Its color when mixed with water is somewhat reminiscent of a periwinkle pond. It smells like a fruity “sumak” and its taste is, in a word, green. Which everyone can interpret in their own way. We are talking about the new product Greens, which was introduced at the beginning of June by the Czech startup Madmonq, focused on natural food supplements for players. With this, he stepped out of the gamer box, as he developed a loose powder that absolutely everyone can include in their diet. In the CzechCrunche editorial office, we tested whether it is really for everyone.
We received a box that, at first impression, looked like it was hiding some bloated mobile phone or other technological convenience. Instead, we found 30 bags with humorous inscriptions Now, lettuce pray, Veggies.zip or Wait for the carrot. Together with the information that each package contains phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and that it replaces one portion of fruit and vegetables, the mission of the box became clear. It is meant to bring health into our lives.
The founder of the startup Madmonq, Michal Noga, has decided that this time his brand will focus on the lack of fruit and vegetables in the menu, which most Czechs struggle with. Many people today are well aware that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily dose of five portions of fruit and vegetables. But, let’s pour ourselves some pure wine, who among us so many I’m going to sleep does it really organize every day? According to a Madmonq survey, Czechs eat on average about half of this amount, and only two percent consume as much daily as recommended by health professionals.
“Madmonq Greens are another piece in the puzzle of our portfolio and a possibility to effectively solve the insufficient intake of phytonutrients and other active substances from fruits and vegetables as well as the overall balance of the diet. The problem with eating healthy food does not only affect gamers, but the majority of the population. That’s why we believe that everyone who wants to improve their lifestyle will find their way to Greens, and not just our ‘core’ target group of players.” adds Michal Noga.
Each package impresses with a fun inscription
The startup says that it is the first Czech company to develop such a complex drink. There are several brands on the domestic market that already offer similar mixtures, but mostly they are always a combination of so-called green foods, such as spirulina and chlorella algae or green barley. Some manufacturers also add fruit extracts, enzymes or even mushrooms. However, Madmonq green powder has added value thanks to the organic quality of the ingredients and the fact that it also contains prebiotics.
And customers seem to be listening. “The new product in our portfolio immediately became the second best-selling item – just behind the booster pills, which continue to be our flagship product. So it can be said that we are progressing in sales according to our established plans,” says Petr Andrýsek, co-founder of Madmonq.
So what is in one serving of Greens? Green foods include spirulina, green barley, chlorella and wheat grass, and vegetables include broccoli and its sprouts, green pepper, collard greens, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, garlic, onions, parsley, pumpkin, beetroot, tomato and spinach, and ginger on top. From fruits, blueberries, acai berries, cranberries, apples, cherries, citrus fruits, grapes, plums, raspberries and strawberries.
In addition, a whole range of vitamins and minerals, from A to group B vitamins to iodine and iron – these in each portion oscillate between 20 and 36 percent of the recommended daily dose. And the whole mix is finished with digestive enzymes and prebiotics, which are not only supposed to kick-start digestion, but also get along well with all the fruits and vegetables contained, so they work a little more effectively thanks to them. The substances contained in fruits and vegetables serve as ideal food for bacteria. In addition, rapeseed oil, so that nutrients that do not dissolve in water are well absorbed.
Madmonq recommends mixing the mixture in 200 milliliters of water. Definitely do not use a smaller amount, as the taste is really overwhelming. What would one expect when there are so many ingredients in one bag. After mixing with water, a somewhat eerily colored, dark green drink is created, which, despite its appearance, has a pleasantly fragrant, fruity smell. The fruit is also reflected in the taste, at least during the first sips. Later, however, other ingredients start to be heard and the drink tastes more like vegetables.
It should be noted that despite the content of relatively “spicy” types of vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, garlic or onions, there is not a trace of them in the drink. But the taste is not entirely pleasant and it takes a few days to get used to it, which not all test members in the editorial office managed. Holt’s promise of a better menu was probably not such a motivation for them.
But the resulting juice tastes much better when it is mixed with, for example, orange juice. Only at that moment will you lose the “sugar-free” benefit. Nevertheless, the drink has a rather distinctly sweet taste, thanks to the combination of stevia and sucralose. Artificial sweeteners have been around for a long time, so sucralose in particular can be an obstacle for some potential users. The results of previous studies are often contradictory, but the consensus is that sucralose is safe sweetener.
Greens need to be mixed in 200 milliliters of water
You can turn a blind eye to the taste, which does not suit everyone, considering that the powder contains 62 ingredients. Blending it so that it tastes like a strawberry milkshake is simply impossible without the involvement of chemistry. “Tweaking the ratios of raw materials to work as best as possible was not easy at all. But it was even more difficult to find a reliable supplier who would provide the highest quality raw materials meeting the necessary certifications. But we didn’t want to back down from our high demands, so we preferred to postpone the launch of Greens by two months and wait until our cucumber and asparagus extracts had dried properly.” adds Noga.
Thanks to Madmonq, Greens is now opening up foreign markets to a greater extent. With tablets for gamers, the startup has already managed to reach the markets of France, Benelux, the United Kingdom and also the Nordic countries. However, the green food market is in a slightly different league. It has been growing at a double-digit rate for a long time, and its size was estimated at $330 million last year. Madmonq thus immediately launched the powder supplement in other countries with an emphasis on Western Europe.
“For a long time, we have been following global trends and the needs not only of gamers, but of everyone who spends more and more time in front of a monitor and is actively interested in their health. That is why we are introducing Greens in other European markets as well, and we expect great interest, especially in countries such as France and Great Britain. With the addition of Greens to our portfolio, we also want to profile our brand more in the direction of health and thus get closer to our long-term mission to build a global brand that addresses health in gaming.” concludes Michal Noga.
2023-07-22 14:20:55
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