How healthy are Naked Juices?
By Gillian Findley
With five minutes in-between classes, running against foot traffic and gusty winds, a quick snack would have to do before the next class you want to be sure to make on time..
“I usually go with what can fill me up the quickest if I’m in serious need of food and in a rush,” Daneila Blake, a senior majoring in public administration says.
The most important meal of the day might be skipped because of late nights and forgetting to set an alarm, or hitting the snooze button too many times.
“I usually skip breakfast on my early mornings and grab a Naked Juice from Kean’s Starbucks and call it a day,” Blake said.
Blake expressed that she likes the boost, vitamins, and fiber the drink contains. She says that it is the easiest way to consume them, and that the all-in-one drink is “extremely and incredibly delicious.”
Some students, like Malika Walker, a senior who is an accounting major, say they like the drink for the flavor.
“I don’t know the nutritional value of Naked Juices, but I don’t drink them for those purposes,” said Walker. “I drink them because they are very good.”
Is the Naked drink too good to be true?
According to ABC news, a $9 million class-action settlement was funded after plaintiffs questioned the company’s claims of “100 percent juice” and “all natural” labeling. ABC news reported last August that if people purchased Naked Juice in between Sept. 27, 2007 and Aug. 19, 2013, they could electronically receive a payment of up to $75 in the mail by Dec. 17, 2013.
Five class action complaints were filed against Naked Juice. ABC news reported that Naked Juice, which is owned by PepsiCo, was being sued for the violation of “state and federal laws and consumer protection statutes related to advertising, labeling and marketing of certain products.”
“I never rely on drinks for nutrition because I find if you’re trying to be healthy, you should just drink water,” Jennifer Lee, a junior who majors in history, said.
“I really don’t drink Naked Juices because of how much money they are,” Kevin Hunt, a senior who majors in English said. “I always thought they were nutritious but after the lawsuit in the summer…I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money.”
Even though Naked Juices advertise the right words such as “100 percent juice,” “boost” and the numbers of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins, the facts of the juice do not live up to the hype.
A blogger, Kevin Geary, teaches people how to reprogram their body and mind for success with ancestral health and modern psychology. He wrote a nine page response to Naked Juices and whether or not drinking them will help you look good naked. Geary says no.
His blog, “TheRebootedBody,” goes into great detail about the drink and includes specifics about the lawsuit. He highlights how labeling the juice “Non-GMO” is a lie when the company knowingly uses genetically-modified ingredients in its products.
Geary lists how synthetic ingredients and fibers are in Naked Juices and how the company intentionally misleads customers.
“When you drink a Mountain Dew or a Naked Juice, you’re consuming more fructose in one sitting than you should consume over the course of a few days,” said Geary in a comparison of Naked Juice and Mountain Dew.
Naked Juices are sold at Kean University, main campus (Starbucks and the CAS and UC building) and on East campus.