Ka’Chava Review 2024: A Dietitian’s Report

Ka'Chava Quick Facts

• Cost: $69.95 for a 15-serving bag (or $59.95 with a subscription)
• Flavor options: Chocolate, Vanilla, Chai, Matcha, Coconut Acai
• Nutrition facts: One serving = two scoops, or 62 grams. Contains 240 calories, 25g protein, 6g fat, 20g total carbohydrates (includes 6g dietary fiber and 4g added sugars).
• Health claims: Maintaining and building muscle, weight management, digestion support, heart and brain health, bone and joint strength, immunity, energy production, and healthy hair, skin, and nails.
• Key ingredients: Plant protein blend, fruits, vegetables, greens, mushrooms, essential fatty acids, coconut milk, coconut nectar, adaptogens, added vitamins and minerals, fiber blend, prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzyme blend.
• Possible side effects: May cause some mild bloating, nausea, and digestive discomfort.

What Is Ka'Chava?

According to the manufacturer, Ka’Chava is an “All-In-One Nutrition Shake” that supposedly provides the combined nutrients of a greens powder, multivitamin, protein powder, fiber blend, probiotic, and omega-3 supplement. Named after the Mayan word for "Earth," Ka'Chava is intended to serve as a "small meal or a more sizable snack.” 

Ka’Chava is popular on social media and recently became the “official nutrition shake” of the USA Triathlon. Ka’Chava's celebrity partners include Olympic snowboarding champ Shaun White and Peloton instructor Jess Sims.

The Ka’Chava website provides few details about the individuals behind the supplement, including founder Simon Malone. In 2014, he developed Ka’Chava out of a desire to combine the world’s best superfoods in a product that provides essential nutrients from plant-based sources. 

Pros

• Several unique flavor options (Chai, Matcha, Coconut Acai), along with Chocolate and Vanilla
• Around 30 of the 85+ ingredients are certified organic
• Complete source of vegan protein 
• Provides significant amounts of essential vitamins and minerals
• Better-tasting than some protein powders
• Contains prebiotics, probiotics, dietary enzymes, and fiber for digestion support
• Vegan, non-GMO, gluten free

Cons

• Not enough calories to replace an entire meal
• Very expensive (even with a subscription, it’s $3.99 per serving)
• May not be suitable for low-carb diets
• Contains 4g of added sugar and some caffeine (depending on flavor)
• A minimum purchase of $99 is required for free shipping
• Thin, chalky consistency
• Supplement Facts do not disclose ingredient quantities

Ka'Chava Purported Benefits

Ka’Chava’s website mentions nine areas in which customers may benefit from regularly drinking Ka’Chava: immunity, energy, digestion and gut health, muscle growth and recovery, mind and mood, weight and metabolism, heart health, joints and bones, and hair, skin, and nails.

To assess whether Ka’Chava is likely to support these areas of health, I took a close look at the Supplement Facts and read dozens of Ka'Chava reviews to find out what customers thought of the alleged benefits of this product.

Essential Nutrients

Ka’Chava is supposed to offer “whole-body nutrition,” as evidenced by the extensive ingredients list. Along with the many fruits and vegetables chosen for their nutrient density, Ka’Chava contains additional vitamins and minerals.

The nutrient profile is rounded out by prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber for digestion support, adaptogens for balanced stress response, and essential fatty acids that could potentially help heart, brain, joint, bone, and eye health.

Overall, I was impressed by the significant amounts of vitamins and minerals in Ka’Chava that are vital for overall health, including vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, iodine, magnesium, zinc, copper, and more. 

In conjunction with a healthy diet, these essential micronutrients contribute to healthy immune function, including antibody production. Ka’Chava’s prebiotic and probiotic blend may also contribute to a robust immune system by supporting the many immune cells in the gut.

Athletic Support

According to the manufacturer, Ka’Chava is a source of complete plant-based protein, with all nine essential amino acids represented. In addition to the 25g of protein, a Ka’Chava shake provides a good balance of other macronutrients: 6g of fat and 20g of carbohydrates.

Many people drink Ka’Chava to help fuel their workouts, while others drink it after exercise to promote recovery. Thanks to the combination of amino acids, hydration-supporting electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, and antioxidants like vitamins C and E, combining a daily glass of Ka’Chava with strength training may help maintain muscle.

Ka’Chava also claims that its high micronutrient content helps with energy, which is critical for athletic performance. For example, B-complex vitamins help cells convert macronutrients into energy, while vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium help carry oxygen and contribute to the production of ATP, the molecule that powers many biological processes.

