Smoothies may not be as ‘healthy’ as you thought
Are you a fan of smoothies? Us too. I mean, what better way to meet our daily quota of fruits and vegetables than by downing them all in one quick gulp? But according to nutritionists, smoothies may not be the best path to better health.
“It’s very likely that you are getting more calories and sugar when you drink a smoothie than when eating whole fruits or vegetables,” Sarah B. Krieger, a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist tells The New York Times. She warns that smoothies have a “health halo” reputation that can be misleading.
ALSO SEE: Ask a dietitian: What’s with all the hype over coconut oil?
The main reason is that smoothies often contain way more ingredients than you could eat in one sitting. In fact, Krieger argues that most smoothies contain the same amount of food that would normally take you around 15 to 20 minutes to consume, but instead you drink it in a matter of minutes.
“People are often consuming a 20- or 24-fluid-ounce smoothie. That’s a lot.”
She explains that the fibre in whole food serves as a “net” to help slow down digestion and the rate at which your body converts sugar into blood sugar. Extra calories aside, when you blend whole food, that net grows weaker making you feel hungry again much sooner than had you consumed the same ingredients whole.
ALSO SEE: Your favourite childhood book may be to blame for your eating habits
She also warns of the dangers of commercial smoothies, which often contain sugar, honey or other sweeteners to make them taste better – but which also add calories. These also tend to contain food “bases” in place of whole foods. She gives the example of Starbuck’s strawberry smoothie, which contains a “strawberry base” made from reconstituted strawberry puree, white grape juice concentrate, natural flavour and lycopene colour.
“There’s a fine line between a smoothie and a milkshake.”
Do you drink smoothies? Do you consider smoothies to be a healthy part of your diet? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
