Smoothies…Fit or Fad?
In the past decade a new trend in health and fitness has become something of a phenomenon. It is very common to see at least one “Jamba Juice” type establishment in most towns in America. In fact, according to yellowpages.com, there are currently 66 “smoothie” locations in Orlando alone.
So the question I beg to ask is- are these “health conscious” smoothies really healthy at all? Or are they just a fad? In order to answer this question, all you have to do is look at the nutritional facts. The average 8oz smoothie (which is a small) can pack on around 200 calories and almost 30 grams of sugar. Yikes! And keep in mind, most smoothie stores have sizes that range from 8oz to 30oz. Some locations don’t even offer 8oz servings, they jump you right into a 16oz.
To put this into perspective, a classic snickers bar contains 280 calories and 30 grams of sugar. A classic Hershey’s bar contains 210 calories and 23 grams of sugar. You don’t eat candy bars when you are trying to lose weight so you shouldn’t be drinking high calorie, high sugar smoothies, either. If you want to get your fruit servings in for the day- opt for a fresh piece of fruit!
Carin Brochu NASM CPT, Nutrition Specialist
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