Eating is one of the most pleasurable, enlightening ways to experience a culture when traveling. Snacking on the road however usually consists of a forced choice between junk and crap due to a lack of healthy (or tasty) options between point origin and destination. Meal replacement drinks have grown in popularity over the last few years so I was especially intrigued when I was contacted by Ambronite.
Started by 5 Finns through a successful Indigogo campaign, I decided to try Ambronite to see if it might be an ideal body hack travelers can use during long layovers.
Starts As A Powder
Ambronite is delivered in a small box of either five or ten sealed powered packets meant to be mixed with cold water, ready to consume within a few minutes. Made completely from natural foods that are blended down, Ambronite is designed to meet the nutritional requirements of a balanced meal.
You can see the entire ingredient list here. Ambronite is gluten-free, has no added sugar, and is vegan.
Function Over Flavor
Despite all of its practical benefits, Ambronite has a gritty texture with a taste something similar to a hemp bar. You’re not going to ditch eating vegetarian food in Turkey if you’re got the time or opportunity; but when you’re stuck at a train station, Ambronite could be a wonderful solution for travelers. Ambronite is filling enough that after you’re done drinking it you instantly know traveler’s constipation isn’t going to be an issue you’ll be facing.
The problem is both the taste and the fact that Ambronite isn’t very easy to mix without a blender. Using the shaker that’s included in the 10-pack Ambronite box you often end up with mix where a stubborn 10% of the stuff clumps. I found Ambronite’s earthy flavor could be greatly enhanced by blending berries with it using soy milk – though a blender’s not exactly a carry-on item.
What You Gain In Taste You Lose In Portability
The more palatable you make Ambronite the less portable it becomes, since you really need a blender to smooth out the drink as well as the flavor. Ambronite isn’t terrible (although I might have made it seem so) but it’s not something you’re going to reach for at home to satisfy a craving next time your stomach grumbles.
Yet if you travel frequently and are tired of having to compromise your health by eating soggy week-old bus station sandwiches, a few packs of Ambronite is worth packing in your carry-on luggage. Sealed in powder form, Ambronite will pass through airport security without issue. According to the company, unopened Ambronite stays fresh for up to 6 months; an opened pack is good to eat for 2 weeks.
Given the price of around $80 for 10 packets Ambronite is an effective 500 calories tool to fill in those gaps between destinations when you want to satisfy your hunger – and would rather drink something with a little less taste but a hell of a lot healthier than what you can find at most airports.
Ambronite also offers free samples with shipping worldwide. If you’re curious, you can request a free pack of Ambronite here and let me know what you think in the comments below.
I like the balanced approach and how you didn’t feel the need to say this was traveler’s salvation drink just because they provided the product. I might still get one for the road as fried food before a long bus is not a good feeling. Have you tried any other supplement drinks?
Thanks, I’m happy to hear it. I have tried a few others but I like the approach of Ambronite. The taste drawbacks are because they’re trying to work with a very natural ingredient list while keeping it nutritionally balanced. I’ll take that trade – especially since they are improving the recipe often (in fact just released a new version).
This is truly very cool idea. I like the ingredients and health percentage. Could you tell, how many pack is enough for the lunch.
Just one.