Smoothies
Smoothies are a delicious way to get more fruit and vegetables into your diet – and a popular way, according to recent safefood research. One in three of us drink smoothies, and drink them often - between two and five times a week.
Many people believe that smoothies contribute to more than one portion of fruit and vegetables a day. This is not true - smoothies count as just one portion of fruit and vegetables a day, regardless of how many you drink. Another finding was that many people do not know that smoothies may contain ingredients such as sweetened fruit juice, concentrate, fruit syrups, added sugars and preservatives.
It’s recommended that you eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, and it’s best to choose a variety of different types to get the most nutritional benefit. Smoothies made with milk or yoghurt can also boost your calcium and dairy intake.
Here are some important tips for smoothie lovers!
When buying smoothies
Ready to drink - from a supermarket shelf
Read the label and choose those:
- made with fresh, frozen or tinned (in its own juice) fruit
- that contain no added sugar, syrup or honey
- that are lower in calories as some smoothies contain a lot of calories
For tips on reading labels go to our labelling section
Made to order - in smoothie bars
- Only use smoothie bars that use whole fruit
- Ask for no added sugar, honey or syrup in your smoothie
When drinking a smoothie – for dental health
- Avoid drinking smoothies between meals - they are high in naturally-occurring sugar which can damage teeth
- It is best to drink smoothies through a straw. This reduces the amount of sugar coming in contact with teeth
Find out more about the findings from the smoothies research
Want to make your own smoothie? Check out our great smoothie recipe!
For more ideas on how to include fruit and vegetables in your diet, see our fruit and vegetable section.