‘Healthy” Smoothies Could Contain More Sugar Than Fizzy Drinks
‘At this time of the year many of us vow to go on a health kick, promising to eat more fruit and vegetables and hit the gym more frequently, but have you ever stopped to think what goes into the smoothies you buy?
Research has shown that some smoothies, which are advertised as healthy drinks, which are packed full of things that are good for you, actually contain more sugar than fizzy drinks. Some experts are also worried that the way the smoothies are prepared also removes some of the goodness and there is concern that people are favouring smoothies over fruit and vegetables in their natural state because they are tastier and more convenient.
Statistics show that the smoothie industry is booming; each year we spend more than £100 million on smoothies and the trend to grab a smoothie with your lunch or in the afternoon is growing.
Gillian Killiner, director of 121 Dietician, said that smoothies do have a role to play in nutrition, but they should be part of a balanced diet; drinking a smoothie is preferable to drinking fizzy pop, which has no nutritional value, but it is important that people are aware of the sugar content and that they realise that drinking a smoothie a day is not a replacement for eating fruit and vegetables.
According to a survey carried out by Which? 29 per cent of people think that they can get more than 2 portions of their 5 a day from drinking a smoothie, although in reality smoothies can only contain a maximum of two portions as a result of the way they are processed.
Research also revealed that of 52 smoothies, 22 smoothies contained the equivalent of only one portion of fruit. Innocent, Asda and Sainsbury’s smoothies all contained two portions of fruit.
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