Atkins Lift Protein Drink (Berry): 20g Protein, Labelgrade B (79/100)
B 79 / 100 — A clear, fruit-flavored whey-isolate drink — think protein water rather than a creamy shake. 20g of protein at ~91 calories is extremely calorie-efficient, with 0g sugar and 0g fat. The simple 7-ingredient panel is a real strength; the only knock is that it's a thin beverage, not a satiating meal.
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Atkins Lift (Berry) is a clear, fruit-flavored whey-isolate drink — protein water, not a creamy shake. Each 16.9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle delivers 20 g of protein, 0 g sugar and 0 g fat for about 91 calories (USDA FDC 2543253). Nearly every one of those 91 calories is the protein itself, which makes it one of the most calorie-efficient ready-to-drink proteins on the shelf. The label is short — seven items, basically whey isolate plus flavor, color and a zero-calorie sweetener — and there’s no caffeine despite the “energy drink” shelf placement. It earns a B (79/100): sugar, fat and sodium are flawless, but the per-100ml protein density reads low (the bottle is mostly water) and there’s no fiber. Reach for it when a milky shake feels too heavy; skip it if you want something filling.
Why the B
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 56 / 100 | 3.9 g per 100 ml — low because the drink is mostly water, but the per-bottle total (20 g) is excellent. At ~4.6 calories per gram of protein, the calorie efficiency is about as good as an RTD gets |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | Just 7 ingredients: water, whey isolate, natural flavor, juice for color, sucralose, and two acids. Genuinely short and clean for a flavored protein drink — the only flag is the sucralose |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g sugar, sweetened with sucralose instead; total carbs 1.98 g (net carbs ~2 g) |
| Sodium load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 41 mg per bottle — under 2% of the FDA daily limit, exceptionally low for a flavored beverage |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — there is no fat of any kind in it |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — unavoidable for a clear protein beverage; nothing here carries fiber |
Five of six dimensions are perfect or near-perfect. The grade is capped by format, not formulation: a clear, watery drink can’t post a high per-100ml density score, and it can’t have fiber. On everything Lift is actually trying to do — deliver clean protein with no sugar, fat or salt baggage — it executes about as well as the category allows.
What “clear protein” actually buys you
The whole point of Lift is texture. Ordinary protein drinks lean on milk protein or whey concentrate, which stay cloudy and creamy; Atkins uses whey protein isolate filtered to dissolve clear, so Berry Lift pours thin and translucent and drinks more like a tart juice than a milkshake. That’s why the color comes from fruit and vegetable juice rather than a dairy base, and why the phosphoric and citric acid are on the label — they give it the sharp, fruity bite a creamy shake can’t have.
For a lot of people that’s the deciding feature. If you’ve ever found a thick protein shake heavy after training, or gag-worthy when you’re warm and sweaty, a cold clear sip is a different experience entirely. The trade-off is honest: clear protein doesn’t coat your stomach the way a creamy shake does, so it satisfies hunger far less. Lift is built to be refreshing, not filling — and it’s best judged on that, not on whether it replaces a meal.
Sweet without sugar — and no stimulant
Two things the front label doesn’t make obvious are worth flagging. First, the sweetness is 100% sucralose — that’s how a berry-flavored drink tastes sweet while carrying 0 g sugar and just ~91 calories. If you avoid non-nutritive sweeteners, that’s your one real objection to this product; if you don’t, it’s the whole trick that makes the macros work.
Second, there’s no caffeine. Lift lives in the “energy, protein & muscle recovery” aisle, which primes you to expect a stimulant, but the seven-ingredient panel has none. The “lift” is purely the 20 g of protein. Practically, that means you can drink it late in the day or back-to-back without the jitters or sleep hit you’d get from a caffeinated energy drink.
How it compares
| Product | Protein | Sugar | Calories | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkins Lift Berry (this product) | 20 g (16.9 fl oz) | 0 g | ~91 | Clear whey drink |
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Shake | 24 g (11 fl oz) | ~1 g | 140 | Creamy milk-and-whey RTD |
Against a creamy ready-to-drink shake like Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, the contrast is the point: ON packs 4 more grams of protein into a smaller 11 fl oz carton, but at 140 calories with added cream, sunflower oil and a 20-plus-item additive panel. Lift trades those 4 grams for roughly 35% fewer calories, zero fat, and a label a third the length — in a lighter, sippable format. Neither is “better”; they’re built for different moments. Pick Lift when you want clear-and-light and don’t mind paying for the grab-and-go bottle; pick the creamy shake when you want something that eats more like a meal.
