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This Kencko review details my personal experience with their instant smoothie packets. Read this to learn everything you need to know about kencko: the good, the bad, and everything in between!
Click here to read our updated 2021 kencko smoothies review of the 60-pack smoothie box!
Kencko Review Summary: Is It Worth It?
Pros:
- 100% gluten-free, non-GMO, organic ingredients, no artificial additives, and no added sugar.
- Offers a quick and effortless way to stay healthy and get your daily fruits (and sometimes veggies depending on the different flavors). Just add water/milk, shake, and go!
- Most people like the flavors of Kencko.
- Compostable packets + carbon-neutral shipping = environmentally friendly.
- Their freeze-dried smoothie powders preserve most of the nutrients of the fruits and vegetables (compared to regular juicing).
- Easy to take on the go (especially for traveling!)
- Affordable cost for all of their smoothie plans at approx. $2.49-$2.99 per serving ( + you can use a coupon to make the cost lower at $1.66-$1.99 per smoothie!)
Cons:
- If using water, consistency will be on the thinner side (think juice vs smoothies).
- Somewhat limited flavor options (update: they are consistently adding new flavors every couple of months!)
- No a la carte options. You can’t buy individual smoothies. The minimum order is 20 smoothies.
- I’m not a fan of the Scarlets flavor. It’s the only one i don’t like, but it may be because I don’t like tomatoes in my smoothies.
Click here to read our updated 2021 kencko smoothies review of the 60-pack smoothie box!
A New Kencko Subscription = a Kencko Review for You!
Every month, I try to review a new subscription box and let you know my honest feedback. This month, we tried out Kencko’s Instant Smoothies! Kencko is a smoothie subscription service that specializes in instant, shelf-stable smoothies. This makes it a quick, easy, and healthy way for busy people, parents, on-the-go travelers, and working professionals to get enough fruits and veggies in their diet! To make a kencko smoothie, just add water or milk, and shake – no blending required!
I’ll admit – at first, I wasn’t so sure what to think about the idea of a shelf-stable smoothie powder that has gone through this so-called “slow-drying process”. However, after subscribing to kencko for over a year now, I have to say that drinking my kencko smoothie is the easiest thing, and it’s now one of my favorite parts of the day (I usually prepare my kencko packets as a midmorning snack).
Anyways, I’m excited to share with you everything I know about kencko, including which flavors to get, which to skip, and how to make your own kencko smoothies taste the best it can be!
Let’s get to our Kencko review!
2021 update: kencko now sells gumdrops too! It’s like fruit snacks, but made with cleaner ingredients.
What is Kencko All About?
According to Kencko’s website:
In Japan, where people live longer than anywhere else, ‘kencko’ means health. We know that people who eat healthy diets have longer lifespans, with lower risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. However, just 1 in 10 US adults reach the five-a-day federal recommended cups of fruits and vegetables.
Ricardo Vice Santos and Tomás Froes founded kencko with a simple mission: to help people eat more organic fruits and vegetables. We transform fresh, organic fruits and veggies into handy single-serving instant smoothies. Each one contains about 80 calories, and gives the same nutritional benefits as 2 cups of fresh produce. Simply mix the powder into water or your favorite milk for a quick, healthy boost – wherever you are.
The only ingredients you’ll ever find in kencko are organic fruits, vegetables and spices. Nothing added, nothing taken out except water – and that’s a promise. We collect evidence for the health benefits of our ingredients here.
Some people are skeptical – we get it. But it happens to be true: the only ingredients we use are organic plants. No colors, flavor enhancers, preservatives or fillers. No added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Just the world’s best produce, with the water taken out so that the nutrients stay in.”
How Does Kencko Work? How Much Does Kencko Smoothies Cost?
Kencko offers flexible monthly plans. This means you can stop after one box, or have it be recurring monthly orders. They will notify you well before each refill shipment so you can change out flavors, edit the delivery date, or cancel your plan altogether.
Currently, there are three smoothie plans kencko subscribers can choose from:
- 20 smoothie packs: $2.99 per smoothie (approx. $1.99 after the discount) + free shipping
- 30 smoothie packs: $2.69 per smoothie (approx. $1.79 after the discount) + free shipping
- 60 smoothie packs: $2.49 per smoothie (approx. $1.66 after the discount) + free shipping
PROMO DEAL: Click here to get 1 month FREE when you buy 2 months. Plus, get a FREE shaker bottle (dishwasher safe!), and a FREE dietitian consultation ($300 value) on your first order!
Right now, kencko offers one gumdrop plan:
- 16 gumdrop packs: $2.99 per packet + free shipping
Kencko Review: Flavor Varieties
Smoothies
Each Kencko smoothie is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, organic, and no-sugar-added. Once you choose a plan, you’ll then select the smoothie flavors to go in your box. Currently, there are EIGHTEEN flavor varieties listed on their website, each of which targets different health benefits, such as skin health, mental focus, immune support, and more!
Personally, my favorite flavor is the Purples – which is made with a berry-rich mix of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, banana, strawberry, and dates.
CLICK HERE to see my review of each of their flavor!
Click here to read our updated 2021 kencko smoothies review of the 60-pack smoothie box!
Kencko Gumdrops
The new kencko gumdrops are made out of pure fruit and vegetables. And let me tell you – it tastes JUST like fruit snacks! Just like the kencko smoothies, each kencko gumdrop packets contain no refined sugars and are such a fun treat to have.
