Although smoothies were normally associated with caloric drinks, with chocolate, cream and cookies, for some time now they have been becoming more present with healthier ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables. Another name, more attractive to Generation Z, has been added to these fruit smoothies: smoothie.
It thus becomes a simple product to prepare and consume, delicious and healthy. Or maybe not so much. Iva Marques, patron of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, graduate in Nutrition and doctor in Physiology and Food, will help us discover it.
Are homemade fruit smoothies healthy?
There is no categorical answer to the question of whether fruit smoothies are healthy. It depends on many variants, as the expert explains: “Smoothies are an interesting product as an alternative to fresh fruit. It allows us, for example, to diversify and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables in those people who find it difficult to incorporate them into their usual diet. Now, this does not mean that it should be the option chosen by the majority to eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables, nor should it displace their consumption.”
The reason why Marques states this is simple: “By having beaten fruit, the sugars are freed from the natural matrix of the food.” Therefore, it is true that smoothies have a place in what is considered a balanced and healthy diet, but they should be consumed in moderation.
What do smoothies have to contain to be healthy?
There is no specific ingredient that makes a smoothie healthy. Yes, it can be a more or less complete food, depending on what is added to that fruit combination. In that sense, Iva Marques gives some keys to make the result more nutritious:
- with milk. If milk is chosen for the liquid smoothie base, it is recommended that it be skimmed or semi-skimmed.
- Add a vegetable drink alternative to cow’s milk. If you choose a vegetable drink, it is better to enrich it with calcium, especially if it is used as a dairy substitute.
- With yogurt or other fermented milk. It can also be made using yogurt or kefir as a base, depending on the tastes of the person who is going to drink it.
- Variety. Have more than one fruit, or incorporate vegetables so that each of them provides the vitamins and minerals and antioxidant substances that correspond to it.
- Healthy ingredients. To nutritionally enrich the smoothie, it is a good idea to add a teaspoon of different oil seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, etc.
- Other extras. You can add a mixture of nuts, not salty and not sweet, such as a handful of almonds or walnuts.
- Spices and aromatic herbs. Cinnamon, ginger or mint add flavor to smoothies, for people who lack appetite or who have lost the perception of taste.
Differences between juices, smoothies and natural fruits
Smoothies vs natural fruit
Although many people firmly believe that consuming smoothies or fruit juices is equivalent to eating fresh natural fruit, they are very different products. Above all when it comes to nutrients. “100 grams of natural fruit contain more water, fewer calories, fewer nutrients and more fiber than in a smoothie,” warns Marques.
On the other hand, he clarifies that “energy and nutrients are less concentrated in natural fruit than in smoothies and juices. “Two or three pieces of blended fruit weigh the same as natural fruit, however, the volume is less.” In other words, in 100 grams of fruit smoothie, to which dairy and nuts are also added, you get more calories and nutrients. But it turns out less satiating If you eat the whole fruit, that means you end up consuming more than you would if you took the whole fresh fruit.
Smoothies vs fruit juices
Regarding juice, “it depends on whether it is juice or nectar. Both cases are characterized because they are a source of free sugars (added or not). Additionally, the amount of nutrients is low, compared to whole or blended fruit. And it hardly has fiber, because it remains in the pulp that we usually throw away at home, or it is eliminated in the industrial manufacturing process. Furthermore, a glass of juice can contain the juice of 2-3 oranges, for example, so that by drinking it we take the sugar content in 2-3 oranges in less than a minute, something we would not do if we drank the orange at segments”.
Myths and truths about fruit smoothies
Iva Marques answers the most common questions about this food.
Are fruit smoothies fattening?
It depends on what is added to that smoothie and what ingredients it is prepared with. “If the smoothie has two or three pieces of fruit, a dairy base or full-fat yogurt, sugar, chocolate chips and seeds or nuts, it can provide between 100 and 400 calories. In effect, it will mean a higher caloric intake,” says Marques.
But that doesn’t have to be the case if they are prepared with dietary sense.
Fruit smoothies to lose weight, do they exist?
The Patron of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that, indeed, fruit smoothies can be included in a weight loss diet. This does not mean that drinking smoothies makes you lose weight, but rather that it plays a nutritional role in a weight loss diet. To make this happen, it is usually a smoothie with one or two fruits on a base of water, infusion or skimmed milk.
The idea is that it carries “a high amount of liquid to create that satiating effect. Although they are not usually a common alternative in weight loss diets.”
Fruit smoothies for athletes, are they different from the others?
Incorporating a fruit smoothie into your meals for recovery after training is a very good idea. They are quick to take, appetizing and “contribute to recovery from oxidative stress,” says the expert.
Is it a good idea to put milk or yogurt in them?
Of course! Above all, for people who have a low consumption of dairy or vegetable drinks enriched with calcium. If you add the latter, it is advisable to make sure that you do not have added sugars. Marques points out that adding a source of protein such as dairy is a very good idea for athletes, since it is a good recovery.
What are detox smoothies that are so fashionable?
They are smoothies with a base of water, vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fruits. They may also include some spices or aromatic herbs or plant extracts. They are usually incorporated into weight loss diets and the so-called cleansing diets, to detoxify. “The theory put forward by those who proclaim it is that they help eliminate toxins, waste or liquids, and that they serve liver and kidney function. But there really is no scientific evidence of this,” the expert clarifies.
Yes, they can help the consumption of fruits and vegetables, but they should never become a way to replace their whole fresh versions.
Are fruit smoothies better for breakfast or dinner?
The expert is clear that the best time to consume them is breakfast, due to the intake of vitamins, minerals, water, antioxidants and the sugars that are released when it is made. “For dinner it is better to add some protein content, a vegetable cooked with a whole grain. And, of course, they should not be used as a substitute for the midday or dinner meal.”
Benefits of fruit smoothies for children and adults
For both children and older people, fruit smoothies may be especially suitable, although for different reasons:
- Contribute to hydration, “because sometimes children and the elderly do not consume the amount of liquid they need.
- Increasing intake of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Increase fruit consumption, if it is the case that they do not eat it.
- In the case of children, it can also serve as a snack.
- Nutrient intake in older people with chewing difficulties.
The ALDI Council
Even if you are going to use them in a smoothie, don’t forget to wash the fruit well before cutting and blending it.
Iva Marquis. Patron of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Graduate in Nutrition and doctor in Pharmacy. Professor of Nutrition and Bromatology at the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences of the University of Zaragoza. Researcher at the IA2 Agri-Food Institute of Aragon, forming part of the Research Group “Analysis and evaluation of food safety”. Director of the University Expert Degree “Nutrition and feeding of vegetarian and vegan children” at the University of Zaragoza. She has been Editor-in-Chief of the Spanish Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as President of the Spanish Conference of Deans and Directors of Centers that teach the degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently Patron and Honorary Academician of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a member of the Portuguese Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education A3ES and of the Scientific Committee of the Association «5 a day». Facebook: @iva.marqueslopes.
