[00:00:00] Jenn Trepeck: Welcome to Salad with a side of Fries. I'm your host, Jenn Trepeck, talking wellness and weight loss for real life. We're here to clear up the myths, misinformation, bad science and marketing to teach you how to eat and how to cheat. Are you ready? I'm having salad with a side of fries. This week we're talking about perk energy.

[00:00:26] So Amanda s Thank you Amanda, for sending this one to me on Instagram. So Amanda said she in the dm, she sent a post about the tan mocha latte and said. I'd love to hear your opinion and deep dive about this product on your podcast. Thanks for all you share with your community. So first, Amanda, thank you for being part of this community.

[00:00:51] Everybody. I love your requests and your questions, so please keep sending them in Instagram. Gen Tropic or Salad with [00:01:00] a side of fries, pod website, a salad with a side of fries.com, whatever works for you, send it in and I add them to my list and we get to them eventually. So just hang with me. Dawn, have you seen Perk Energy?

[00:01:13] Do you know this company? I don't think so. So I hadn't heard of it either. Food and beverage company as always. So I started with their website and it's funny, so like the top of their website, they're currently promoting, like stocking stuffers. Cool. But they must assume that only people who know them are coming to their website because it was not easy to find out like what they're offering, what their gimmick is like.

[00:01:41] It was just not so simple. Anyway, scroll down. They show bundles, and then it says, collections. Need energy, workout support, or a way to unwind with tasty blends for every moment, we've got you covered, and then I have to keep scrolling. Again, this does not make it all [00:02:00] that clear about what they're offering, so keep scrolling to get to where.

[00:02:04] There's like even more to read. It says A hug in a mug. Some drinks warm you up. Perk warms your soul with cozy flavors and carefully selected ingredients. Every sip brings a little moment of comfort, whether you're starting your day or winding down, perk is here to wrap you up in delicious, sip self-care and like, so what does it do right?

[00:02:27] I have to be honest, like I'm still sitting here trying to figure out. What was the Broadway show? You gotta have a gimmick. You know the song, whatever. There's a song from a Broadway show. You gotta have a gimmick. And I'm still sitting here and I'm like, what's your gimmick? Like, what's your angle? What's your thing?

[00:02:42] What makes you different? Whatever. I still have no answers and you clearly feel the same way. Okay, so then it says, why perk? Perk makes wellness delicious with an unbeatable variety of flavors, because feeling good should taste amazing. Each blend is crafted to help you power up, wind [00:03:00] down, and support your body with every sip.

[00:03:02] I still know nothing. This is word salad.

[00:03:05] Dawn: Well, I was gonna like, perk to me is like, woo, like being awake. But they also like, obviously start your day, but then wind down like that feels a little counterintuitive.

[00:03:16] Jenn Trepeck: Right, and like I'm not getting enough to understand what makes them different. Like is it caffeine?

[00:03:21] Is it mushrooms, is it, you know, I don't know. So I just keep going. It says Healthy should taste this good. Perks started with a simple idea, create a drink. So delicious and functional that people can't wait for their next sip. We're on a mission to create products that will help you with your everyday life and that you'll actually look forward to drinking.

[00:03:42] It still gives me nothing. I will say I am like. Okay. And then the interesting thing, so then I start looking like there's no about us section. There's just info on lots of products. And then if you scroll all the way down, there's info on working [00:04:00] with them. Like if I wanted to make money from recommending them, that's super easy to find, but not like Who owns this company?

[00:04:07] It's not easy to find. So I suppose on the one hand, maybe they're just assuming that you already know them if you're here. And then on the other hand, I'm like, I don't know. Are you hiding something? Why is this so difficult to find? Yeah. Anyway, let's get to the product. So they actually have lots of products.

[00:04:27] I didn't even know how to go about finding the one that Amanda sent. So I just used the little search feature. Oh, I get, this might be worth mentioning. So as I'm looking at all the products I can see on there, they have something called creatine. So I'm guessing that's a creatine creamer. And then they have something that has BCAAs, which is branch chain amino acids.

[00:04:49] So. They have a lot of products, certainly more than we're gonna have time for, you know, in this nutrition nugget. So I had to use the search feature, 'cause like I said, I couldn't easily [00:05:00] find the tan mocha latte, so I searched tan mocha latte and now there's three versions. There's the regular one, the caffeine free one, and a lactose free one.