However, user reviews of Ka’Chava’s energy support are fairly mixed. Quite a few customers said they felt more energetic, while others weren’t satisfied with the effects if they noticed some at all.

Weight Management

Although I firmly believe that weight loss should be guided by a well-rounded diet and an active lifestyle rather than strict calorie counting, using Ka’Chava or a similar product could help support weight management goals. 

Research suggests that protein powders may help you achieve a lean body composition, though this also depends on other factors including diet, metabolism, genetics, lifestyle, and activity level.

Some people drink Ka’Chava to replace a meal (usually breakfast) or snack, based on the manufacturer’s claim that the protein and fiber content will help users feel full and reduce food cravings by influencing hormone production. However, it’s worth noting that a serving of Ka’Chava contains only 240 calories—undeniably on the low side of what constitutes a “meal.” 

Though I can’t comment on the specifics of any Ka’Chava user’s diet or lifestyle, severe calorie restriction (especially when paired with intense exercise) can slow metabolism. This happens because the body attempts to conserve calories, so I would caution anyone hoping to lose weight to utilize low-calorie meal replacements in moderation.

Ka'Chava Ingredient Breakdown

To better understand the ingredients behind Ka’Chava’s purported health and nutrition benefits, I analyzed the powder’s most important blends: plant-based protein, fruits and vegetables, adaptogens, fiber and essential fatty acids, and prebiotics/probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Ka’Chava appears to have updated its formulations in autumn 2024, slightly altering each flavor's nutrient composition and taste. Frustratingly, Amazon was the only place I could find a complete Supplement Facts listing the amount per serving of each blend in Ka'Chava, though it was unclear whether this referred to the latest iteration of the product.

Plant-Based Protein Blend

The cornerstone of the Ka’Chava formula is 25 grams of vegan protein. Although nutrition experts disagree about the ideal amount of daily protein, especially when considering factors like age, sex, activity level, and nutrition needs, this is roughly half the recommended daily intake.

As I tell my clients, most people should be able to get all the protein they need from a healthy, well-rounded diet (even an exclusively plant-based one), though Ka’Chava could be an option for those looking to quickly increase their protein intake. It contains several types of high-quality protein: yellow pea protein, brown rice protein, organic sacha inchi protein, organic amaranth, and organic quinoa. Oat milk and coconut milk complete the protein blend, with the coconut milk presumably contributing most of Ka’Chava’s 2.5g of saturated fat per serving.

Given Ka’Chava’s popularity as a pre-workout supplement, I was surprised that no details are provided about the amount of each amino acid in the protein blend. I was particularly curious about the amount of leucine, a branched-chain amino acid considered vital for muscle protein synthesis.

Antioxidants/Super-Fruits and Super-Greens/Vegetables

Ka’Chava features a wide variety of fruits, leafy greens, and other vegetables, many of which are organic. 

The “antioxidants/super-fruits” blend and the “super-greens/vegetables” blend include standout ingredients like goji, acerola, blueberry, acai berry, beetroot, carrot, spinach, kale, barley grass, and chlorella. These ingredients undoubtedly provide some of Ka’Chava’s micronutrient content (including free radical-fighting antioxidants), though the powder also contains a substantial amount of added vitamins and minerals. 

Notably, the first ingredient mentioned in the fruit blend is organic coconut flower nectar, apparently the main source of Ka’Chava’s added sugars. The manufacturer describes this ingredient as “a minimally processed, low-glycemic-index, nutrient-rich sap from the flowers of the coconut tree.” However, the 4g of added sugars and 25g of total carbs mean that Ka’Chava may not be suitable for individuals following a low-carbohydrate diet.

According to the Supplement Facts, the vegetable blend is around 500 mg per serving – far smaller than the proportion of greens and vegetables in many other supplements. For example, Live it Up Super Greens has 8g of vegetables per serving. Although the greens in Ka'Chava are undeniably nutritious, their small amount and the lack of ingredient quantities on the label make it difficult to determine whether they will positively impact one's health. 

Adaptogens

Adaptogens are widely touted for their beneficial effects on energy levels, mood, and stress response. However, more research is needed to understand whether adaptogens deliver the results that many supplement manufacturers promise. 

Ka’Chava contains a 1020mg adaptogen blend of ginger, organic maca root, and functional mushrooms (shiitake, reishi, maitake, and cordyceps). As with the other blends in Ka’Chava, the adaptogens are a proprietary formula, so there is no way to determine how much of each one is included in the powder. I also noticed that Ka’Chava lacks some of the best-known adaptogens, including Rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha, and eleuthero. 

