Starbucks Vivano Nourishing Blends Review

Starbucks recently rolled out two new drinks, the Vivano Nourishing Blends smoothies. The Vivano smoothies come in two flavors, Orange Mango Banana Blend and the Banana Chocolate Blend.

Marketed as a "nourishing" drink, each smoothie boasts pretty impressive ingredients and nutrients.

The Orange Mango Banana Smoothies packs 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and a skinny 250 calories. The Banana Chocolate Smoothie crams in 21 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and a slight 270 calories. Think Slim-Fast on steroids.

Protein based shakes similar to this have been a well known secret in the fitness industry, and it appears that Starbucks has found a way to cash in on the raging fitness fad that has swept America.

Unlike most traditional fitness drinks, the new Vivanos from Starbucks actually taste sinfully good without much of the guilt.

And why shouldn't they?

The Orange Mango Banana Vivano is just that, Orange Mango Naked juice, a whole banana, 2% milk, a protein and fiber powder and ice. The protein and fiber powder supplements the drink, giving it its nutritional punch, and are tasteless.

The Banana Chocolate Vivano contains a whole banana, milk, mocha sauce and the same protein and fiber powder. The twenty extra calories in this Vivano actually come from the extra protein.

With a girlfriend who works for Starbucks I've tried more than my fair share of concoctions. And as a fitness enthusiast I've also chugged a fair amount of protein smoothies.

Generally I've found that when a drink chain tries its hand at being healthy the drink ends up a gritty-gross mess. But with the Vivano this isn't the case at all.

Whether it's because Starbucks has the buying power to use top shelf supplements or they just have a knack for these sorts of things I can't say. But I can say that the Vivano drinks are both excellent.

Each drink has a solid consistency and just enough ice to keep it smooth. The fruit mix in the Orange Mango Vivano is delicious. The Banana Chocolate Vivano has a rich mocha taste to it.

The only minor downside (and I do mean minor) to either drink is the lack of initial options. If you don't like bananas then you probably won't like either of these drinks. Also, the Vivano only comes in Grande size as of right now. But trust me, with the added protein and fiber, the Grande is more than filling enough. Overall I highly recommend trying one of Starbuck's new Vivano Nourishing Blends smoothies. And, as with all Starbucks drinks, if you don't like it you can ask for a refund, so you really don't stand to lose anything by trying it.