[00:05:09] So I'm still no clearer on the situation. I start with the original version. On the package it says formulative for maximum awesomeness. Cool protein with collagen. Okay. One gram added sugar only 90 calories under the flavor. It says coffee shop flavor without misspelling your name. And like to me that's kind of cute.

[00:05:33] Yeah, I wish that branding like the rest of the website did not convey that ethos like on the homepage, so to their marketing team. Just heads up. Okay. On the bottom of the canister, it says Elevate energy, tastes amazing, antioxidants and immune support. So now I'm curious, okay, so like what ingredients are you using to get to these claims?

[00:05:57] And I don't know, maybe like in my [00:06:00] mind at this point I'm thinking, okay, you're offering some sort of a functional coffee, I guess. Then under the image of the package, it says, nine grams of protein per serving. A hundred milligrams of caffeine, 200 milligrams of antioxidants, a hundred percent U-S-R-D-A, vitamin D.

[00:06:20] And again, I'm like, okay, I'm very curious where these ingredients are coming from. But then now we get to their marketing. So they write. Can your morning drink, do this energy boost? Perk energy is the warm, smooth boost that'll have you wondering how you ever lived without it? No gimmicks. Just seriously tasty way to add a little extra oomph to your day.

[00:06:42] I love that they say no gimmicks, but you've also given me nothing but word salad. Okay, sorry. Protein plus collagen. Getting enough protein can be a challenge. Every serving of original perk energy contains protein with collagen to help you reach your goals. We'll see how much from what source. [00:07:00] Then it says really, really ridiculously good tasting perk.

[00:07:03] Energy comes in, tons of delicious flavors that'll have your taste buds doing a happy dance, whether you're craving something cozy, refreshing, or just straight up tasty. There's a perk flavor ready to hit the spot no matter your mood. You're just one sip away from deliciousness. Okay, curious what they're using for their sweeteners and all those kinds of things.

[00:07:24] And their flavorings immune support. We have added an antioxidant blend in vitamin D to help support your ability to maintain your health because no one has time to be under the weather. Alright, so here's where I'm at. So far, it's a coffee drink, like a functional coffee that's a powder. So they say to slowly pour it into hot water, stir or use like a frother, you know, that you can buy from them.

[00:07:49] And then it says, enjoy. I'm curious if it would mix with cold water. I mean, maybe not. Like maybe you need the heat, you know, the warm water or whatever to mix it and then add ice. I don't know. I [00:08:00] digress. I suppose it's also worth saying, they say each batch of perk energy is made in GMP compliant facility, good manufacturing practices as GMP third party tested to ensure you're getting the best product possible, gluten-free, non GMO and peanut-free.

[00:08:19] Okay. I wanna get to the nutrition facts and the flavor. It says, perk Energy original tan moga latte gives you an authentic coffee house experience without misspelling your name on a to-go cup this coffee free formula, so it's not coffee. It gives you rich flavor and smooth milky chocolate to create an incredibly drinkable combination.

[00:08:43] Rivaling the best lattes from your favorite coffee shop. It's the coffee, not coffee drink. That will become your new go-to beverage. Okay. We just gotta go to the nutrition facts. I could see your face. You're like, what? Well, I'm looking at their website too.

[00:08:59] Dawn: [00:09:00] Yeah. You see what I'm saying? Yeah. I found under Frequently asked questions how to use perk.

[00:09:07] Okay. And it has like Energy Turbo do work, B-C-A-A-S plus Wellness and Chill. So I think those are like, it, they're different lines.

[00:09:17] Jenn Trepeck: Yeah. And it

[00:09:18] Dawn: it kind of like the wellness is a broth. Oh

[00:09:22] Jenn Trepeck: yeah. Okay. I don't know. Weird. We're sticking with Amanda's 10 mocha latte or

[00:09:26] Dawn: Right.

[00:09:27] Jenn Trepeck: It's just like, yeah.

[00:09:28] Dawn: It's all over the place.

[00:09:29] I know it's a lot.

[00:09:31] Jenn Trepeck: I know it's a lot. I know I digress. Jed, I'm sorry. No, I'm with you because this is what was happening to me going through their website the other day. Okay. Serving size one scoop. 80 calories. We have two grams of fat with two grams of saturated fat, seven grams of total carbs, which comes from one gram of fiber, six grams of total sugars, of which it's one gram of added sugar, nine grams of protein.

[00:09:56] The micronutrients, there's 20 micrograms of vitamin [00:10:00] D, 135 milligrams of calcium, 218 milligrams of potassium. From this info before we get to the ingredients, all the fat is saturated fat, so not the kind of fat that we need to go out of our way to get, there's a little more than one ounce of protein, okay?

