TL;DR:

Plenny Shake became silky smooth

We improved the balance of the macronutrients

We leveled up the taste: a better and more distinct flavoring

We added a new ingredient: sunflower oil

And: we dressed it all up in a lovely new wider packaging with new designs

We made some exciting updates to the Plenny Shake formula. We tested a lot of different formulas throughout the years, looking all professional in our lab coats and safety goggles, and ended up with some great progress. Our main goal was to improve the texture, flavoring and macronutrient composition of Plenny Shake. And we did it!

So what did we do exactly?

First of all, we wanted a nice, silky smooth shake, so we changed the fineness of the oats. The oats are now so finely ground that it won’t cause a gritty feel in your mouth anymore. If you do still want a gritty feel in your mouth, we’re afraid you’ll have to make out with your cat.

To improve the silkiness of the powder, we took out all the gritty proteins. That means no more extra whey, soy, hemp or rice proteins. “What?! Will I still get enough proteins?!”, you may scream from your window right now. Well, actually, the protein level is even better now. So apologize to your neighbors, close the window and let us explain.

In the past we added extra proteins, so you would get around 125 grams of protein every day. With the new formula, you’ll get 75 grams of protein a day. “But is this still enough?!” Hey, get off your roof and calm down. Yes. Actually, it’s the perfect amount. The World Health Organization (our eternal muse and inspiration) has advised an intake of 0.66 grams of protein per kg of body weight. If you would consume five Plenny Shakes a day, you would get 75 grams of protein, more than enough to provide an average weighing person (80 kg) with their daily need of proteins. [1] We adjusted the amount to provide a more balanced meal, perfect for everyday consumption.

What’s the amino acid profile?

The amino acid in milligram per Plenny Shake

Amino Acid mg per Plenny Shake Histidine 0307 mg Isoleucine 0531 mg Leucine 0936 mg Lysine 0772 mg Methionine and cysteine 0346 mg Phenylalanine and Tyrosine 1009 mg Threonine 0498 mg Tryptophan 0163 mg Valine 0563 mg

So how did we improve the fatty acid profile? We added sunflower oil to the formula. Why sunflower oil? Because it reminds us of a beautiful field of wildflowers, bathing in the autumn sun while a flock of birds sings a poetic song of freedom (we haven’t been on vacation in a while). But also because sunflower oil contains a lot of nice polyunsaturated fats, just a little bit of saturated fats and a great amount of omega 3 and 6. These are ingredients that your body refers to as ‘the good stuff’. The World Health Organization (our secret crush) has advised getting around 20% to 35% of your energy from fats. In our new Plenny Shake, 30% of the energy comes from fats. [2]

So how much omegas will you get from a Plenny Shake meal?

Fatty Acid gram per Plenny Shake percentage of total energy alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) 1.1 gram 2,3% linolenic acid (omega 6) 3.7 gram 7.9%

These amounts of omega 3 and 6 are based on the advice of the World Health Organization (our lover). The WHO stated: “The minimum intake values for essential fatty acids to prevent deficiency symptoms

are estimated at a convincing level to be 2.5%E LA plus 0.5%E ALA.” [2] I think we covered the omegas pretty nicely. Debate me.

Our fatty acid profile is based on a 2008 report from the World Health Organization (our loving husband and the father of our children). The report recommends 6 to 11% of total energy intake to be from poly-unsaturated fats (PUFAs) and 15 to 20% of energy intake to be from mono-unsaturated fats (MUFAs). In Plenny Shake, 11% of the energy intake comes from PUFAs and 14% from MUFAs. [2] Impressive, right? We think it’s impressive.

What about the carbohydrate supply?

We kept the same energy balance from carbohydrates as before, which covers 50% of your energy intake. Most of the energy is being provided by oats, soy, and maltodextrin. You may ask: “Maltodextrin? In which Disney movie was he the bad guy again?” Maltodextrin is a carb we use for energy purposes. [6] It provides only glucose molecules, which the mitochondrion in your body needs to make energy—it’s an essential ingredient for a well functioning body. In order to provide the necessary glucose without letting your Glycemic Index hit the ceiling (a high Glycemic Index is the main cause of after lunch naps), keep in mind that we also added a lot of protein, fats, and fibers. These will make the Glycemic Index not go buck wild. [3][4][5]

Next stop: fibers!

Most of the necessary fibers in Plenny Shake come from oats, but the soy flour and flaxseeds also provide some fiber goodness. One Plenny Shake meal contains just a little bit more than 7 grams of fiber, so if your whole diet consists of Plenny Shake (you must be very smart and good-looking), you’ll consume around 35 grams of fibers. We set this amount based on the recommendations of several authorities: the Dutch Authority advises 30 to 40 gram of fibers per day [7] and the American Heart Association Eating Plan suggests the daily value for fiber is at least 25 grams of fiber each day in a 2,000 calorie diet.

Last but not least: the flavoring!

We received a lot of feedback about the flavor throughout the years and got to work. The improved Plenny Shakes now all have stronger, more natural tastes. Next to that, the smell of each flavor is way more discernible. You can put Plenny Shake in your windowsill and cartoon characters will come flying to it. Plenny Shake Wake Up even got a whole new taste: we changed it from cappuccino to coffee. We think it tastes way more like a cup of coffee now. But why believe us blindly if you could try it out for yourself?

Got ideas for our next round of improvements? Let us know at love@jimmyjoy.com