Be LOVE™ has entered the ready-to-drink protein category with Power + Restore™, a clear protein beverage delivering 15 grams of protein, 100% Daily Value of essential vitamins and minerals, zero sugar, and no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. The launch marks the Austin-based functional beverage brand's first protein-forward SKU and was developed under the direction of Kurt Seidensticker, who previously founded Vital Proteins before that brand's acquisition by Nestlé Health Science.
Format & Formulation
Power + Restore is positioned explicitly against traditional protein shakes — the dense, opaque, often high-calorie formats that have dominated the category for decades. The clear-liquid format is part of a broader shift in the functional beverage segment, where operators and brands are chasing lighter, more sessionable delivery systems that fit hydration and meal-adjacent occasions rather than post-gym recovery windows alone. By pairing 15 mg/serving of protein with a full micronutrient panel in a zero-sugar, artificially-additive-free formula, the brand is targeting the crossover consumer who wants nutritional density without the sensory weight of a meal-replacement shake.
The clear protein format also carries meaningful formulation complexity. Achieving transparency with protein concentrations at or above 15 grams typically requires highly filtered protein isolates — most commonly whey protein isolate or a plant-based equivalent — alongside careful pH management and the avoidance of cloudiness-inducing co-ingredients. Be LOVE has not disclosed its protein source or the specific vitamins and minerals included at 100% DV, details that finished-good formulators and co-manufacturing partners will want to evaluate before the product reaches broader retail.
Market & Mission Context
The U.S. ready-to-drink protein beverage market has grown steadily as consumers seek convenient, on-the-go nutrition that bridges the gap between traditional sports nutrition and everyday wellness. The clear protein format, sometimes called a "protein water" or "light protein drink," has attracted attention from brands across the sports nutrition and general wellness verticals, including established players seeking to diversify beyond opaque shake formats.
Be LOVE is differentiated not only by its formulation but by an embedded social impact element: the brand has committed to providing clean drinking water with every purchase, a cause-linked mechanism that increasingly resonates with values-aligned retail buyers and DTC consumers alike. Seidensticker's track record at Vital Proteins — which scaled from a niche collagen supplier to a mass-market wellness brand before its acquisition — lends the new venture credible supply-chain and commercialization expertise.
For food and beverage operators evaluating the brand for retail placement or foodservice channels, the zero-sugar, no-artificial-additives positioning aligns with clean-label purchasing criteria that have become standard across natural and conventional grocery. Power + Restore's full DV micronutrient profile also broadens its structure-function claim potential beyond protein alone, though any specific health claims will require substantiation aligned with current FDA guidance on structure-function language for dietary supplements and conventional foods.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.