Currently, there are 4 gumdrop flavors: Berrylicious, Passionista, Gingerella, and Bananarama!
My favorite is the berrylicious, but the gingerella is a close second!
My Personal Review of Kencko
Delivery & What I Received in My Box
As of this writing, Kencko delivers to the United States and Canada using carbon-neutral shipping. My Kencko box came quickly and I was glad to see that the box was thick, sturdy, and compostable. Inside the box, I realized the package had my name on it, which was a very nice customized touch! My box also included a sheet of (super cute) stickers, my 7 flavor packets, info card, and a dishwasher-safe shaker bottle with instructions and measurements marked out.
How Do You Make Kencko Smoothies?
- Massage powder packet to break up any lumps.
- Liquid goes in first (water or your favorite milk).
- Add contents of one packet and close the shaker bottle tightly.
- Shake well for 30 seconds and let it sit for 15 seconds.
- ENJOY!
NOTE: Personally, I love the smoothies mixed with some oat milk (vs regular water), as it gives it a creamier texture. However, if you like your smoothies to be thinner and more “juice-like”, then cold water works well!
My kencko Smoothie Clumped. What Should I Do?
Here’s what I do to get smooth, clump-free kencko smoothies. I add in half the liquid, then add in my smoothie pack (which I massage beforehand to break up any clumps in the package from storage). I shake it, then add the rest of the liquid. 90% of the time, this works great – and only takes 2-3 minutes!
If that doesn’t work, I use a shaker bottle to shake my smoothies (with the shaker ball), and that seems to solve any possible clumping!
Kencko Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, my experience with Kencko has been positive. I love the company’s intentionality with choosing simple ingredients and turning it into a product that makes healthy eating convenient for the everyday person. I also love Kencko’s efforts to be more environmentally friendly with its compostable packaging and shipping methods, especially as subscription services can often result in a lot of carbon footprint. While the 7-smoothie plan is no longer available, kencko’s 20, 30 or 60 smoothie plans offer much more affordable options for quick, delicious, and organic smoothies.
COUPON: Click here to get 1 month FREE when you buy 2 months. Plus, get a FREE shaker bottle (dishwasher safe!), and a FREE dietitian consultation ($300 value)!
Kencko Alternatives
- Organifi: freeze-dried organic juices (read our Red Juice review here)
- Liquid IV: flavored electrolyte packets
- Cure Hydration: flavored electrolyte packets (use code DWELL20 to get 20% off your entire order)
- NOKA: Ready-To-Drink Superfood Smoothie Pouches
- Concord Fresh Success: Smoothie Mixes
- Everipe: Smoothie Blender Packets
- Après: Plant-Based Protein Shakes (use code DWELLBYMICHELLE for 20% off + free shipping)
Have you tried Kencko? What did you think? Feel free to leave a comment below!
Kencko Smoothies FAQ
Is kencko vegan?
kencko smoothies are made exclusively with fruits and veggies, and is 100% vegan-friendly.
Is kencko sweetened? Does it contain added sugars?
None of kencko’s products have added sugars or sweeteners or any kind.
How does kencko turn fruits and veggies into powder?
kencko vacuum freeze-dries their fresh fruits and vegetables. The organically-sourced produce gets super-chilled, super-fast to lock in the good stuff: vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates and protein. Gentle heating dries out all the water, then everything gets blitzed to a fine powder.
This process preserves the produce and its nutrients without the need for refrigeration, additives or preservatives. Because the powder is shelf-stable and around 10x lighter and more compact than fresh fruits and veggies, it also minimize the freight footprint and all but eliminate food waste in transit.
How much kencko should I drink, and when?
Can I prepare kencko in advance?
Yes, but make sure you store your smoothie in the fridge and drink it within 24 hours. Our smoothies are best enjoyed soon after preparation. Once mixed with liquid, they behave just like fresh fruit: over time, room-temperature smoothies will begin to oxidize and ferment in the bottle.
Is kencko safe during pregnancy?
kencko is safe if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding as it only contains fruits, vegetables, seeds and spices. Toddlers can have them too! However, we wouldn’t recommend the flavors jades, scarlets and mochas as they contain caffeine (from matcha green tea in jades, trace amounts from kombucha in scarlets and from coffee in mochas).
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I love kencko!
Is there any of that fake chalky powdery taste to these that a lot of dehydrated powder mixes have?
Hey Celeste! I’m also super particular to the chalky taste typical of lots of powder mixes. I personally have not found Kencko to be chalky or artificial-tasting at all – it’s by far my favorite dehydrated drink mix to date!
My first Kencko box just came last week and I’ve tried out 3 of the flavors! I’ve been drinking it as an after-work snack and you were right, it’s so easy! cause lets be real, i have no desire to pull out my blender after a long day lol. So far, I loved the three flavors I tried! Out of curiosity, what was your favorite flavor?
Yes absolutely! I like to drink it for my midmorning pick-me-up! I loooove the “Purples” (the ones with blueberries) and their new mocha flavor!
HOLY FREAKING COW. I found out about Kencko through your blog and started with the 20 smoothie plan back in October. I love Kencko and probably drink more fruits and veggies now than ever. I’m now on their 60 smoothie plan and it’s honestly way more affordable than even making my own here in NYC. Just thought I’d let you know!! 🙂
Oh I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! It’s so convenient, for sure!