Clean Simple Eats brings clear protein soda to Costco stores

Clean Simple Eats has pushed Frosted Lemonade Clear Protein Soda into 100 Costco stores and Costco.com, turning the warehouse club into a real-world test of whether clear protein can sell beyond gym bags and into everyday carts. Sales began May 13 in select Costco locations in the Southwest region, with the product also listed online for members who want the same format without hunting store by store.

The pitch is straightforward. Each 16-fluid-ounce can delivers 20 grams of whey protein isolate, zero sugar, a complete amino acid profile and fast absorption, while the brand says the formula is gentle on digestion. Costco’s pricing puts the 12-pack at $35.99 online, which is exactly the kind of number that matters in a club channel. At that level, the product has to feel less like a premium novelty and more like a smart swap, especially for shoppers already comparing it with soda, sparkling water and ready-to-drink protein shakes.

That is why Costco matters here. The chain’s shoppers are conditioned to evaluate value by the case, not by the can, and that creates a sharp test for repeat purchase. A single trial purchase is easy to win with something new and fizzy. The harder part is getting the same member to come back for another 12-pack because it has earned a permanent spot in the fridge. Clean Simple Eats is betting that clear protein soda can do that by solving a very specific gap: light refreshment with meaningful protein, without the chalky texture or heavy afterfeel that still turns plenty of consumers away from traditional protein drinks.

The company launched its clear protein soda line in August 2025, first in three flavors and later with options including Sour Green Apple and Cherry Lime. Clean Simple Eats describes the format as a clean soda substitute packed with protein, and that framing fits a broader shift in the market. High or added-protein claims showed up in 5% of U.S. drink launches in 2025, up from 2% five years earlier, a sign that beverage makers are chasing functional hydration and snack replacement in the same package.

For Clean Simple Eats, the Costco move also brings founder story into the retail equation. Erika and JJ Peterson founded the company in 2013, and Erika Peterson has said the business grew out of her health reset after postpartum depression. That origin still shows in the brand’s language around clean, delicious, everyday-friendly supplements. The question now is whether Costco shoppers treat Frosted Lemonade Clear Protein Soda as a clever one-off or as a weekly repurchase. With Protein Pop Plus already landing at Costco earlier this year, the club channel is becoming the clearest proving ground for whether protein soda is a category or just a gimmick with better branding.