Beverages
Boost Balanced Nutritional Drink
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
Why it scores 13
Boost Balanced Nutritional Drink scores 13 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better protein shakes
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Froot loops flavored nutritional drink Kellogg's No non-nutritive sweeteners · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 48 out of 100 , 35 points higher -
Meal replacement drink Soylent · 14 fl oz No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 53 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
Soylent Drink Banana Soylent · 14 fl oz/414 mL No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 54 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Balanced Nutrition Shake OWYN · 330 mL No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 56 out of 100 , 43 points higher -
Greek Yogurt Protein Drink Strawberries and Cream Chobani · 80 oz No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 66 out of 100 , 53 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Balanced Nutritional Drink
Ingredients
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Carrageenan minus 7.5 points
- Milk protein concentrate / isolate minus 1.5 points
- Canola oil minus 1 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 ml
- Sugars 4.6 g / 100 ml minus 9 points
- Energy 105 kcal / 100 ml minus 4 points
100 − 87 = 13
Can’t score above 79. Contains corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Nutrition per 100 ml
| Energy | 105 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 2.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.4 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11.8 g |
| Sugars | 4.6 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 8.4 g |
| Salt | 0.2 g |
Serving: 237.0g
Ingredients
- water
- glucose syrup (high concern)
- milk protein concentrate
- sugar (high concern)
- canola oil
- soy protein isolate
- calcium caseinate
- sodium caseinate
- cocoa processed with alkali
- vitamins and minerals
- cellulose gel and gum
- salt
- natural flavor
- carrageenan (moderate concern)
- stevia leaf extract
- steviol glycosides #vitamins and minerals: potassium citrate
- magnesium chloride
- calcium phosphate
- sodium ascorbate
- magnesium phosphate
- choline bitartrate
- dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate
- potassium chloride
- ferric pyrophosphate
- zinc sulfate
- niacinamide
- manganese sulfate
- calcium pantothenate
- pyridoxine hydrochloride
- copper sulfate
- riboflavin
- thiamine hydrochloride
- vitamin a palmitate
- folic acid
- potassium iodide
- sodium selenate
- vitamin k₁
- chromium chloride
- biotin
- vitamin d3
- sodium molybdate
- vitamin b12
Label text, as published
water, glucose syrup, milk protein concentrate, sugar, canola oil, and less than 2% of soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, cocoa processed with alkali, vitamins and minerals, cellulose gel and gum, salt, natural flavor, carrageenan, stevia leaf extract, steviol glycosides #vitamins and minerals: potassium citrate, magnesium chloride, calcium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, magnesium phosphate, choline bitartrate, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, potassium chloride, ferric pyrophosphate, zinc sulfate, niacinamide, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, vitamin a palmitate, folic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenate, vitamin k₁, chromium chloride, biotin, vitamin d3, sodium molybdate, vitamin b12 contains: milk and soy ingredients manufactured for nestlé health care nutrition, inc. ratu en 20 o use by:30dec2023 2273572007 a 12:01 da
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy
- Not vegan
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
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“We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”
doi.org
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Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
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Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives
“However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”
doi.org
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Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
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“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
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“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
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WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline
“The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”
who.int
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“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org
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“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org