August 27, 2012

BF Review: Fit Frappe Espresso


Picture it: It's 3 p.m. You're at work. This is the time of day you hit a lull. Your energy has dipped, your patience checked out 20 minutes ago. Your mind is already at home in a bubble bath (that you know you probably won't get because your spouse/the kids/the dog/your neighbor will somehow thwart that effort).

You know what you need right now? You need a little boost. A bit of protein, a little sweet departure and, for those of us far out enough (sorry, newbies!) a small shot of caffeine to get us through these LAST hours of the day.

For the past few weeks when I've had this moment, I've reached for Fit Frappe. Back inna day I would have gone to 'Bux to get a Frappucino. But we're living better now, right?

So let's talk about this stuff (cuz really? "What the hell IS Fit Frappe?"). And after I drone on and on about it, you get the chance to win some! (Or, to cut to the chase of how you win some, look for the bold red underlined words below)

Let's do this! So...first flavor up is...

Espresso!

Let's break this DOWN. 

Stats: I hate to start off a review with a criticism, but I do sorta have a bone to pick with Big Train. I consider myself to be pretty proficient with a nutritional label. And their stats even confused me. But I think I figured it out! Like yesterday...the day before this review was written.

They give you two sets of stats: one for an 8 oz. drink, one for a 16 oz. drink. Their sample pack, however, contains enough powder for a 16 oz. drink even though some of the instructions ON that packet tell you to use half the packet. Note to Big Train: I don't like that. I don't want to use half the packet and figure out how to store the other half.

By the way, here are all the stats to all the Fit Frappe flavors. I'll give you the stats for the 8 oz.

Calories:  70
Fat: 1.5g
Total Carbs: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: less than 0g
Sugar Alcohols: 7g
Protein: 10g

So it passes muster. The net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) is less than the protein and it has at least 1g protein for every 10 calories. These are not the most prolific protein numbers I've seen but I decided if I could make a "for real, for real" Frappe out of it, I forgive it. Because seriously? It would beat the 'Bux!

Like the other coffee-based flavors, the 8 oz. has about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. The 16 oz. has about as much caffeine as two cups.

Aesthetics: At first I wished I'd taken pics of the actual powder, but honestly? It isn't that much different from other powders. I would like to point out the aroma. It smelled like coffee. Just coffee. Not vanilla coffee. Not mocha. JUST coffee. That's my biggest beef with other coffee-based protein. It usually reads "vanilla protein" and I am not a vanilla person. So the fact that I didn't pick up vanilla was encouraging.

Preparation: So...let's mix this sucker up! My first try I did hot. Now...the directions do say to use HALF the packet when making either a hot drink or a thin drink over ice. And as I said before, I don't like doing that so I blatantly ignored the instructions and used the whole packet...and found out why they recommend only half. It's thick. Way too thick to be a hot drink. Lesson learned. I will follow directions! 

But the thickness inspired me to make a Frappe the next time. You all know how I love my Frappes! I mixed it up in my blender (not using any particular style of mixing). I added some milk, some ice, no sweetener and the powder and this is what came out.


The Taste: This stuff carries flavor really WELL. Usually with Frappes I make them slightly over-sweet so the flavor carries over through adding ice. This was not necessary with the Fit Frappe. So what did it taste like? Espresso! Hallelujah! Even though I did spy some cocoa powder in the ingredient list, it did not carry over. It JUST tasted like coffee. Thanks, Big Train. Really.

Other Notes: There are a few things I would be remiss not to point out to you. 
  • The protein is calcium caseinate. It has the same absorbability as whey protein, but from Big Train's explanation (and this makes sense in my addled brain) the texture of caseinate lends itself better to a Frappe and caseinate performs better when heated. (Click here for more information on protein absorbability ratings).For those of you who currently drink Click, note it is also made with a blend of caseinate so we do have a precedent here.
  • Fit Frappe has some sugar alcohols in them. Depending on how much of it you use, this may or may not be problematic. Each time I used the whole packet (I'm stubborn that way) and I was pleasantly surprised to find it didn't cause any problems (and it usually does). I also shared my samples with a few Foodies and none of them reported any problems BUT your mileage may vary, so if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols, just know this. 
  • OBLIGATORY CAFFEINE WARNING: Again, this product does have caffeine in it. That means if you've not yet been cleared to have caffeine, you are going to want to wait.
  • As far as proteins go, this one is among the more pricier ones. A full tub retails for $44.50. 
Final Verdict: I liked this stuff a LOT! The disclaimers aside, especially for those of us who can no longer do Frappucinos from Starbucks (I had a BAD experience with one...I'll tell you about it sometime) this is a great alternative. I personally would buy a canister and use it only when the Frappucino craving hits. For my budget, I can't afford for this to be an everyday shake! (Hey, Big Train folks...just keeping it real...). I especially liked that:
  • It tasted like JUST coffee. Not vanilla coffee. Not chocolate coffee. Just coffee. I want to get some more to make coffee protein ice cream!
  • It didn't require a bunch of extra sweetener to support the flavor of a blended drink
  • Smooth + Creamy = Happy Nik
The only negatives for me personally was the serving size thing and the price. Other than that, I'd definitely do this protein powder again.

Now...you've heard what I have to say...here's how YOU win some Fit Frappe for yourself!

So, what's YOUR favorite coffee/espresso protein recipe? Share it with Fit Frappe for a chance to win an entire tub for yourself! Here's how:
  • Facebook users: Like Big Train's page and post your recipe on THEIR Facebook wall. IMPORTANT: Be sure to let them know Bariatric Foodie sent you! Otherwise, I don't know that's your contest entry.
  • Twitter users: Tweet your recipe to @bigtrain with the hashtag #BFitFrappe. If this requires more than one tweet, remember to use the hashtag for each one!
  • Blog users: Please leave your recipe as a comment on this blog post.
You have until noon tomorrow (Tuesday, August 28) to submit your recipe for the espresso flavor. I'll announce the espresso recipe that made it to the finals tomorrow. BUT REMEMBER: even if your recipe didn't make it to the finals, you still get a chance at one of five sample packs of Fit Frappe (with each of the five flavors) by voting in the finals, so stay with us!

Tomorrow, I will review Mocha. So all my fellow #TeamChocolate Foodies, get your recipes ready!

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