FULL REVIEW: Kachava Protein- Is it Worth That Crazy Cost?

Posted on July 19th, 2016 By Allie Lewis in Vegan Protein Reviews Read Time: 12 mins.

Recently updated on September 26th, 2022 at 09:49 pm

Today we’re going to talk about a new product that you may have hear of on Instagram- and that is the Kachava superfood smoothie mix. I am reviewing BOTH flavors of Kachava today, and giving this product the full Fit Life Allie treatment. I have been intrigued by Kachava for a long time now, and I’m happy that I FINALLY got the chance to do a Kachava Review! I know some of you have asked me about this protein smoothie supplement so hopefully this will make you guys happy as well. As with all my protein powder reviews I’ll do my best to make this as informative as possible without getting too ‘in the weeds’ and boring you. Just kidding. I’ve never written a boring review in my life and this one will be no different. If you are ready for a good old-fashioned entertaining review, then keep reading because at the expense of Kachava, I’m not going to hold back. Ready? Go.

Kachava. I’m going to try my best to keep this review from being a bash-fest, but there are definitely some things that I just can’t stomach about your product. (Thankfully I don’t mean that literally- Kachava is actually relatively easy to digest as far as Vegan proteins go).

But the name sort of bugs me. I don’t know why and I wish it didn’t. But even hearing it out loud makes me angry. It took me a long time to figure out why and I actually DO know why the name Kachava makes me all hot and bothered. It’s because of money. Let me explain.

Kachava ‘The Whole Body Meal’ is $75 for 15 servings of Kachava. There. The cat’s out of the bag. The elephant in the room has been identified. THIS STUFF IS MAD EXPENSIVE. Break the bank expensive. Credit card bleeding type of expensive. Crying home to Momma expensive. Calling great uncle Pete expensive. It’s just SO expensive. Now. You guys know my all-time favorite meal replacement ‘Gemini’ by UNICO is ALSO rather expensive…but Kachava is on a whole new level. 

And that’s why the name bothers me. Because I hear it and I go “I know I can’t afford that stuff”. I suppose not many Calvin Klein cashier’s can. Heck- my sister can’t even afford this stuff with her fancy desk job in New York! But. That’s why you make rich friends. And my rich friends LOOOoooOOvVVe their fancy “Kachava” (waves hands as if to say ‘whoa look at you fancy pants’), but luckily they allowed me to try their Kachava without making me pay the $10 per serving or whatever it comes out to. So let’s talk about the product now.

What’s in Kachava Protein Shakes?  

Kachava, when you start to dissect the supplement facts, is a slightly more complicated animal than most of the protein powders that I review on this blog. I tend to skew more towards the bodybuilding/GNC-type protein blends that are so common. But sometimes I come across and review some proteins that are slightly more ‘lifestyle’ based. Vega Sport, Shakeology, and more recently, Native Whey come to mind. 

These proteins will usually be positioned as a ‘meal replacement’, and include other additional ingredients alongside the protein to make them more appealing to someone who wants to just drink the shake in lieu of an actual meal. I have my own thoughts on that practice, but let’s focus on these Kachava ingredients for a hot second. 

You have seven main components that go into the whopping 64 gram serving: 

  1. Vitamin Blend
  2. Main Protein Blend 28g (Pea, Brown Rice)
  3. Fiber Blend 10g (mostly oat)
  4. Super Fruit Blend 8g (mostly sugar)
  5. ‘Adaptogen Herb Blend’ 1g
  6. Super Greens Blend 1/2 g
  7. Prebiotic / Enzyme Blend 1/2 g

So that adds up to roughly 50 grams- thus leaving space for about 15 grams worth of flavoring agents (such as cocoa for the chocolate and coconut milk for the vanilla), and then soluable vegetable fiber. 

So. Remind me what we’re paying all this money for again? Because what I see is a basic pea protein shake with a ton of flavorings, a decent amount of sugar, and a dusting of all these fancy-dancy herbs and greens and all the ‘fun’ stuff to talk about. 

The reality of Kachava is that it’s a vegan protein shake with oats, sugar, and vitamins in it

I love shakes with protein and oats and sugar. I just don’t know if the dusting of herbs and a hit of vitamins is enough to make me want to pay an ultra-premium for the stuff. I mean. A half a gram of super greens. What is that actually going to do for you? But. Let’s talk taste. 

What’s the Best Flavor of Kachava Meal Replacement Shakes? 

The best flavor of Kachava is the vanilla in my opinion. I think the chocolate is not balanced enough for me to really get excited about it. The vanilla is sweet and smooth, while the chocolate skews too far towards bitter. But I will say both are very drinkable. And for a Pea/Brown Rice blend, which I usually have trouble digesting, er, smoothly, Kachava does sit well with very little bloating.

The tastes, if I had to describe them, are definitely different from a traditional whey or dairy based supplement though. The proteins that you are used to are usually much smoother and a little sweeter than the Kachava Tribal Superfood shakes. But the things you get from Kachava as far as tastes that you DON’T get from a dairy protein are sort of pleasant. It just tastes ‘earthier’ and more natural. You definitely feel healthier after drinking Kachava than you do after drinking a dairy-based bodybuilding-style protein laden with artificial flavors and sweeteners. But really it’s not a feeling good enough to justify the cost. 

Does Kachava Protein Look Good? 

Yes. It does. And as you guys know- nobody loves the glitz and glam of good branding more than I do. Kachava Whole Body Meal is probably going to be a big hit with all the rich housewives in Beverly Hills because they’ve done a really nice job of story-telling and really positioning their Kachava shakes as a luxury item that is going to improve your health. They use tasteful patterns and homages to ancient cultures to build a narrative around how healthy and wholesome Kachava is. The packaging uses naked brown kraft paper and brown hues to reinforce the ‘natural’ aspects of it. It’s super sharp. It’s something you leave out on your kitchen counter while you stuff your whey-protein into the pantry next to the cereal.

Kachava Review Summary

What you have here is a product that is beautifully executed. And honestly I rag on the product itself a little bit, but it’s done so while harboring dramatic adoration for this brand and company. In a weird way I LOVE Kachava…just like everyone else. It’s just so violently out of my price range that I HAD to show you that behind all the fancy selling points the product isn’t as premium as they would have you believe. It should really be sold at a slightly price point to make it more accessible to it’s poorer fans. Like me.

Kachava Final Review Grade: 8.0 (9.0 if it was 30% cheaper)

 

Allie Lewis

By Allie Lewis

Hi, my name is Allie and reviewing products is my hobby. I am passionate about being fit and active, so making a blog about my experience with different products that help me stay healthy made sense to me. Please contact me at any time if you would like to guest post or advertise on-site.