape skin extract for example.)
Taste Test: Same lightness as Vitamin Water, without the crisp snappy flavor, unfortunately.
Price: 99 cents. Not bad for NYC. I have paid $2.50 for a Vitamin Water.
Last Word: A nutritionally similar, cheaper, watered-down version of Vitamin Water.
Who wins?
Vitamin Water tastes better, but Trader Joe's cheaper version is a pretty solid knock-off.