Whole-food equivalent
One bottle (20 g protein) ≈ 65 g of cooked chicken breast — about 2.3 ounces, or roughly the protein in three large eggs. The difference is the calorie math: Lift delivers that protein at ~91 calories with zero fat, a ratio no whole food matches (three eggs run ~210 calories; 2.3 oz of chicken ~105). What you give up is everything whole food brings that this doesn’t — satiety, micronutrients, and no artificial sweetener. Treat Lift as a protein top-up alongside real meals, not a stand-in for them.
A note on the package size
This page covers Atkins Lift Protein Drink, Berry as the single 16.9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle (UPC 637480062220, USDA FDC 2543253). The “1.58 gal / 6 L” in some catalog listings is a multipack case volume, not one bottle — every nutrition figure here is for a single 500 ml serving. Berry is one of several clear-drink flavors (Orange, Lemon, Blueberry Pomegranate, Strawberry Lemonade), and they share the same build: ~20 g whey isolate, 0 g sugar, ~91 calories. Don’t confuse the Lift clear drinks with Atkins’ creamy RTD shakes — a different, milkier product with added fat. Check the bottle.
Ingredients
Water, whey protein isolate, natural flavor, fruit and vegetable juice (color), sucralose, phosphoric acid, citric acid. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2543253 — seven items, with sucralose as the only sweetener and no caffeine.)
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 bottle (16.9 fl oz / 500 ml)
637480062220See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 bottle (16.9 fl oz / 500 ml)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 91.3 |
| Protein | 20g |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1.98g |
| Sodium | 40.6mg |
| Cholesterol | 5.07mg |
| Calcium | 101mg |
| Potassium | 91.3mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Atkins Lift Protein Drink, Berry (16.9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle) · UPC 637480062220. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in an Atkins Lift Berry drink?
20 g per 16.9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle (USDA FDC 2543253), all from whey protein isolate. That's 40% of the FDA's 50 g Daily Value in one bottle, so it clears the 'high in protein' threshold. At about 91 calories, almost every calorie is the protein itself — roughly 4.6 calories per gram, which is about as efficient as a ready-to-drink protein gets.
Is Atkins Lift a shake or a clear drink?
A clear drink — closer to a flavored protein water than a milkshake. Whey protein isolate can be filtered until it dissolves clear, so Lift pours thin and juice-like instead of creamy. The berry color comes from fruit and vegetable juice, not dairy. If milky protein shakes feel heavy or chalky to you, this is the lighter alternative; if you want something that drinks like a meal, it won't get you there.
Does Atkins Lift contain caffeine?
No. Despite sitting in the 'energy and recovery drinks' category, Berry Lift has no caffeine — the ingredient list is water, whey isolate, flavor, juice for color, sucralose, and two acids. The 'lift' is the 20 g of protein, not a stimulant. It's safe to drink in the evening without affecting sleep.
How is it sweetened, and is there any sugar?
Zero sugar. The sweetness comes entirely from sucralose, a zero-calorie sweetener, which is why a fruit-flavored drink can taste sweet at ~91 calories. Total carbs are just 1.98 g (net carbs about 2 g). The phosphoric and citric acid give it the tart, fruity bite. The only additive some people choose to avoid is the sucralose.
Is Atkins Lift Berry keto-friendly?
Yes. At 1.98 g total carbs, 0 g sugar and 0 g fat per bottle, it fits cleanly into ketogenic and low-carb protocols — net carbs are roughly 2 g. It's essentially pure protein plus flavoring, and whey isolate is very low in lactose, so it also sits well with most lactose-sensitive drinkers.
Lift (clear drink) vs the Atkins creamy shake — which should I pick?
Different products. Lift is a clear, thin, fruit-flavored sip at ~91 calories with 0 g fat; the Atkins creamy shakes are milky, dessert-style drinks with added fat that run far more calories and feel like a meal. Pick Lift when you want a light, refreshing protein hit — after a workout or with lunch — and the creamy shake when you want something filling. Check the bottle, because the line names look similar.
Atkins Lift vs a whey protein powder shaken in water?
Nutritionally close — both are essentially whey isolate plus flavor. A scoop of plain whey isolate in water gives you a similar protein hit for a fraction of the cost; Lift gives you 20 g in a grab-and-go bottle that pours clear and juice-like instead of cloudy. You're paying for convenience and texture. If cost-per-gram is the priority, powder wins; if portability and a thinner, fruitier drink matter, Lift wins.