It is important to keep in mind that many smoothies contain ice cream, sweeteners, and fruit juices. Make sure to read the ingredients and look for smoothies containing whole fruits and vegetables, nonfat yogurt or milk, and little to no added sugar. Nutrient dense smoothies can also be found by looking at the amount of fiber and protein. For example, Smoothie King’s Vegan Dark Chocolate Banana Wellness Blend Smoothie has 11g fiber and 11g protein, while Tropical Smoothie Café’s Kiwi Quencher Classic Smoothie has 1g fiber and 2g protein. Portion size is also important, so try and choose the smallest size. Furthermore, do not be deceived by smoothies with describing words, such as “The Hulk” or “Detox” or “Powerhouse”, in its name.
If you are looking for an afternoon snack, choose a smoothie low in calories and sugar. Good examples include Planet Smoothie’s Frozen Goat Smoothie or Planet Smoothie’s Lean Green Extreme Smoothie. If you are looking for a smoothie to serve as your breakfast, choose a smoothie high in protein and fiber. Good examples include Starbucks’ Chocolate Smoothie or Smoothie King’s Vegan Dark Chocolate Banana Wellness Blend Smoothie.
From a nutritional standpoint, the smoothies in green font indicate the best options, and the smoothies highlighted in yellow indicate the worst options. Without question, Planet Smoothie wins the Restaurant award for “Best Selection of Healthful and Nutritionally Dense Smoothies”.
Did you know that there is a “Blue Apron” for Smoothies? If you are unfamiliar with Blue Apron, it is a food delivery service that provides its consumers with all the ingredients needed to make a delicious meal in exactly the right proportions. Greenblender follows the same concept, but they deliver all the ingredients needed to make delicious smoothies. If you are interested in learning more, or in subscribing for their weekly ingredient deliveries, visit https://greenblender.com/.
References
McIndoo, H., MS, RD. (2017, April). The Buzz on Smoothies. Environmental Nutrition: The Newsletter of Food, Nutrition, & Health, p. 5.
Written by Nicole Lindel ~ Nutrition Education Master’s Student at Columbia University