Orgain has teamed up with a DWTS Pro, and I got the scoop

The Dancing With the Stars pro talked about the new Orgain launch, the wellness habits she prioritizes with her son, and the smoothie flavor she hopes to see next.

Back-to-school season means getting back into routines, packing lunches, and finding snacks that are easy to grab on busy mornings. Orgain recently added a new option to the mix with its Kids Protein Smoothies, a line of organic, non-dairy smoothie pouches made specifically for kids.

Made with real fruit and pea protein, each pouch has 4 grams of plant protein, 1 gram of fiber, a full serving of fruit for toddlers, and no added sugar. They are also made with USDA Organic, Non-GMO ingredients and contain no soy, artificial colors, or artificial flavors.

There are three flavors in the initial lineup. Mango Peach combines organic mango, peaches, apples and banana. Strawberry Banana is made with organic strawberries, bananas and purple carrots, while Cherry Banana Vanilla combines organic cherries and bananas.

The smoothies are designed to be an easy option for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, on-the-go activities.

I received all three flavors to try, and I also had the chance to talk with Dancing With the Stars champion Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy, who is teaming up with Orgain to launch the new protein smoothies for kids.

Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy teams up with Orgain

Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy is a professional dancer, Dancing With the Starschampion, mom, and wellness enthusiast. Longtime dance fans may also recognize her from So You Think You Can Dance, where she competed before becoming one of the familiar professional dancers on Dancing With the Stars.

Johnson is married to fellow professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, and the couple has a son, Rome. Her partnership with Orgain comes at an especially fitting time as her own family gets back into the school-year routine.

I was especially excited to talk with her about the new Orgain launch, what feeding a busy family actually looks like, and how her approach to health has changed over the years.

Our conversation has been edited slightly for length and clarity.

My interview with Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy

Taryn Camp: Your son has tried the smoothies. Does he have a favorite flavor?

Jenna Johnson: Rome’s favorite flavor has to be the Mango Peach one. He is a huge fruit lover in general, so I feel like these are so perfect for him.

In the moments where we’re on the go, I’m like, perfect, let’s grab this little pouch. He can have it in the car. And with going back to school and getting back into those routines, it’s the perfect thing to put in his lunchbox or take to swimming lessons or soccer.

TC: Has becoming part of Val’s family changed the way you think about feeding your own family?

JJ: I’m one of six kids, and I’m fifth, so I feel like by the time I came around, my mom was just like, convenience is everything.

But with my husband’s side of the family, every meal and every snack is so thoughtfully planned out. I’ve been so inspired by my mother-in-law and the thoughtfulness that she puts into feeding her kids and really prioritizing health as well.

I’ve also been so blown away by so many different genres of food that they make. With Ukrainian culture, there are so many beautiful dishes that I’d never even tried before.

We really prioritize what goes into my son, and I love making those adjustments for his well-being.

TC: There are so many different health claims now that it can get overwhelming. What things are actually priorities for you and your family?

JJ: For me, organic everything. That’s another reason why I love these organic pouches, because they have organic fruits and organic pea protein.

I think making those little adjustments can go such a long way. For myself and for Val, we are an organic family. That’s the produce we purchase, and for us that’s a non-negotiable in our household.

TC: Do you prioritize protein as well because you and Val are dancers and athletes?

JJ: Being dancers and being athletes, we really do live a high-protein diet.

I love these protein smoothies because introducing protein at a young age is great for recovery, wellness and building those muscles. It’s such an important part of nutrition.

TC: Going all the way back to when you were on So You Think You Can Dance, how has your approach to health, fitness and food changed?

JJ: When I did So You Think You Can Dance, I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school and didn’t have the greatest habits.

Especially moving to L.A., where wellness and health are such a big focus, I’ve learned so much. I love being able to know more about it because it’s so important to me and my work.

Researching, trying things, making adjustments and being open to change is exciting when it comes to health. Anything that helps with longevity and feeling good is worth it.

