You are in: Home / Drinks / Special K Protein Water

Special K Protein Water

Towards the end of last year - a whole line of Kellogg's "protein-enhanced" foods started appearing on shelves. The growth of the beverage industry never ceases to amaze me.

Kellogg's K20 water contains just 5 grams of protein in a 16oz bottle. Along with that you get 8 grams of sugar (plus some Splenda) - all for $1.50 per drink.

A BusinessWeek column called it "a case of brand extension greed" - and I think they are right. According to Promo Magazine: "The line will be positioned as nutritious "shape management" tools, targeting consumers interested in weight loss."

Kellogg's have even included the drink in the "Special K Challenge" promotions - claiming that "Losing 6 pounds in 2 weeks just got easier".

Special K20 ingredients

Water, contains two percent or less of sugar, whey protein isolate, citric acid, phosphoric acid, natural flavor (contains soy), calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, yellow #5.

Are consumers really that gullible? Anyone ever heard of milk?

Why protein is import

Protein is an essential nutrient for optimal health. The human body uses protein to make hair and nails, to repair tissue, produce enzymes and hormones, and is necessary for building bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Protein is a macronutrient, meaning the body requires a lot of it; same as fat and carbohydrates.

WebMD's dietary recommendations for protein

Adolescent boys and active men should get a total of seven ounces of protein daily.
Children, ages 2 to 6, women, and older people require five ounces of protein per day.
And older kids, teenage girls, active women, and most men should strive for six ounces of protein each day.

Where to find protein

The obvious choice for protein is animal foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs, but plant sources are just as good; nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables, like spinach and kale, all contain protein.

Print This Page

The Do's and Don'ts for Healthier Coffee (Diet Blog)
MiO: The New, Healthier Crystal Light? (Diet Blog)
Meet Greg, 155 Pounds Down! (DailySpark)
2012 Super Bowl Commercial Winners: Oikos and Belvita [VIDEOS] (Diets in Review)

113 Comments

Claire S.

Anyone who needs to get their protein from artificially sweetened water clearly has serious dietary issues...

Tara

Individuals should use this drink to increase satiety. I do not believe that it is intended to be used as a good source of protein. A well balanced diet is to be eaten in addition to the protein water. The protein water is just supposed to decrease snacking and overeating.
MS, RD, LD

Dosko

Good work out water ....Good for people on the go looking to supplement between meals. For example you want to get some protien/fuel into your body between your evening work out and your dinner durring that post work out "golden hour" this is perfect. Granted you can just use your protien and shaker cup. But, if you have meal replacement shaker cup burn out and grabing a bottle of water isan easy habbit, this is perfection. Even better you can pour thier powder version into 0 calorie powerade....I should work 4 these guys. ....Maybe they do have Dietary issues???cancer, gatro intestinal surger etc...or maybe they are mindful of there carb to protien intake ration

Brandon

you are an idiot. it is in no way advertised as a replacement for all foods containing protein. maybe hit the treadmill a few times a week and you wont have to worry about what kellogg puts in their water.

Tatum

NO!! They just need a little extra help! personally I think this water is very helpful. I have one everyday and it keeps me from snacking at night and I don't eat as much as i use to.

Donna

I was very grateful for this product. If you have ever had a procedure where you could only drink clear liquids for 24 hours...it was a life saver. My mom is 83 and she couldn't go that long without some protein, my daughter has very bad hypoglycemia and could never go without protein for more than 4 hours.
Thank-you Special K for this product!!!!

Deb

OR maybe they're on a clear liquids diet and are tired of being hungry!!

Talia Mana, Centre for Emotional Well-Being

Proof that the world has truely gone mad...

I'm all for leveraging your brand but I don't see protein water as a fit for a breakfast cereal brand. If it was a breakfast on the go then yes, but protein water? Off to go crack a few macadamia shells, because that's a much nicer way to get protein imho

Thanks Jim for making me smile at the crazy world of marketing

Cindy Moore

YES!!!! People are that gullible!!!

Even better....have you seen the new Special K cereal? It has "chocolatey pieces".....made with partially hydrogenated palm kernal oil....oh, yea, that's healthy!!!
http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?brand=215&product=8093&cat=

vero

yeah well maybe your the gullible one not people!!!!

