Can you spot the ultraprocessed foods?

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Crystal Light Drink Mix, 12 Quarts, Raspberry Lemon
Beverages
📊 NOVA 4🌾 Gluten-Free🥛 Dairy-Free✨ Seed Oil Free

Crystal Light Drink Mix, 12 Quarts, Raspberry Lemon

Crystal Light
1.80 oz
Available at Foodtown
5
Calories
0g
Protein
0mg
Sodium
29
Ingredients

What You Should Know

Crystal Light Raspberry Lemon powdered drink mix arrives on grocery shelves in the beverage aisle among powdered drink mixes, powdered lemonades, and sugar-free mixers — often shelved near other diet drink options, powdered juices, and instant iced tea. Packaged in a bright, resealable canister with individual pitcher packets, it signals convenience and portability: tear a packet, stir into two quarts of water, chill, and serve over ice. The brand positions itself as a low-calorie, guilt-free alternative to juice and soda, marketed to calorie-conscious adults, parents looking to offer a sweetened option for kids, and nostalgic shoppers who grew up on powdered mixes. Label copy emphasizes “zero grams of sugar,” “only 5 calories per serving,” and percent-calorie comparisons to full-calorie beverages, creating a health-halo around calorie reduction despite the lack of natural or organic certification. Visually it leans on bright raspberry-lemon hues and playful type, which can appeal to families and people seeking a fun, flavored beverage without sugar. Sensory notes: the powder dissolves into a clear pink lemonade with a smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel, a bright artificial-fruit sweetness, and a detectable sweetener aftertaste for some palates; there's no carbonation. Typical use is ritualized — pitcher for parties, plastic bottles for travel, or a single glass after workouts or with meals. Processing context: this product is industrially formulated from isolated ingredients, sweeteners, colors, and flavors rather than whole foods, and is produced for long shelf life and consistent flavor rather than minimal processing.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 0.2
Servings per Container: 30
Calories5
% Daily Value*
Total Fat0g0%
Saturated Fat0g0%
Sodium0mg0%
Total Carbohydrate2g1%
Protein0g
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Ingredients

CITRIC, ACID,, POTASSIUM, CITRATE,, MALTODEXTRIN,, CALCIUM, PHOSPHATE,, ASPARTAME*,, CONTAINS, LESS, THAN, 2%, OF, NATURAL, AND, ARTIFICIAL, FLAVOR,, ACESULFAME, POTASSIUM,, SOY, LECITHIN,, ARTIFICIAL, COLOR,, BLUE, 1,, RED, 40.*PHENYLKETONURICS:, CONTAINS, PHENYLALANINE.

Flagged Ingredients:

  • Soy lecithin - Processed emulsifier
  • Blue 1 - Artificial coloring
  • Red 40 - Artificial coloring
No EmulsifierNo Additive

Dietary Labels

This product is not vegan, is gluten-free, and is not organic.

Ultra-Processing Assessment

NOVA Score:4 / 4

Ultra-Processed

Why this score?

Contains multiple industrial ingredients (maltodextrin, emulsifiers), non-nutritive sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K), artificial flavors and colors, and is a ready-to-prepare formulation, which fits the NOVA definition of ultra-processed products.

Daily Ritual

Can you Spot Ultraprocessed Foods? Play our Supermarket Game

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Shopping in the supermarket oil aisle

Others also viewed

Common Questions about Crystal Light Drink Mix, 12 Quarts, Raspberry Lemon

Well, 'healthy' can be a bit subjective! Crystal Light is low in calories—just 5 per serving—and has no added sugars, which is a plus for those watching their intake. However, it's also packed with artificial sweeteners and colors, so if you're trying to avoid those, you might want to consider your options.

Perfect For

road-trip
game-day-prep
back-to-school

Vibe:

convenientnostalgicpractical
$NaN
per package