My family always jokes and calls me “Hollywood” because I’m always trying to put them onto something new. But I love being able to be that source who can educate my family and give them some of the tools that I’ve learned.

TC: For families that are busy and don’t necessarily have time to make elaborate snacks every day, how do you think the Orgain smoothies fit in?

JJ: We’re talking families, we’re talking on the go, we’re talking busy schedules and we’re talking back to school.

This is a perfect way to get that organic nutrition into your kids with a filling snack that everyone can work into their routine, and kids will actually love it. It tastes like a real fruit smoothie.

Convenience is everything, especially when you have kids and especially with multiple kids. It’s an easy thing to bring along throughout the day.

TC: Dancing With the Stars has been around for so long, but it feels like people are connecting with the pros even more now. Why do you think that is?

JJ: I feel like Dancing With the Stars has obviously been a household name, but in the past two seasons it has really skyrocketed.

I think a lot of that has to do with social media and inviting more people into not only the epicness and the glitz and glam of show days, but also the process. I think that’s refreshing for people to see, the stripped-down versions of us.

We can be these avatars on screen dancing with a partner in rhinestones and spray tans, but then there’s the real version where I’m a mom, I’m a wife, I’m a daughter and I’m a sister.

For me, it’s been a priority to be open and honest with my social media following. I want to have that authentic connection.

TC: You’ve been part of the show for such a big portion of your life now. What has that experience been like?

JJ: I grew up on the show. It’s been about 12 years for me, so I feel like I’ve transformed as a human, as a woman and as an artist.

It’s been such a big blessing in my life. I met my husband on the show and became a mom while being on the show.

It’s also an incredibly creative show. We’re in such a lucky position where we have the best set designers, lighting directors and camera operators, so you’re able to create magic every week.

As a studio dancer growing up in Utah, I never even knew this was possible for my art and my dreams.

TC: You recently got your first house. Is there anything you’re especially excited to do there?

JJ: I can’t wait to host people.

In our last couple of places, we had beautiful spaces, but they didn’t feel like places where we really wanted to invite people in, have people over and take care of people.

When we first looked at this house, we immediately had that feeling of, “We can’t wait to have people over in our backyard or for holidays or birthday parties.”

I’ve never really been the hostess, but I want to be, and I’m inspired to be in this space.

TC: Last question: If you could add another Orgain Kids Protein Smoothie flavor to the lineup, what would it be?

JJ: It’s hard because all of Rome’s favorite flavors are already there. He does love blueberries, and we love blueberries and raspberries, so maybe a Wild Berry would be so fun.

And then for me, because I would like to snack on them too, I would do passion fruit. That is my favorite flavor ever.

What I thought of the Orgain Kids Protein Smoothies

Of course, I wanted to put the smoothies to the test myself too, and my four-year-old niece joined me. Since she’s much closer to the target audience, her opinion definitely counted. She loved them and gave them five stars across the board.

The first thing I noticed was the texture. These aren’t thin like juice pouches. The consistency is much closer to yogurt, which makes them feel more like an actual smoothie.

Strawberry Banana had the most evenly balanced flavor to me. I would call it about 50/50 strawberry and banana, with neither one taking over the other.

With Cherry Banana Vanilla, I tasted the banana right away and then the cherry came through afterward. The vanilla was more subtle and stayed in the background.

Mango Peach was the sweetest of the three. Both flavors came through immediately, and really worked well here. This also happened to be my niece’s favorite, so she and Rome are officially on the same page.

Overall, I thought all three flavors were a great fit for the brand. They tasted like fruit smoothies rather than tasting like a “healthy” snack. For me, though, one of their biggest selling points is the same thing Johnson brought up repeatedly during our conversation: convenience. They’re easy to throw into a lunchbox, take along to the playground, or have ready when kids are headed to their next activity. And during a busy school week, sometimes easy really does win.