Ka’Chava Review: Is This Superfood Powder Worth It?

In our fast-paced world, finding time for three meals a day can sometimes feel like a luxury you can’t afford. Meal replacement powders like Ka’Chava offer a convenient solution. Not only can they help keep us full while on the go, but they can also offer additional benefits, such as providing a nutritional boost, supporting weight management, and helping balance energy levels.

With countless superfood supplement options available, it’s important to determine whether Ka’Chava is the best meal replacement or protein powder for you. In this Ka’Chava review, we’ll explore various aspects of this popular vegan protein powder shake, including its health benefits, ingredients, taste, texture, and more.

Ka’Chava Quick Facts

• Best for: Those who want plant-based protein with their superfoods
• Ka’Chava Cost: $69.95 for a 15-day porch ($4.66 per serving), $59.95 with a subscription
• Ka’Chava Nutrition Facts:
  • Calories: 240
  • Fat: 6 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 20 grams
  • Protein: 25 grams
  • Sugar: 7 grams
  • Fiber: 6 grams
• Ka’Chava Ingredients: 85+ ingredients, including a plant-based protein blend, a digestive enzyme blend, functional mushrooms, whole-grain oats, essential fatty acids, a supergreen and vegetable blend, and a superfruit blend. 
• Ka’Chava Flavors:
  • Chocolate
  • Vanilla
  • Strawberry
  • Coconut acai
  • Matcha
  • Chai
• Texture: Ka'Chava nutritional shake is fairly smooth and less gritty than many other protein shakes I’ve tried.
• Ka’Chava Health Claims:
  • Health and wellness
  • Productivity
  • Athletic performance
  • Weight management
• Best Ka’Chava Alternatives: Options like Live it Up Super Greens, AG1, and Huel Daily Greens offer many of the same superfood benefits as Ka’Chava.

A Rundown of Ka’Chava

Founded in 2014, Ka’Chava is known for offering fully plant-based products and embracing a clean ingredient list packed with superfoods. Their flagship offering, the all-in-one nutrition shake, contains 25 grams of plant-based protein along with essential vitamins, minerals, greens, probiotics, adaptogens, omegas, and digestive enzymes. In addition to the Whole Body Meal shake, Ka’Chava also offers Snack Bars.

After trying the shake and diving deeper into its ingredients and nutrition facts, I determined that Ka’Chava may not be the best for everyone. Here are my key takeaways:

• The shake tastes good. It's flavorful without being overly sweet; it includes coconut nectar and lo han fruit (also known as monk fruit) as natural sweeteners. While I did notice clumpiness in my shakes, I found this product to be less chalky compared to many other meal replacement powders I’ve tried.
• Ka’Chava is priced at $4.66 per serving, making it one of the more expensive meal replacement or vegan protein powder options available. There are numerous other shakes with similar nutrient profiles and ingredient lists available at lower price points.
• Ka’Chava is marketed as a meal replacement, offering 240 calories per serving. For context, the average woman needs around 2,000 calories per day, depending on age, weight, and activity level. This means one Ka’Chava shake makes up approximately 12% of the daily caloric needs for women, which, in my opinion, is an insufficient meal replacement. However, with 25g of plant-based protein, this product may be better suited as a snack that helps you meet your protein goals.

What I Liked

• 85+ plant-based ingredients, many of which are organic
• Gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free
• Third-party tested
• Available in six flavors, relatively tasty
• 25 grams of vegan pea protein
• Ka'Chava's sweetness was well-balanced and not overwhelming

What I Disliked

• The “Love It” guarantee, only allows you to return products for store credit, not a refund
• No free shipping (must purchase 2+ pouches to get free shipping)
• Low in calories for a meal-replacement shake
• Contains fillers, which may affect individuals with digestive issues
• Relatively expensive

Ka’Chava Health Targets

According to the Ka'Chava website, this protein powder shake claims to offer nine different health benefits, from immune support and energy production to joint support and hair and skin health. Let’s take a closer look at some of their biggest claims regarding nutrition intake, weight management, and athletic performance to see if Ka’Chava delivers on its promises.

Boosts Nutrition Intake

Ka'Chava is packed with a wide range of essential nutrients, offering: 

• 25 grams of plant-based pea, grain, and brown rice protein
• 6 grams of fiber
• Greens
• Omega-3s
• Probiotics
• Adaptogens
• Antioxidants
• 26 vitamins and minerals 

According to the supplement facts panel, this vegan protein powder has 24 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of fat, providing your body with key macronutrients.Plus, the whole-food ingredients provide a rich source of micronutrients, delivering anywhere from 6% to 250% of your daily needs for vitamins A, C, B12, zinc, and magnesium.

However, while Ka’Chava is  marketed as a meal replacement shake or “all-in-one ultimate whole body meal,” its 240 calories per serving fall short of being a complete meal substitute. In reality, Ka'Chava only accounts for about 8-10% of the recommended daily caloric intake, making it a better option as a healthy snack rather than a full meal replacement.

Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight

On its website, Ka’Chava discusses how its meal replacement shake can support a healthy body weight. One of the brand's recommendations is to "replace up to two meals per day with Ka'Chava to support your weight loss efforts." However, as mentioned earlier, this is not a safe approach, as 240 calories per serving is insufficient as a proper meal replacement. So, although this supplement may help you feel fuller throughout the day, it is not designed to simply replace a well-rounded diet altogether.

Ka'Chava also highlights the 25 grams of protein in each serving, sourced from its plant-based protein blend, which includes:

• Yellow pea protein
• Brown rice
• Sacha inchi
• Amaranth
• Quinoa 

Sufficient amounts of protein is essential for healthy weight management as protein helps promote satiety, supports energy, and lean muscle. Although protein is higher in calories than other foods, it does not necessarily correlate to weight gain, but instead supports your body in maintaining a healthy weight.

Additionally, the 6 grams of fiber per serving, from whole grain oats, chia, flax, and chicory root, further supports fullness by remaining in the digestive system longer than refined carbohydrates and sugars.

Supports Athletic Performance

Ka’Chava also claims that it can support athletic performance by contributing to energy balance and supporting muscle health and wellness. 

Ka’Chava supports energy levels through:

• B-complex vitamins to help convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy
• Vitamin B12 and iron to assist in oxygen transport, aiding with fatigue
• Phosphorus and magnesium to support the production of ATP, the molecule your body uses to store and release energy, helping to sustain balanced energy throughout the day

Ka'Chava supports muscle health and wellness through: 

• Iron to help transport oxygen to muscles via myoglobin, ensuring they receive the oxygen needed during intense physical activity. 
• Electrolytes like magnesium, calcium, and sodium to aid in muscle contraction and maintaining fluid balance, both critical for proper muscle function. 
• Vitamins C and E to act as antioxidants, protecting muscle cells from oxidative stress.

Ka’Chava Formula

Ka’Chava, like many other superfood powders, does not specify the amounts of each ingredient it contains. Instead, it uses “proprietary blends” to group its ingredients, which obscures how much of each nutrient you’re actually getting. This is significant because many ingredients need to be consumed in specific amounts to deliver their promised health benefits.

For example, maca root is included in Ka’Chava’s adaptogen blend, which is one of 8 proprietary blends included in Ka'Chava's meal replacement shake. Research suggests that taking 3.5 grams of maca root daily for six weeks can help balance mood and support mental health. However, there’s no evidence that these benefits occur at lower doses. Since Ka’Chava’s total adaptogen blend is only 1.2 mg, it’s unlikely that users will experience the claimed benefits when consuming this product.

Another important aspect of Ka’Chava’s protein powder is that many ingredients are organic, which could contribute to its premium price. 

When it comes to allergens, Ka’Chava is friendly for a range of dietary restrictions:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Soy-free 
• No added sugar
• No artificial sweeteners 
• Free of artificial flavors 

However, Ka’Chava’s meal replacement shake contains tree nuts and sesame and traces of caffeine.
Ka’Chava also contains added gums, specifically guar gum and xanthan gum. I was disappointed to see these fillers on the ingredient list for a couple of reasons: they occupy space that could have been used for superfoods and can cause side effects and digestive issues for some individuals.

Ka’Chava Cost

Ka’Chava protein powder can be purchased online, on Amazon, or through its official website, as well as at popular retailers like Target and Walmart.

Like with many supplements on the market, Ka’Chava offers a subscription option. However, even though the subscription saves $10 per purchase, this is still one of the most expensive supplements on the market. 
And this sentiment was clearly captured in many of the customer reviews I read. One user wrote, “Way too expensive for me to continue using on a regular basis. Now using another more affordable brand.”

Ka’Chava Taste and Texture

Though taste and texture may not be top priorities for everyone when choosing a superfood powder or vegan protein powder, I find them crucial for making a supplement part of my daily routine and long-term habit. Since taste and texture are subjective, I've included both my own thoughts and those of other customers from various Ka'Chava reviews.

Taste

Ka’Chava Superfoods protein powder comes in six flavors: 

1. Chocolate
2. Vanilla
3. Strawberry
4. Coconut Acai
5. Chai
6. Matcha 

According to the supplement fact panel, this vegan protein powder is naturally sweetened with coconut flower nectar and lo han fruit extract, which gives these shakes a tasty, subtly sweet flavor. Although the chocolate flavor is one of the most popular flavors, I sampled the matcha and coconut acai flavors and enjoyed both when mixed with just water.

Some customers, like me, had positive experiences with Ka’Chava’s flavors. One customer wrote, “The chocolate flavor tastes delicious, not too sweet, and no weird aftertaste from fake sugar. ”

Another said, “I use vanilla Ka’Chava every day, but I only put it with my fruit smoothie and personally love it. I can’t have my smoothie without it anymore.”

However, others were less satisfied. One reviewer shared, “It doesn’t taste chocolatey at all, and it’s pretty gross.”

Another noted, “The taste isn’t great—it’s not horrible, but it’s definitely not great. It's like a literal whisper of vanilla and then an aftertaste of mushroom, so either get chocolate or be ready to add something for flavor.”