Fiber and Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

One area in which Ka’Chava shines is its fiber content, which supports digestive regularity, a healthy gut microbiome, and longer-lasting fullness. A serving of Ka’Chava provides 6g of dietary fiber (21% of the Daily Value) from oats, organic acacia gum, and soluble corn fiber.

The chia and flax seeds in Ka’Chava are rich in certain omega-3 fatty acids that help maintain healthy cells and support cardiovascular and brain health. However, the Supplement Facts do not disclose the quantity of flax or chia in the blend, leaving customers to wonder how many omega-3s they are getting. 

It’s also worth noting that although chia and flax seeds are excellent sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, they do not contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are better utilized by the body but only found in algae, fatty fish, or fish oil supplements.

Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes

In addition to the high fiber content, Ka’Chava’s digestion support comes from a blend of enzymes, prebiotic fiber, and probiotics. 

The dietary enzymes amylase, protease, cellulase, lactase, and lipase have been included to facilitate the absorption of various macronutrients. 

Chicory root and inulin are the main prebiotics in Ka’Chava. They help nourish the population of healthy bacteria in the gut microbiome, which is augmented by the supplement’s probiotics. Yet unlike most dietary supplements, Ka’Chava does not specify the colony-forming units (CFU) of its probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus. 

Most probiotic supplements contain at least one billion CFU (Live it Up Super Greens has 5 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics), so I hope Ka’Chava meets this minimum threshold. 

Ka’Chava Quality and Safety

According to Tribal Nutrition, Ka’Chava is made in the United States with globally sourced ingredients. The manufacturer also states that the ingredients and finished product are tested in-house and by accredited third-party labs on criteria like potency, purity, allergens, toxins, and pesticides.

Encouragingly, Ka’Chava is held to similar purity and safety standards as other high-quality dietary supplements like Live it Up Super Greens, which is also manufactured in the U.S.A. Both products are Current Good Manufacturing Practices-certified, made with organic vegetables, and free from gluten, soy, dairy, GMOs, and artificial flavors and sweeteners.

Ka’Chava Cost Analysis

Though the high price per serving may be partially explained by the large number of ingredients, Ka’Chava is far more expensive than many meal replacement products, superfood powders, protein powders, and pre-workout supplements. 

A 15-serving bag of Ka’Chava costs $69.95, or $4.66 per serving. Setting up a subscription lowers the cost to $59.95, or $3.99 per serving. However, even with the discount, using Ka’Chava daily costs nearly $120 per month. 

Ka’Chava is significantly more expensive than most greens powders. By comparison, a 30-serving container of Live it Up Super Greens (which contains over 20 superfood ingredients, probiotics, and digestive enzymes) is $59.99, or $39.99 with a monthly subscription ($1.33 per serving). 

Unlike many supplement brands (including Live it Up), Ka’Chava does not offer free shipping on all orders, which I found surprising for such an expensive product. Instead, Ka’Chava charges a $7.95 shipping fee unless you spend $99 on a single order. 

Ka’Chava’s “Love-It Guarantee” allows unsatisfied customers to return their purchase within 30 days for store credit or a replacement bag, with customers responsible for paying for return shipping.

Ka’Chava Taste Review

Ka’Chava comes in five flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Matcha, Chai, and Coconut Acai. I appreciated having multiple options, including three unusual flavors I hadn’t seen before in a supplement powder. I tried Chocolate, Vanilla, and Coconut Acai and marginally preferred Chocolate. Vanilla was very sweet and Coconut Acai had a strong aftertaste. 

When I looked online, I found many positive Ka’Chava reviews regarding flavor. Unfortunately, other customers found Ka’Chava undrinkable due to its taste or consistency. Ka’Chava seems to elicit “love it or hate it” reactions, with fewer reviewers describing it in neutral terms. 

“Neutral” comes closest to my opinion of Ka'Chava—drinkable yet not particularly tasty. It had a chalky mouthfeel that lingered until I ate something or sipped some milk or juice. I know this is a common issue with plant-based protein powder, but I hoped that Ka’Chava would be better, considering the price.

Quite a few reviewers objected to calling Ka’Chava a “shake” and commented that the marketing photos don’t represent the real product. Though the coconut milk in Ka’Chava makes it creamier than some other nutrition drinks I’ve tried, it’s not nearly as thick as the description or images suggest. After some experimentation, I improved the thin consistency by adding other ingredients like Greek yogurt, frozen berries, bananas, and ice.

My Verdict on Ka'Chava

While there are several things about Ka’Chava that I appreciate as a dietitian, it's not a product I would recommend to clients unless they have specific nutritional needs or wellness goals. 

