Protein drinks are good – plant-based protein drinks are better. Plant-based protein is becoming all the rage, with products like Flow Supplement Protein Plus and Orgain. Not only do they appeal to a wider market (think vegans and vegetarians), they are cleaner and healthier to boot. And if you can get a complete protein from plants in a drink plus all the minerals and nutrients you’d get from eating lots of salads, why not?
You probably notice a difference in your energy levels when you eat more greens, and surely also after a workout. If only it were possible to keep those levels up throughout the entire day! This is what the Après company has set out to do. Their “replenishment” drinks help to maintain those energy levels from the inside out. Let’s take a look at their products and what they’re about. Keep reading our Apres review to see if this enhanced protein drink is right for you?
About Après
Since 2016, Après has been providing plant-based drinks to help recreate the post-exercise endorphin “high” that so many know and love. The creators of Après wanted to design a replenishment drink that nourishes the body through hydration and well-balanced nutrition, made with high-quality ingredients.
Designed to be a snack drink rather than a meal replacement, Après is ideal for a quick breakfast, between-meal pick-me-up, or post-workout energy sustainer.
Après Benefits
Après gives healthy, clean energy and a balanced nutrition profile. The combo of plant protein and healthy fats from coconut ingredients helps to fill you up and keep you satisfied, boosting your energy any time of day. The fiber in the plant protein blend helps with digestion as well, and the drink even has low sugar content.
You can think of Apres as an enhanced protein drink. It contains 14 grams of protein, as you’d expect from a protein drink, but it has a few other benefits.
The product contains MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) which are healthy fats that support sustained energy. Apres also contains electrolytes from coconut water to keep you hydrated. With this formulation, Apres is a protein shake that supports your energy levels and keeps you hydrated.
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients.
Après Ingredients
The first two ingredients listed are filtered water and coconut water; so far, so good. Next is the plant protein blend, which is made of chia, pea, hemp, and cacao—organic, no less! Good stuff. Then, after the ubiquitous “natural flavors” (which we know can mean just about anything), there is coconut oil, coconut sugar, and sunflower lecithin. Better than soy lecithin, sunflower is good for skin, nervous system, brain, heart…basically the whole body.
As it turns out, the company states that their “natural flavors” are all plant extracts, apparently a combination of flavors to create a unique profile for each drink. So even those, ambiguous as they are, are plant-based! Go, Après.
An electrolyte blend of potassium phosphate and sea salt follows, which makes sense as to why the sodium and potassium counts are so high for this drink. Besides the coconut sugar, Après is sweetened with monk fruit, which is one of the healthiest sweeteners available, and is flavored with Madagascar vanilla. Each variety also has its own flavorings: chocolate has cocoa powder, chai has cinnamon, etc.
Last but not least is gellan gum, a plant-based thickener that’s vegan-approved. All ingredients are vegan, non-GMO, dairy-free, and kosher, and most are organic. Like many other protein products, such as Ghost Whey Protein, Après is also soy-free and gluten-free. Overall, it seems Après provides a complete and healthy nutrition profile, with MCTs from the coconut oil (4g); hydration and electrolytes from the coconut water, salt, and potassium (6g); and balanced amino acids from the plant proteins (14g).
Does Après Work?
Reviews for Après are largely positive, with an overall rating of 4.0 stars on their site and 99% of users saying they’d recommend the product. Most customers mention the taste over the actual effectiveness of the drink, but several say that it helps them get through a workday or is a good breakfast replacement, especially when practicing intermittent fasting. Many say that the drink does indeed help them feel full and stave off hunger until the next meal. At 180 calories or less per 11-oz. drink, that alone sounds like Après is a success.
The ingredients in Apres are well-researched and should have the intended results. You will get a solid protein boost from the plant proteins, a nice energy boost from the MCTs, and a healthy hydration boost from the electrolyte blend. Overall, we’d say Apres definitely works as intended.
Who is It Best for?
Après would really be good for almost anybody, but it’s targeted toward those with a busy lifestyle and need to grab a quick snack as well as those who need to sustain post-workout energy levels. With its protein and health benefits, Après would likely be good even for busy teens and kids (they may even like the flavor!). If they don’t look too closely, maybe they’ll never know it’s healthy. Since Après is vegan and free of gluten, dairy, and soy, it should be good for just about everyone!
Safety and Side Effects
Aside from the usual food allergies in some individuals, Après should be generally safe to use considering its clean ingredient profile. The cold brew coffee flavor contains caffeine, so that’s something to take into account. But unless you’re allergic to coconut or one of the other ingredients, such as hemp, you shouldn’t have any issues from drinking Après.
Clinical Studies
Après does not mention having done any clinical studies on its site; however, the ingredients, benefits, and effects are pretty straightforward. It’s common knowledge that coconut ingredients are healthy, plant proteins are clean, and electrolytes are necessary. The company doesn’t make any wild claims other than trying to give people a healthy glow.
Where to Buy Apres
Après has four flavors available: mint cacao, sea salt chocolate, vanilla, and cold brew coffee. All flavors can be purchased on the company’s official website.
The orders come in packs of 6, 12, or 24. Of course, the more you order, the cheaper they are per bottle. A 24-pack ends up at $3.65 per bottle as opposed to $3,70 per bottle for the 12-pack. You can also subscribe, which saves you another 10%.
You can order a variety pack with one of each flavor, which is a great way to test out all the flavors before you commit. The company sometimes has a 4-pack trial on the Après site is $19.95, and you can get $5 off your first order when you sign up for text alerts on the site.
Some customers aren’t super thrilled with the cost, although it’s not entirely outrageous. It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you drink one Après daily, it’s easy to see how it could get a little expensive quickly. At $80-$90 for a 24-pack, which won’t even last a month, you might want to consider spacing them out a bit. However, that’s still cheaper than a daily large latte!
Aside from the website and Amazon, Après is only available through small retailers who partner with the company, such as yoga studios and spas. It doesn’t hurt to check on their website and see if there’s a local retailer near you if you’d like to try it out.
Conclusion
The pros of Après seem to far outweigh the cons, with the main con being the cost. If Après replaces some of your food, however, it will either balance out or potentially end up being slightly less expensive in the end (not to mention probably healthier!). Like everything, it’s relative. But with the clean, plant-based ingredients and satiating properties Après has to offer, it’s likely well worth it.