Linszi

Maybe some people just prefer to drink water or ice tea and not Milk. ever think of that? And as an added benefit get a little extra protien. different strokes for different folks live and let live and all that. sheesh

kirtee

i agree

Chris

Exactly... people like me that are lactose intollerant tend to stay away from milk...

Brandon

cindy you are yet another reason why free speech shouldnt be so free. get a job

Kristen

I love this stuff..
I take it to school with me on the go all the time..
and i certainly am not trying to lose weight..
it came in my cereal and now im obsessed with it.

Dixie

'Natural Flavor Two Percent or Less - Contains Soy'

MSG flags for anyone sensitive to it.

Nic

All I care about is calories. I drink sugar free energy drinks. 0-10 calories per can!

Caity

im on the special k challenge, even though i shouldnt be, im only 15. ive been eating two bowls of special k for almost a year, and it led to anorexia. if you are going to do the special k challenge i suggest you eat more then what they say, im not better still and im going to keep doing the special k challenge even though im only 15, 5 foot 6, and weigh 100 lbs.

Morgan

Wow. I can`t believe you put that. I am in the EXACT same postion you are. My dieting started out with this Special K diet when I was 12 and weighed around 143. I`m 13 now and weigh less than 100. I`m 20 pounds underweight. I am still doing this diet even though I know it is bad for me to do it. I just can`t stop. This product can help with weight loss, but I don`t reccomend being on this diet unless you keep your personal best interest at heart. Best of luck with beating your eating disorder, if you`re like me, we both need the luck.

Rosalyn

wow same here thats where it all started for me, and its the worst thing that ever happend to me.

i really dont think this diet should be advertised

whitney

Hey I read your comment....does it really work?

emily

The diet does work. It is only because you keep on it. If you are 12 and 15 year old, you should not have been on it anyways. It doesnt have anything to do with the diet, it has to do with the fact that you have self image issues. I am sorry to be blunt but maybe you should get some help. i was on the diet for 2 weeks to jump start my diet but got sick of eating cereal. At your age you should really seek help or tell your parents.

Emily

what??? why would eating cereal lead to anorexia?

Ana

lol, eating "diet" cereal doesn't lead to anorexia. I had anorexia nervosa and I couldn't care less for cereal.

What they mean is that when they started their diet it DEVELOPED into an eating disorder. But an E.D. has nothing to do with Kellogg's products; rather, many people's eating disorders begin with a diet and then progress to something more serious.

Spectra

Nic--I like those sugar free energy drinks too, but they are SO expensive! This protein water is pretty pricey too. I think I'd rather just eat an egg and drink a glass of regular water. Maybe it's not as convenient, but it would probably satisfy me more. I tried this Special K water and I didn't particularly care for it...it has a funny taste to it.

Lindsay

If you go to the Special K website and read up on the "Special K Challenge," you'll see that they only guarantee weight loss in people with BMI's > 25. That means you have to be overweight in order for the diet to work, and Caity, you're nowhere near a BMI like that.

Donna

Actually if it does contain protein I think it is a good thing. I had a gastric bypass surger a number of years ago, and i've always struggled to get my protein. I can't do those thick drinks, because they make me throw up. Milk is out of the question because not only is it loaded with fat, the milk sugar makes me quite ill. I haven't tried the water but I'm going to.

Jamie

Donna - I, too, had gastric bypass a number of years ago. I totally understand the deal with the thick protein drinks as well as trying to drink a lot of milk (even though it's natural sugar).

I just tried this protein water and think it is fabulous! It tastes great and just happens to be good for you, too! Very refreshing alternative, although keep in mind it is still just 5g of protein... that's still 5g more than I had yesterday!

On the milk deal, if you like milk but just have an issue wiht the fat and sugar content, look for various "low carb" varieties. They are sometimes hard to find, but Hood-brand produces a very tasty line of milk from whole to skim (chocolate, too!). Not to push a particular brand, but it's low in sugar, and has added protein.

If you happen to live in Texas and are near and HEB grocery store, they produce their own brand of reduced-sugar/protein-enhanced milk varieties including skim.

I know your post was over a year ago - hope you check in.

