The smoothie – what is it exactly?
Most people are familiar with smoothies – after all, there has been a huge boom in freshly bottled fruit and vegetable drinks in recent years. Some time ago, the smoothie trend crossed over from the USA to Europe, and today there is a wide range of ready-made products on the market. Translated, "smooth" means thick, soft, and creamy – exactly the consistency a perfect smoothie should have. It is by no means comparable to ordinary juice, as the entire pulp is processed, preserving most of the vitamins. However, given the growing selection of smoothies on the market, many people ask themselves just how healthy this trendy drink actually is.
Is a diet with health drinks really that good? How healthy smoothies actually are
Manufacturers primarily promote smoothies as healthy drinks rich in vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, ingredients such as sugar or sugar substitutes are not desirable among the ingredients. What makes these drinks so healthy is pureed fruit and vegetables in their pure form. If the finished mixture tastes too sour, a banana can be added: It provides a smoother consistency, sweetens the drink, and keeps you full. Alternatively, dried fruits like dates or figs are a great option.
Strictly speaking, smoothies are even vegan drinks because dairy products like cow's milk or yogurt are not included. If they are, it is no longer considered a smoothie, but rather a milkshake. Basically, it is a raw food drink; however, you naturally cannot eat all foods raw, which is why vegetable smoothies in particular contain precooked vegetables. These can be potatoes, but also pumpkin or carrots — they are all very healthy and rich in nutrients as well as carbohydrates. In principle, however, smoothies mostly contain raw fruits and vegetables.
Healthy and delicious nutrition: Which ingredients are in a smoothie?
If you make your own drink, you can choose any ingredients you like — anything that tastes good is fair game. Not only all kinds of delicious fruits and vegetables, but also grasses and leafy greens can be processed in it: Arugula, spinach, or lamb's lettuce give smoothies a vibrant green color and cannot be tasted at all when mixed in the right proportions. It gets particularly exciting as soon as spices and herbs come into play: Here you can keep experimenting to find new combinations. From cinnamon to cardamom, cocoa, and vanilla all the way to ginger and tonka bean, the possibilities are diverse. If you lack inspiration, simply take a look into your pantry. Ground nuts, almonds, or pure cocoa powder can be used to whip up plenty of delicious creations.
Are smoothies healthier than juices?
Smoothies and juices are often equated, but this is incorrect because the consistency of the two products alone is fundamentally different. While fruits and vegetables in a smoothie are completely pureed but not juiced, juices are separated from all "thicker" components, leaving the juice rather thin in the end. The main advantage of pureeing over juicing is that a large portion of the nutrients as well as vitamins and minerals are preserved. Because valuable pulp and peels of fruits are also discarded with juice, many of these are lost instead. You may have made apple or orange juice yourself before and know how much actually goes into the trash because the peel can no longer be used. Yet it is precisely in the peel where a high concentration of vitamins is found that shouldn't be wasted.
Because smoothies are usually prepared fresh and consumed right away, they represent a healthier option than juices. Although juices also contain important nutrients, they are heated before bottling and lose some of these nutrients in the process. Ready-made products bought in the refrigerated section also contain more vitamins than packaged juice on the shelf. However, it is still best to prepare a smoothie yourself at home using your own ingredients.
Green smoothies — healthy nutrition with a high vegetable proportion
A green smoothie is a drink made primarily from green ingredients: Vegetables like lettuce, spinach, or kale contain lots of vitamins and don't taste nearly as savory in a smoothie as you might expect. Green fruits like pears, apples, melons, or kiwi can also be used. They often even make up the largest part of a green smoothie so that it tastes delicious despite its unusual color and offers plenty of nutrients.
However, not everything labeled "green" is automatically healthy: Especially recently, many products have been developed that contain high amounts of chlorophyll — or leaf green. These are secondary plant substances said to have numerous positive effects on the body. The green leaf pigment is believed to have a purifying effect, detoxify the body, and create a vital sense of well-being. The problem is that it is often not entirely clear to consumers whether certain green smoothies are actually that healthy. It's best to simply try the green drinks yourself and also pay attention to nutrients — anything you like can be mixed in.
Diet or not: How healthy is a smoothie really?
Those who want to lose weight often engage in endurance training, fitness training, and other sports to speed up weight loss. However, you should always pay attention to the right amount: consuming just a 150 to 200 ml product can add a lot of calories. Ready-made smoothies also very frequently contain several types of sugar.
Smoothies are simply pureed fruit and vegetables — in an extremely high concentration. You can quickly end up with far more calories this way than you previously assumed. You should be especially cautious with ready-made smoothies, as they often contain hidden sugars — including fructose.
A good tip: You can spot sugars and sugar types by the ending "-ose".
Therefore, it can be said: for losing weight, these drinks are only suitable to a limited extent. Eating a piece of fruit or some raw vegetables now and then is of course perfectly fine - but if you consume smoothies daily, you should be careful during a diet or at least do endurance training, fitness training or another sport to balance it out. Otherwise, consuming smoothies might lead to consuming too much sugar, which negatively impacts your diet.