Generally speaking, although Ka’Chava and other meal replacement shakes may help athletic performance or fill nutrient deficiencies, it’s better to focus on whole foods for your protein needs. You can get all nine essential amino acids from common foods that are complete proteins, including dairy, eggs, beef, poultry, fish, soy, buckwheat, and quinoa.

Overall, I consider Ka’Chava a high-quality product with a strong focus on purity and safety. The impressive ingredient list features numerous superfoods linked to potential health benefits. But disappointingly, Ka’Chava does not disclose the ingredient quantities, leaving customers to wonder about the efficacy of the supplement’s greens, adaptogens, and probiotics. 

The lack of transparency on the label makes it even more difficult to overlook Ka’Chava’s high price tag. With a subscription, a month’s supply of Ka’Chava costs nearly $120, which is prohibitively expensive for many people. Despite the high micronutrient and protein content, I don’t think Ka’Chava is worth such an expense per serving, especially considering its mixed customer reviews and the availability of comparable alternatives.

Why We Recommend Live it Up Super Greens

My nutrition advice for people looking to add superfoods to their diet is to choose a supplement containing various nutrient-dense leafy greens and vegetables, like Live it Up Super Greens. 

Made with organic vegetables, Super Greens features well-known superfoods like kale, broccoli, chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass, barley grass, burdock root, alfalfa leaf, and many others. With 5 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics, 3g of dietary fiber, and digestive enzymes derived from papaya and pineapple, Live it Up promotes normal digestion and naturally supports healthy energy levels and a robust immune system.

With a focus on micronutrients rather than macros, Live it Up Super Greens is not a meal replacement shake. Yet with over 20 superfoods, a glass of Super Greens provides an extra serving of vegetables and impressive amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin K, riboflavin, folate, iron, iodine, chromium, manganese, and more. Notably, these vitamins and minerals come entirely from the plant-based ingredients in Live it Up Super Greens, rather than synthetic sources. 

The powder is simple to prepare (just mix one scoop with a glass of water) and suitable for nearly all dietary preferences and food sensitivities. Super Greens is vegan, non-GMO, and free from dairy, gluten, soy, caffeine, and nuts. It’s low-carb and free from added sugars and artificial sweeteners. 

Perhaps best of all, Live it Up Super Greens regularly earns positive reviews from its customers. Most people who try Super Greens appreciate the Original flavor's minty and slightly sweet taste (naturally provided by monk fruit), and the Wild Berries flavor tastes delicious in a morning smoothie. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Still curious about Ka’Chava? Check out my answers to these common questions to decide whether it's right for you.

How healthy is Ka’Chava?

Ka’Chava has significant quantities of 26 vitamins and minerals and balanced amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It also contains digestion-supporting fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and dietary enzymes. However, the relatively high carbohydrate content may not be suitable for individuals following a low-carb diet.

Is Ka’Chava FDA-approved?

As a dietary supplement, Ka’Chava is not subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, nor have the statements on the Ka’Chava website been evaluated by the FDA. 

Is it OK to drink Ka’Chava every day?

Many people drink Ka’Chava daily. It can be used as a replacement for a small meal or a snack. Due to the protein content, it is commonly used either before or after a workout. 

What are the side effects of Ka’Chava?

The potential side effects of Ka’Chava are relatively mild, though it’s always recommended to consult your doctor before starting a new supplement. Ka’Chava has a relatively high fiber content that may temporarily result in bloating, gas, or digestive discomfort.

Why is Ka’Chava so expensive?

At $4.66 per serving ($3.99 with a subscription), Ka’Chava is one of the more expensive dietary supplements. Although it contains plant-based protein and numerous superfoods, the benefits may not outweigh the expense. Many nutrient-dense alternatives are available for a fraction of the cost, including Live it Up’s superfood powders. 

References

• https://www.kachava.com/
• https://www.topnutritioncoaching.com/blog/best-greens-powders 
• https://www.kachava.com/benefits
• https://www.kachava.com/reviews
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8001875
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234922/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019700/
• https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-021-02695-z
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16469977/
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-many-calories-a-day-should-i-eat
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/when-it-comes-to-protein-how-much-is-too-much
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-scoop-on-protein-powder-2020030918986
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6245118/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3249911/
• https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_considered_low-carb/article.htm
• https://time.com/5025278/adaptogens-herbs-stress-anxiety/
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-plant-sources-of-omega-3s
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/digestive-enzymes-and-digestive-enzyme-supplements#
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/
• https://support.kachava.com/hc/en-us/articles/204678165-Our-Love-It-Guarantee
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-i-need-to-worry-about-eating-complete-proteins