[00:10:18] With only one gram of fiber. I, to me, this is not taking the place of anything nutritionally. You know, it's, as we've been saying, I think it's a functional drink. It's giving us a little bit of something. I like the amount of potassium, the vitamin D and the calcium amounts are pretty low. Like the vitamin D in here is.

[00:10:42] Maybe enough to help us absorb the calcium, but probably not going to move the needle on the immune system the way they claim it is. I'm also curious what the source of all these things are, and then they say there's antioxidants too. So we'll see in the ingredients where those are. How much is there? So, okay.

[00:10:59] [00:11:00] Ingredients, non-fat, dry milk. Coconut oil powder, which is made of coconut oil, tapioca fiber, sodium caseinate. Then we have whey protein isolate, bovine collagen, hydrolysate peptides, cocoa powder that's processed with alkali natural flavors, Himalayan rock salt, xanthin gum, caffeine, and hydrus a hundred milligrams blueberry extract, grape seed extract, sucralose or sweetener, vitamin D three.

[00:11:29] That's made of maltodextrin sar, sodium octal, succinate, Arabic gum, and colic calciferol, which is the actual vitamin D. So the rest of that stuff is like added to the vitamin D. Okay. There's even a bit to unpack here. So we basically have milk powder mixed with coconut oil, caffeine flavors, some additives, antioxidants, sweetener, and some vitamin D.

[00:11:59] The sucralose or [00:12:00] the natural flavors may be deal breakers. For some of you, the coconut oil may be a deal breaker for some of you, a bunch of people, you're gonna ask me about caffeine anhydrous. So I did a little digging on this. So it is a highly concentrated caffeine powder. So the US FDA says that a teaspoon of this caffeine powder is the equivalent of 28 cups of coffee.

[00:12:25] I know it's a lot of caffeine, so much so obviously there isn't that much in there. So here they say there's a hundred milligrams of caffeine. So there's even, it seems that, my guess is based on trying to do this math, I think there's one 32nd of a teaspoon of this ingredient to get you a hundred milligrams of caffeine.

[00:12:47] I think for the energy. They're a hundred percent relying on this caffeine powder. Maybe the MCs in the coconut oil. So coconut oil has MCTs. MCTs are medium chain [00:13:00] triglycerides. They're a top ingredient. You know, they're towards the top of the list, but then it's two grams of saturated fat. So maybe it's about a teaspoon of the coconut oil that's in there.

[00:13:12] I don't know. It's not my favorite. I'm a fan of the antioxidants that are in here. I like that they're using D three. I even like the source of their D three, the Calciferol. At least that's how I say it. I don't know how other people might say it, but you know, I'm just not sure the quantities that are in there are really gonna make a difference.

[00:13:33] You know, like I said, your primary boost of energy is coming from the a hundred milligrams of caffeine, not really anything else that's in there, even though it has like fat and protein. I still don't think like the nutrition here, I don't know, like I sort of, I'm on the fence of whether or not we could call this nutrition with our caffeine to start the day.

[00:13:56] 'cause it's really only about an ounce of protein and you know, a tiny bit of [00:14:00] fat. So, I don't know. I think I would still put this in the category of still no caffeine before fuel, you know, caffeine with your fuel. And I feel like this would still require. A solid meal with that caffeine in order to support, you know, better adrenal function and nervous system regulation that we talk about.

[00:14:18] I don't know. I'm kind of like, if you enjoy it, I go for it. I don't know that I would have more than one a day. Even that I don't having it every day. I just think about like the balance of your nutrition, where things are coming from. Like what role is this playing for you? I suppose if you couldn't have coffee but wanted a morning boost, this could work.

[00:14:41] I don't know, like personally my go-to, if I want something as like matcha, I don't know that I would choose this over matcha, but that might just come down to like. Personal preference and flavor profile. And then of course there's the question of what you're adding to it. I did a quick look at the caffeine free [00:15:00] version.

[00:15:00] Basically, the nutrition facts are the same. The ingredients are more or less the same. I just think it's worth pointing out like, so the vitamin D, they're saying it's 20 micrograms as a current guideline. It's typically recommended for optimal health to have like 125 micrograms or more per day. So that 20 is really not moving the needle here.

[00:15:21] And then there was also that. Other variety that was naturally sweetened, but lactose free and the nutrition facts on this one are different. There's more calories, obviously because there's more fat. Six grams of carbs, two grams of fiber, still the one gram of added sugar, but then there's three grams of sugar alcohols.