To everyone else - just try the water for yourself. If you love it - great. If you hate it and think we're ridiculous for loving it - great, too. Just keep that to yourself - you're only showing that us "protein water lovers" aren't the only ridiculous idiots out there!

MEL

MY FRIEND RECENTLY HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND SHE STARTED DRINKING THIS SPECIAL K WATER AND LOVES IT. SHE SAYS IT IS AN EASY WAY TO KEEP HER PROTEIN LEVELS UP AND GET HER WATER IN. SHE SAYS IT IS A LITTLE PRICEY. HE KEEPS THE BOTTLES AFTER SHE DRINKS THE 1.50 BOTTLES AND USES THE MIX PACKETS FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.I THINK THEY COULD HAVE LEFT THE SUGAR OUT AND JUST USED SPLENDA?? THE PACKETS OF THE MIX ARE HARD TO GET TO DISSOLVE ALSO. THE SOUTH BEACH DIET FLAVORED WATER MIX TASTE BETTER AND IS BETTER FOR YOU.

I have the lap band and I love them... I use the drink mix. But I can not use the whole thing as its too sweet. I mix 1/2 the mix in 32 oz of water. Also if you add the mix AFTER you put your water in you bottle and shake it dissolves with no issues.
This is a good way for me to get my water and supplement my protein intake but i never use it to replace it. 5 grams is not that much at all.
Each flavor is different, I only like the strawberry kiwi one, but my friend (who has the same surgery) like the lemon-aid one.
We both think the TEA is gross.

erin

I'm a lifelong vegetarian, who hates eggs, and have always struggled with getting protein. After reading that this has 8 grams of sugar vs 5 grams of protein, I'm glad I didn't find this in the store.

A woman my age (28), should consume at least 24 g of protein a day. A boca burger, one patty alone, delivers 13 g of protein!!! Top a salad with two of these puppies, and you'll be good.

The Special K Honey Nut bars are decent at 5g of protein (90 calories), and green giant has those "just for one" portions of carrots and brocolli that for 60 calories, delivers another 3 or 4 g of protein.

Drink milk, eat your veggies, and opt for whole/multi-grained foods.

This water, although infused with extra protein, should only be a once-in-a-while pick-me-up to stave hunger. Just like you can't live on energy drinks (or you shouldn't), you probably shouldn't rely on this as a daily supplement.

Calliope

I bought this beverage just to try it. While I'm not convinced it will help me lose weight, I think it's better for me to drink this artificially sweetened protein-water beverage than to continue drinking copious amounts of Diet Coke. I know water is good for me, but I have always had trouble motivating myself to drink it. Maybe with this drink, which really doesn't taste so bad, I will eliminate 32 ounces per day of Diet Coke and break myself of that bad habit.

Melissa

I just bought this drink because I hate milk and never get up in time to make breakfast. I try to eat a granola bar in the morning, but the ones I can actually stomach don't have enough protein in them to fill me up. The ones that are full of Soy don't agree with my stomach (like the South Beach Diet bars), so I hope this drink will help in my endeavor to not starve before lunch time.

Alison

In response to the comment on having serious dietary issues...........Did you ever stop and think some people need the extra protein for health reasons and it is a good way to add protein to your diet. Everyone should have 60-75g of protein daily.

Exactly. Thank you. I'm not looking to lose weight: I'm looking to quit losing weight and gain just a little muscle mass back after suffering something of an eating disorder relapse. So darn straight I have serious dietary issues. But for someone like me it's incredibly difficult (on a bad day) to supplement my protein intake with milk or other traditional protein sources. It makes me a little sad that this product is marketed so exclusively as a weight loss supplement, but jeez, some of the rhetoric here about idiots who can't stomach normal protein sources... yikes.

Everett

As a male, athletic, lacto-ovo vegetarian, I love this idea. I do drink a large amount of nonfat milk, but milk does not travel well.

Further, I am frequently appalled by the lack of protein taken in by "dieting" women. That lack of protein is a key ingredient to the muscle-loss/metabolism-slowing/yo-yo dieting dilemnia. Extra protein is not going to hurt anyone, with the rare and obvious exception of the fractional percentage of the population with renal issues.

I have yet to try this product, but I'm giving two thumbs up for protein water!

More comments: 1 2 3 4 5 6