Custom Sports Nutrition Boxes

Inserts for Kits and Mixed Bundles

A starter kit might include a tub of protein, a shaker, a few sample sachets and a leaflet. Without an insert, these slide around and the tub can damage the shaker. A die-cut card or corrugated insert gives each item its place, holds the tub upright and presents the kit neatly when the lid comes off.

For mixed flavour packs of bars, a simple divider keeps rows straight and stops bars at the bottom being crushed. For sachets, a slotted insert stands them upright like files in a drawer so customers can see every flavour at once.

Kits are also an opportunity to tell customers how to use the products. A printed card in the lid or on the insert can explain which product to take before training, which after, and how to mix a shake. That information helps new customers get results and come back for a refill. Tubs and shakers are held by inserts for tubs and shakers cut to each item.

Printing That Communicates Clearly

Nutrition packaging has to balance energy and clarity. Bold colours and dynamic graphics catch the eye, but customers also want to find the product name, flavour and key information quickly. Use a consistent layout across the range so the brand is recognisable, and change one strong element, often colour, to distinguish flavours.

Leave space on the box for the information your products need to carry. Ingredients, nutritional panels and any required statements are usually on the individual product wrappers, but outer boxes often repeat key details or carry batch and best-before information. We will lay out the panels you supply, though the wording itself is your responsibility.

Finishes can reinforce the brand. Matt black with a single bright accent feels serious and performance-led; gloss with full-colour imagery feels energetic and fun. Spot UV on a logo or foil on a premium range adds a touch of quality without changing the whole design. Our print finishes compared guide shows bold flavour colours under matt and gloss.

Board and Durability

Most retail cartons and counter displays are made from 350 to 400 gsm folding boxboard, which prints sharply and is light to ship. For heavier tubs, larger kits and boxes sent by post, corrugated board in E-flute or B-flute gives more strength. A lamination protects print from scuffs in gym bags and warehouse handling.

If boxes will sit in a chiller or near a gym's shower area, mention it, as a coated or laminated surface copes with moisture far better than uncoated board.

Gyms are hard on packaging. Displays are knocked by kit bags, handled with sweaty hands and wiped down with cleaning spray. A laminated finish keeps the print looking fresh for longer, and a sturdier board stops the display front from bending when customers reach in for the last few bars. The grades are explained in our board grades for gym bags guide.

Sizing Around Bars, Sachets and Tubs

Start with the product as sold. Measure bars in their wrappers, sachets when filled, and tubs including their lids and any scoop. Decide how many go in each box and how they are arranged, for example a single row of twelve bars standing upright or two layers of six lying flat.

For counter displays, think about the shelf or counter where they will sit. A display that is too tall may not fit under a shelf above, and one that is too wide will not fit beside a till. Ask your main stockists for any limits before finalising the size.

For mailers, allow space for any free samples or leaflets you include, and check the box fits the postage size band you are aiming for. A few millimetres too deep can push a parcel into a more expensive band. Single-serve powders go in our printed sachets for single serves before they go in the box.

Decide Whether the Box Sells or Ships First

Sports nutrition packaging does two different jobs, and the brief is clearer once you say which comes first: a display box that sells bars on a gym counter, or a shipping box that gets a subscription kit through a courier network. The first is drawn for the counter, with a header and a tray; the second is drawn for the parcel, with a crash-lock base and an insert. Tell us which, with the product dimensions and the number per box, and whether sachets stand upright or lie flat. Choose the board by the journey and a lamination if the boxes live in damp changing rooms. Artwork is the brand guidelines, the flavour colours and the nutrition panel as text, sent as vector files, and the free proof shows the dieline with every panel. A custom quote comes by email within one working day, minimums are quoted per job, and boxes are made in 4 to 7 working days after approval with free tracked courier delivery to UK mainland addresses; misprints or damage reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Boxes that open into a counter display are on our pop-up display boxes for gym counters page.