Monday, March 16, 2009

Product Review: Tree Top Trim Strawberry Kiwi


When I first read about Treetop Trim online, I knew I had to try it! According to BevNET.com, "After months of extensive research and finding out what consumers wanted, Tree Top developed, trim, the first beverage to provide one full fruit serving coupled with weight management functionality."

“We wanted to create a beverage unlike any other in the juice aisle,” said John Baranowski, Tree Top’s Lead Food Scientist. “We learned consumers wanted a weight management benefit 2 to 1 over any other function. My challenge was to create a beverage that gave consumers what they wanted, while still tasting delicious. I think we’ve done that.”

Tree Top also claims that one serving of Trim helps promote a healthy metabolism and curbs your appetite. And it is a fruit serving too?

End of the promo quotes and claims... I decided I had to try this beverage and let my readers know if it was worth your time. The final question I had was what it was what are the ingredients?

There were quite a few ingredients that I didn't recognize, so I am linking to definitions or articles for others who may wonder:

Ingredients: Water; Concentrated Juices of Apples Pears and Watermelons; Dextrin; Natural Flavors; Citric Acid; Kiwifruit Juice Concentrate; Orange Juice Concentrate; Strawberry Juice Concentrate; Garcinia Cambogia Extract; Cochineal; L-Carnitine Fumarate; Acesulfame Potassium; Sucralose; Chromium Polynicotinate

While Trim does use some artificial sweeteners, there was no aspartame. The drink also contains a plethora of juices but is about half the calories of a serving of pure fruit juice. I know it is better to eat the fruit whole, but sometimes a girl just wants a sweet drink!

Now for the review. The drink is sweet and fruity. It has more depth than your average fruit drink that is not 100% fruit juice. It lacks the artificial taste that most low-calorie fruit beverages have. I am not sure if the kiwi and strawberry were the predominat flavors because the boyfriend said he could "taste the apple juice" when he kissed me after (I didn't tell him what type of juice I had drank before he commented). However, I like the overall fruit combination and could imagine drinking it on a warm summer day while relaxing in the shade. I would love to serve it in a chilled martini glass as a special sweet treat.

Does it work to reduce hunger? I drank one serving 30 minutes before writing this when I was feeling minor hunger rumblings in my stomach. I have a dinner to leave for in a bit and didn't want to attend either ravished or snacked out. And I am currently satisfied!

I hope Tree Top will continue to package these drinks in single serving cans, as I can see storing a couple at school for those days when lunch isn't coming fast enough. It is a sweet pick-me-up that is enjoyable to the palate. I wouldn't drink it everyday because I try to avoid artificial sweeteners when I can... but this is the best low calorie juice option I have found in all of my searching thus far and for those of you who aren't concerned about sweeteners but are looking for sweet treats to aide your weight loss journey, I would buy the store out!!!

Nutritional Information: 60 calories, no fat, 3 grams of fiber, no protein

5 comments:

Mo Diva said...

Carol, this is a great review and its so well-written! I am tempted to try this product! You rock girlie

Anonymous said...

great review! I've never heard of these... I don't really like sweet drinks, so I'm not sure if I'd like it but I might keep an eye out. I like v-8 fusion light, and this sounds liek a similar flavor.

Anonymous said...

I have tried all three of the flavors - mango peach, strawberry kiwi, pomegranate berry in the 8 oz cans. I really like the flavors. Sam's Club was carrying the product in 8 oz can and then they discontinued it. Then, i located the product in 46 oz container at Save Mart and they discontinued it. I have clicked on the Where to Buy link and looked in the stores that were suggested and was disappointed because product cannot be located. Any suggestions as to where product can be located in Sacramento, California and surrounding communities.

canadian red yeast rice said...

The kiwi and strawberry flavors provide taste to the drink.

Anonymous said...

You gratiously provided links for all the ingredients. I'm surprised you didn't comment on the "cochineal" in the Treetop Juice. Cochineal is ground-up beetles.

Treetop does not need to put insects in its juice. But it does. Not all juicemakers do this. But Treetop and Dannon sure like to.

Disclaimer:

I get asked by readers if I am being paid to push products. The simple answer is no. In fact, most of the products I write about are ones I have found and purchased during my trips to the grocery store or on the road. Occasionally, a company will send a sample my way and if I believe the product will serve a need for my readers and I would buy the product myself, then I will share it with you. Sometimes I will write to a company after reading about it, if I believe it will help us lead healthier lifestyles. But even then, if the product doesn't pass my scrutiny, it won't make the screen of Uncovering Food. You can trust that every product or recipe posted here has passed through my lips, and that I wouldn't blog about it if it wasn't worthy of you... my favorite readers.