Are smoothies really a healthy choice for summer?

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In the last few years, smoothies have soared in popularity in the UK. Marketed as a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks, you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re making a healthy choice when buying a smoothie in a supermarket or café, but research shows that some smoothies contain even more sugar than fizzy drinks.

An investigation by Channel 4’s Supershoppers programme revealed that some smoothies on sale in supermarkets, cafes and restaurants are laden with sugar, despite the fact that they are marketed as healthy options. Among the worst offenders was Innocent’s Pomegranate Magic smoothie, which contains 2.4 g of sugar per 100g more than cola. In a serving of just 100 ml, the drink contains 13g of sugar. A recommended serving size of 250ml contains 33g of sugar. Other products that appeared towards the top of the worst offenders list with more sugar than fizzy drinks included Naked’s Green Machine and Blue Machine products and Innocent’s Pineapple Banana Coconut smoothie, Invigorate Super Smoothie and Mango and Passionfruit Smoothie.

Anna Daniels, dietitian, said that people often get carried away when consuming smoothies, and before they know it, they’ve taken in almost a whole day’s worth of sugar. She also warned that labelling can be confusing, and stressed that it was possible to get all the nutrients and vitamins you need from your diet alone without buying juices or smoothies that are marketed as health essentials.

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