I struggled with what to say I was reviewing and I hope I came up with a good description. I've been on a flavored water kick lately and I have tried A LOT of different water add-ins. Luckily for my wallet, I found a ton of these single serve water flavorings at my local 99 Cent Only Store. So I grabbed an armful and set about trying to find my favorite.
If you're interested in adding a little tube of flavored powder to your water bottle (or water glass), this is a post for you because I'll be reviewing six different varieties from five different brands! I have found that mixing according to directions results in a beverage that is a little too strong so I use less mix if I'm adding it to a water bottle while we're out or I use a bigger glass of water if I'm mixing it at home. In no particular order, here are my thoughts:
Sugar Free Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red Singles to Go - I LOVE the regular Hawaiian Punch, but rarely treat myself because it has a ton of calories in each can. One tube of this powder has only 10 calories, so I decided to give it a try. I'm very excited to report that mixing this powder with a small bottle of water results in a product that tastes exactly like the regular Hawaiian Punch! Exactly! I did find that it doesn't dissolve very easily though and the small red clumps at the bottom of the bottle really creeped me out. My solution? I mix it in an opaque plastic tumbler and drink it at home. I will definitely buy this again. 10 calories per packet, 8 packets to a box.
Sugar Free Wyler's Light Fruit Punch Singles to Go - I assumed that this was basically like the Hawaiian Punch Singles and I was right. However, the taste is a little off on this product and I definitely prefer the Hawaiian Punch. It also doesn't dissolve easily and leaves little red clumps in the bottom of your water. I noticed that they offered other flavors too, like lemonade or pink lemonade. I probably won't try those because I can nearly guarantee that I prefer the taste of my homemade lemonade. 10 calories per packet, 8 packets to a box.
Propel Vitamin Enhanced Water Beverage Mix Berry Powder Packets - This is the only product that I've used that does not turn your water a crazy-bright color. It doesn't have an aggressive flavor. The best way to describe it is that it tastes like water, only better. It dissolves easily and completely. It's pretty fantastic and I like it a lot! I noticed that they also offered a Grape and a Lemon flavor. I may try those too, but I think this Berry flavor will be hard to beat. I will definitely buy this again. 20 calories per packet, 12 packets to a box.
Crystal Light LiveActive Natural Mixed Berry On the Go - This tastes so good and I'm glad that I picked it up! I almost didn't because it has fiber in it. I'm skeptical of adding fiber to things that normally don't have fiber - like water!, but this product claims to have 3 grams of fiber in each packet. I suspect that 3 grams of fiber isn't really going to make the difference in your digestive health, but I could be wrong. Honestly, I think that drinking 20 ounces of water would have a more positive effect on stimulating your bowel. That said, if adding this product increases your water consumption, well, then I guess it's a good thing. It dissolves easily and completely. I will definitely buy this again. Did I mention that it tastes really good? 10 calories per packet, 10 packets to a box.
South Beach Living On the Go Tide Me Over Natural Strawberry Banana - I don't really know anything about the South Beach Diet, but I gather that this product is intended to be used as a snack rather than as a beverage. Per the box, it has 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber to help keep you satisfied between meals. That's great & all, but it tastes pretty yucky. The word "natural" in the flavor description notwithstanding, it has a very fake banana taste that I find distasteful. It doesn't even smell good - the fake banana smell is so overpowering. The box also indicates that it isn't recommended to prepare in a glass. I didn't have any problems with mixing it that way and it did dissolve well. 30 calories per packet, 7 packets to a box.
South Beach Living On the Go Tide Me Over Natural Tropical Breeze - So, what flavor is a "tropical breeze?" I guess it's pineapple and mango. I didn't have high hopes for this product as I hated the Strawberry-Banana flavor and I hate mango. Boy, was I surprised! I really, really liked this product. It tastes really pineapple-y and smells really good. I prepared this in a glass and it almost whipped up a foamy head by the time I was finished mixing it together. If I had added a chunk of pineapple and a maraschino cherry, it would have almost looked like I was enjoying a tropical treat. I will definitely buy this again. 30 calories per packet, 7 packets to a box.
Cheers!
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