Texture

As for Ka’Chava’s texture, I was a little more mixed. While my shake was creamier and less chalky than other meal replacement powders I’ve tried, it still felt a little grainy and clumpy. I found that many other customers had similar experiences.

One user wrote, “I bought the coconut acai, and yes, I can definitely taste the coconut, but it’s grainy and ends up leaving my throat a bit scratchy.

Again, personal preferences vary. You may need to experiment with Ka’Chava’s flavors to find one you absolutely love and try mixing them with different liquids, like water, milk, or smoothies, to find a consistency you enjoy.

Customer Reviews

After combing through Ka’Chava’s customer reviews on various platforms, several themes emerged. Beyond the commentary on taste and texture (which can be viewed above), here are some recurring topics that surfaced:

Satiety

As mentioned previously, I wouldn’t recommend using Ka’Chava’s 240-calorie serving smoothie as a full meal; it’s better suited as a healthy snack alternative. However, it was interesting to hear how others experienced this product in terms of satiety.

Many customers who tried Ka’Chava reported feeling hungry after their meal replacement shake. One customer wrote, “The biggest issue that I have is that it does not keep you full, which is the point of a meal replacement.”

Another noted, “I was hoping that the shake would make me feel full for a while, but it doesn’t last very long."

On the other hand, a few users claimed that the shake served as an adequate breakfast. One reviewer shared, “It leaves me feeling full until lunch, and sometimes I’m not even hungry by lunchtime.”

Ka’Chava Side Effects

Lastly, a few users commented on unexpected side effects when using the meal replacement powder, such as bloating and constipation. I saw several comments related to spiked glucose levels, which I wanted to flag for others.

“I cannot eat sugar and it has several grams of added sugar. Love the whole concept and it’s really good, but I cannot drink it without spiking glucose,” one user wrote.

Another shared, “I still don’t feel too great after drinking it sometimes. I suspect it's spiking my blood sugar because I feel tired a lot of times after having it as my only meal (replacement).”

Is Ka’Chava Worth It?

Ka’Chava Superfoods is a worthwhile consideration for those seeking a protein-packed superfood powder. Available in 6 delicious flavors, Ka'Chava stands out for its enjoyable taste and 85+ ingredients. However, the efficacy of individual ingredients is questionable due to the sheer number packed into each serving.

With only 240 calories per serving, I wouldn’t recommend using it as a full meal replacement, despite its marketing. Furthermore, at approximately $4.66 per serving, it is on the pricier side compared to other brands that offer similar benefits.

For those primarily looking to incorporate greens and superfoods into their diet, it might be worth exploring other greens powder options like Live it Up Super Greens or Huel Daily Greens. Greens powders offer a range of possible benefits, with the primary being nutritional support. Although most greens blends are not a meal replacement shake or protein powder, they provide balanced nutritional support for overall wellness.

Ultimately, each person’s health concerns and goals vary. While I wouldn’t typically recommend Ka’Chava to all of my clients, it could be a good fit for some.

Ka’Chava Alternatives

Ka’Chava is just one of countless supplements out there, meaning that there’s something for everyone. If you’re not convinced that Ka’Chava is for you, consider giving these other super green supplements a try.

Want to learn more? Check out the 10 best greens supplements here.

FAQs about Ka’Chava

Find answers to common questions about Ka’Chava protein powder and its ingredients, benefits, and more.

What are the negative side effects of Ka’Chava?

Some users may experience issues with gut health or digestion, due to the high fiber content in Ka’Chava protein powder, while others have reported glucose level spikes. Individuals with specific food sensitivities or allergies should check the ingredient list, as it contains sesame, coconut, and caffeine. Starting with a smaller serving can help reduce discomfort, and consulting a professional for health advice before beginning any new supplement is advisable.

Does Ka’Chava really help you lose weight?

Ka’Chava protein powder is not a weight loss supplement but can help support weight management as part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Thanks to its plant-based protein blend, Ka'Chava's 25 grams of protein may help promote fullness, stave off cravings, and reduce snacking. However, individual results can vary based on diet, exercise, and metabolism.

Is Ka’Chava FDA-approved?

Ka’Chava, like all dietary supplements, does not require FDA approval before sale. However, the FDA regulates dietary supplements to ensure safety and accurate labeling. Ka’Chava claims that its products are produced in a facility that is FDA-registered and meets current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). They also claim to conduct physical, chemical, and microbiological tests on each batch before release.

Why is Ka’Chava so expensive?

One reason Ka’Chava may be priced higher is the large number of ingredients included in the "all-in-one shake," many of which are organic. However, users may find that other superfood products like Live it Up Super Greens offer comparable health benefits.

Is Ka’Chava really that healthy?

Ka’Chava includes a range of good-for-you ingredients that may promote overall health and support whole-body nutrition. If you’re struggling to get fruits, veggies, and complex carbohydrates into your daily diet, Ka’Chava may help fill that nutritional gap. Additionally, this superfood supplement powder contains plenty of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and other micronutrients. 

However, as a meal replacement, Ka’Chava does not offer sufficient calories, making it very likely that replacing one or two meals with this supplement is unhealthy for adults. If taken as a snack alongside a well-rounded diet, Ka’Chava may offer potential health benefits, including weight management.