Few health food trends have demonstrated more staying power than smoothies.
The blended beverage became mainstream in the 1990s, when coffee shops started serving them and juice cafes like Smoothie King, Jamba and Tropical Smoothie Cafe began dotting the country.
Since then, the drink’s popularity has soared. With affordable at-home smoothie blenders available and influencers and celebrities recommending favorite recipes, the industry is valued at $27.2 billion, according to one report, and expected to grow.
Among their known health benefits, “Smoothies are a creative way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake,” says Kristen Smith, a registered dietician and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Smoothies basically are a combination of puréed solid ingredients, often made smoother by adding liquids and colder by adding ice.
Some of the most popular items to blend are frozen strawberries, bananas, blueberries, mangoes, pineapple, cherries, raspberries and peaches. Green smoothies also are popular, often made with apples, avocado, spinach and kale. Liquids like water, coconut water, fruit juice, milk, almond milk or soy milk are added to help with blending.
“Some of the healthiest ingredients to put in a smoothie include a mix of fruits, vegetables and other nutritious components,” says Shelley Rael, a New Mexico-based registered dietitian and nutritionist.
There are a number of pre-made, store-bought smoothie mixes and meal-replacement shakes. Protein powder and other supplements often are added to freshly made smoothies, and supplemental nutrients are commonly included in many bottled or canned smoothie brand varieties.
Because every brand or homemade smoothie has its own ingredients, its contribution to overall health can vary greatly.
“Smoothies can be high in added sugars without much additional nutrition,” Rael says. “However, you can include healthier ingredients to make it a nutrient-packed meal.”
Smith notes that, while many smoothies contain important vitamins and minerals, others “can quickly resemble a milkshake if you are not careful.”
One bottle of Bolthouse Farms smoothie, for example, packs 28 grams of added sugars — 56% of the amount the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming daily.
“Smoothies are one way to consume nutrient-dense foods while on the go or with a busy lifestyle,” says Dr. Uma Naidoo, the director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of the book “Calm Your Mind with Food.” “But steer clear of smoothies with added sugar, flavored yogurts, fruit juices or even ice cream in their ingredient list.”
She stresses the importance of eating whole fruits and not blending everything because the dietary fiber in whole fruit slows the digestive process through which the sugars in fruit are glucose is turned from food into blood sugar.
“Many smoothies are often high in fruits, which, when pulverized, become very high in a sudden sugar load entering your bloodstream,” she says.
Smoothies also can contain a lot of calories. Making things worse, some people add sweeteners like sugar, honey, yogurt or agave to homemade smoothies, adding to the calories. Bottled smoothie brands often are worse, usually packing 270 to 370 calories in as little as 15.2 fluid ounces.
But if you’re mindful of added sugars and limiting calories, smoothies can be a healthy snack or even a meal-replacement option and can contribute to healthy weight management.
Smoothies also can help satisfy hunger, which can contribute to weight loss.
To keep calories in check and to create a more filling smoothie, Smith recommends packing smoothies with vegetables and including a protein source such as protein powder, nut butter or Greek yogurt.
Naidoo says her favorite approach to making a green smoothie “starts with a clean protein powder of your choosing, then add in greens — about 2 cups of spinach, kale, arugula, romaine or other greens you have on hand — healthy fats — a small piece of avocado — and a healthy liquid to help blend.”
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