Vital Proteins Founder Launches Clear, Ready-to-Drink Protein Beverage Under Be LOVE

Be LOVE, a functional beverage brand founded by Kurt Seidensticker, the founder of Vital Proteins, has launched Power + Restore, a ready-to-drink protein beverage built around clear whey protein isolate, instead of traditional dairy-based formulations.

The launch reflects a broader industry shift toward lighter, more drinkable protein formats as manufacturers look for ways to make daily protein intake feel less like a workout supplement and more like an everyday beverage.

"When we built Vital Proteins, we helped people discover the power of collagen. Today, I believe protein is the next everyday wellness habit ready to evolve," said Seidensticker, founder of Be LOVE and Vital Proteins. "Power + Restore isn't about making another protein shake. It's about creating a protein drink people genuinely want to reach for every day."

What Makes Clear Whey Protein Formulations Different From Traditional Protein Shakes?

Achieving a clear, non-milky appearance in a high-protein beverage requires meaningfully different processing than a standard dairy-based shake. Whey protein concentrate, the form used in most traditional shakes, retains fat, minerals, and other components that scatter light and produce a cloudy, opaque appearance.

Clear formulations instead rely on a more heavily purified and often hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, broken into smaller peptide fragments through enzymatic processing, which allows the protein to remain in solution without clouding the liquid.² This additional processing step is a reason that clear protein beverages have historically been more technically difficult and costly to formulate at scale than conventional shakes, requiring careful control of pH, heat treatment, and protein concentration to maintain both clarity and shelf stability.

How Does Combining Whey Protein Isolate With Collagen Peptides Affect the Nutritional Profile?

Power + Restore's 15 g of protein per can comes from two distinct sources: 13 g of clear whey protein isolate and 5 grams of collagen peptides. This combination reflects a common formulation approach in the beverage category, pairing a complete protein source, whey provides all 9 essential amino acids, with collagen peptides, which are not a complete protein on their own but are commonly included for their favorable solubility and clarity in beverage applications, as well as consumer familiarity following collagen's broader popularity in recent years. Manufacturers evaluating similar formulations should note that collagen's amino acid profile differs meaningfully from whey's, so the specific ratio between the two protein sources affects the overall nutritional completeness of a finished product, not just its total gram count.

Why Are Ready-to-Drink Protein Formats Gaining Ground Over Powders?

The shift toward ready-to-drink protein beverages reflects a broader consumer preference for convenience over customization. Some might argue that powdered protein products require mixing equipment and time that ready-to-drink formats eliminate entirely, a factor that has driven growth across the wider functional beverage category in recent years.

What Should Manufacturers Take Away From This Launch?

Power + Restore illustrates a now-familiar playbook in the functional beverage space: pairing a founder's prior category success, in this case Seidensticker's role in popularizing collagen through Vital Proteins, with a new ingredient combination positioned as the next iteration of an established consumer habit. For manufacturers, the more instructive detail may be the underlying formulation challenge rather than the marketing narrative.

Achieving clarity and stability in a high-protein, ready-to-drink format at 15 g of protein per serving requires ingredient specifications and processing controls that go beyond simply substituting a clear protein source into an existing recipe.

What Remains Unclear About This Launch?

The press release does not disclose independent third-party testing of the product's clarity, shelf stability, or precise amino acid profile, nor does it specify the exact ratio or sourcing of the whey protein isolate and collagen peptides used.

References

1. Be LOVE. Be LOVE expands into the protein category with Power + Restore, a refreshing clear protein drink that reimagines everyday protein. PR Newswire. July 13, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/be-love-expands-into-the-protein-category-with-power--restore-a-refreshing-clear-protein-drink-that-reimagines-everyday-protein-302823958.html

2. Nutripartners. Formulating clear, high-protein RTD beverages: a technical guide to using WPI. Published 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://nutripartners.co/blog/formulation-technology/formulating-clear-high-protein-rtd-beverages-a-technical-guide-to-using-wpi