Okay, I admit it: I love a good Erewhon smoothie. As someone who writes about health and wellness for a living, I try not to get too sucked into trendy wellness fads or overhyped ingredients. But Erewhon’s vibrant, super-ingredient concoctions have a chokehold on me. I’ve joyfully sipped the Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Smoothie, and been less impressed by the Olivia Rodrigo “good 4 ur GUTS” blend (kombucha, in a smoothie? No thanks.). Heck, I’ve even started lining my smoothie glasses with coconut yogurt at home – a flourish that’s become a signature of the popular West Coast supermarket’s smoothies. While I don’t quite live close enough to any of Erewhon’s 10 locations to justify a membership (yet), I love popping in to try their monthly signature blend when I’m in the neighborhood.
So when I found out that Kacey Musgraves collaborated with Erewhon on “The Deeper Wellness” smoothie (launched February 2nd), I knew I had to give it a try. Even more enticing than the name itself: the fact that they’re donating some of the proceeds from each sale to Altadena Girls, a nonprofit started by teen girls that’s working to bring a sense of peace and normalcy to peers affected by the recent Eaton Fire in Los Angeles.
I pulled up to the Silverlake Erowhon at 2pm, strategically right after the lunch rush, when locals swarm the smoothie and hot bar like moths to a flame. I browsed the wide array of offerings advertised across the juice bar area, until I spotted the one I came for: Deeper Wellness, featuring a truly jam-packed list of buzzy ingredients.
The smoothie description boasts “ultimate clarity and restoration,” largely due to its dose of lion’s mane powder, which is derived from an adaptogenic mushroom. It also features ingredients like sea moss (to support gut health and immune function), collagen, chlorophyll (which is rich in antioxidants), and 15 (yes, 15) other ingredients listed below. But how much clarity is the smoothie really capable of offering?
Experts Featured in This Article:
Maggie Moon, RD, is a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of a new book, “The Mind Diet: 2nd Edition.”
Ella Davar, is a registered dietician and founder of The Gut Brain Method.
What’s in the Deeper Wellness Smoothie by Kacey Musgraves?
While Erewhon doesn’t release exact measurements for their viral smoothies, it does provide an ingredient list. Here’s what you can expect to find in Kacey Musgraves’s Deeper Wellness smoothie:
- MALK Organic Almond Milk
- Beyond Good Pure Ground Vanilla
- Host Defense Mushrooms Lion’s Mane Powder
- Sun Chlorella Powder
- KOS Blue Spirulina
- Organic Spinach
- Organic Banana
- Sea Moss
- Grass-fed Collagen
- Chocho Protein Powder
- Mesquite
- Lucuma
- Tocos
- Maca
- Organic Almond Butter
- Astragalus
- Organic Dates
- Cacao Nibs
- Superfood Chocolate
- Organic Coconut Cream
What Are the Legit Benefits of Kacey Musgraves’s Deeper Wellness Smoothie?
After placing my order (and paying the steep $21 for my smoothie), I tried to tap into my inner investigative journalist and spy on the prep area, hoping to get a bit more insight into the precise measurements of ingredients (after all, Erewhon keeps their exact recipes under wraps). While I am sad to report my sleuthing wasn’t entirely successful, I did manage to get one of the employees to divulge that they use about an eighth of a teaspoon of lion’s mane powder. My immediate thought: Is that enough to have any kind of impact?
“There are early clinical studies suggesting lion’s mane can improve focus in the amounts that are likely to be found in this smoothie,” says Maggie Moon, RD, Los Angeles–based registered dietitian and author of a new book, “The Mind Diet: 2nd Edition.” That said, results were only shown in small amounts after about a year of taking it daily. “That’s a commitment,” Moon says.
Ella Davar, RD, registered dietician and founder of The Gut Brain Method also says that these mushrooms can hold some pretty impressive benefits, noting that researchers from the University of Queensland have discovered the active compound from these edible mushrooms that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory. However, she suggests the amount should higher to reap the rewards. “The recommended dosage for cognitive benefits ranges from 500 mg to 3,000 mg daily,” she says. That equates to about one quarter of a teaspoon to two-thirds of a teaspoon. As for the dosage in Musgraves’s Erewhon smoothie: “It may contribute to overall wellness, but it might not provide significant cognitive effects at this dosage,” Davar says.
Okay, so I likely wasn’t about to activate a super-focused attention span (womp, womp). “On the plus side, several of the ingredients provide antioxidants to quell inflammation and support overall well-being – from the naturally sweet dates to the cacao nibs,” says Moon.
How Did Kacey Musgraves’s Deeper Wellness Smoothie Taste?
After getting a text that my smoothie was ready, it appeared on the counter in all its beauty and glory. A sea of gorgeous green sat between soft blue layers, with a strip of chocolate brown resting at the bottom. It’s like an image of the Earth itself, captured in smoothie form. I wasn’t really sure what to expect of the taste – since the bright colors felt reminiscent of a saccharine popsicle.
However, when I took my first sip, all that apprehension melted away. It honestly tasted like a chocolate-vanilla milkshake, with subtle hints of banana. There were also delightful crunchy bits that added a nice texture (likely thanks to the dates and cacao nibs). When I pressed my straw to the bottom, I got a delicious sip of chocolatey bliss that gave the sensation of drinking chocolate mousse. That might sound strange, but it was incredible.
“Maybe it’s not an accident that it’s hard to find the nutrition information – I’d want to see what the balance of calories and macros look like, too. It might be too high in saturated fat from the coconut cream, for example, which detracts from the brain health benefits,” says Moon, politely bursting my bubble.
I will tell you one thing, this smoothie doesn’t taste “healthy” – but as far as sweet little treats go, you could certainly do worse. Did I feel any mental clarity? Well, I was able to write up this story without pause or distraction, and proceeded to run errands in Silverlake with intention – but I can’t say the effects were anything super noticeable or dramatic. Would I order this again? Absolutely. But, as Moon points out: “There are more affordable ways to eat well for focus, but if you and your wallet are generally healthy and you want to try it – go for it!”
Kristine Thomason is a lifestyle writer and editor based in Southern California. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at mindbodygreen, and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has also appeared in PS, Travel + Leisure, Men’s Health, Health, and Refinery29, among others.