[00:15:41] Six grams of protein instead of nine in the other one. So of course, whatever you're going to choose, read the label of that one. Decide for yourself. Like I said, I think all in like, I think I'm okay with it. I don't love MCs. I don't think, I don't know. I [00:16:00] feel like we're getting plenty of the saturated fat, especially if you eat animal protein.

[00:16:04] We don't need to go out of our way for this. If you have blood sugar issues, I would say be careful with the coconut oil. Like I've heard that the coconut oil can sit in an in our insulin receptor sites and exacerbate insulin resistance. So just see how you feel. See what you notice. If you drink coffee and you drink it black.

[00:16:23] You could certainly add your own collagen to it, and overall have fewer additives than choosing this drink. You know, like I said, I do like some of the ingredients that they're using. As far as like the functional pieces, I'm just not sure it's really enough to move the needle and make a difference. So I wouldn't drink this, that the expense of a multivitamin or other antioxidants or an additional D three.

[00:16:47] So I don't know. I mean, I like that they have a caffeine free version. I like that they have a lactose free version. I think it just comes down to what's your purpose for drinking it and what would your [00:17:00] alternative be? Right? Like this as opposed to what? I don't know. This was a lot. Dawn, what do you think?

[00:17:07] Dawn: Yeah, there's a lot. They do have a lot of flavors and the flavors sound yummy. So yeah, I would be like, I personally. Don't necessarily buy stuff like this. Like, I like my coffee black, and sometimes I'll put collagen powder in it, so I'm not, like, I don't normally, if I'm gonna have something in my coffee, I like for it to be like a, a latte from my favorite coffee shop.

[00:17:31] Jenn Trepeck: Yeah. Personally, I suppose like if you were bored drinking water and you were looking for something

[00:17:36] Dawn: mm-hmm.

[00:17:37] Jenn Trepeck: I don't know, but again, I wouldn't have this all the time, I don't think. Yeah,

[00:17:40] Dawn: like if my friend had it or like I was at an office and they had it, like I'd try it. Yeah, for sure.

[00:17:46] Jenn Trepeck: That for sure. By the way, I did a little additional digging.

[00:17:49] I found out it's owned by a company, so this is a post from Utah Valley Business, some kind of account. So Perk Energy is owned by Rena [00:18:00] Doman and her husband. The post says, when Reina Doman fell into a deep depression years ago, one sunshiny glimmer each morning was a hug and a mug that her husband would bring to her in bed.

[00:18:11] She wanted to share this cozy comfort with others, which brought perk to the shelves. Since Perks founding in 2016, Reina and her husband have been filling the cups of others. Literally, the duo has been working from home since day one. When the weather is nice, they'll even work from the patio and while.

[00:18:28] Sip in business is fun. Rena and her husband put family as their number one priority. I wish that info was on their website.

[00:18:36] Dawn: Yeah, like it, it kind of personalizes it a bit more instead of it Yeah. Just being like product, product, product, product

[00:18:43] Jenn Trepeck: flavor and confusing for me to like try to figure out what is happening.

[00:18:48] Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Well, there you have it, Amanda. Thank you for submitting this one. And I think the moral of the story is if it works for you, awesome. And what role is it playing in the grand scheme of [00:19:00] things, enjoy if it works for you. Awesome. Well, as always, everybody, I'm your host, Jen Trebeck. Connect with me on Instagram or all social media.

[00:19:07] I'm at Jenn Trepeck J-E-N-N-T-R-E-P-E-C-K. Website is a salad with the side of fries.com. Pick a platform, send a message because I love hearing from you. Dawn, thank you again for being here and joining me. Thank you, Jen. I hope I didn't yap too much. You were awesome. I loved it. You're definitely invited back.

[00:19:27] Dawn: Yay. Yeah, this was so much fun. It, and again, it was cool to see the side of.

[00:19:32] Jenn Trepeck: Awesome. Well, I'm so glad you were here. And of course, friends, if you are not already a member, I invite you to the Happy Healthy Hub. You'll go to a salad for the side of fries.com/membership. This shows your support for this podcast, this community, and most of all, it supports your health.

[00:19:47] On top of the 24 7, ask Me Anything, community Chat, discounts and curated content. You'll get this week's recipe for the Winter Bliss Balls. Well, friends, that's it for today's episode of Salad with a Side of [00:20:00] Fries. Congratulations for making yourself and your health a priority. Thanks so much for joining us.

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