Are smoothies healthy?

1. Smoothies are not in the Wheel of Five. They are sugary drinks. Drinking sugary drinks increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Drinking a smoothie makes you less full than eating loose fruit or vegetables. In a short time you will consume a lot of calories unnoticed.

Less full from a smoothie

1. When you drink fruit and vegetables instead of eating, you feel less well when you are full. This is because you don't have to chew and you drink a smoothie faster than if you eat the same amount of fruit or vegetables. A smoothie is therefore less satiating than loose fruit or vegetables. An example: you drink 4 mashed oranges in no time, but you cannot eat the same 4 oranges that quickly. You will then feel full sooner. It is therefore better to eat fruit and vegetables than drink.

How much sugar is in smoothies?

1. A 250 milliliter glass of smoothie soon contains an amount of sugar that is comparable to 7 sugar cubes (30 grams of sugar). This is because smoothies often contain multiple servings of fruit and vegetables. When you drink smoothies, you get unnoticed a lot of sugar in a short time, and therefore a lot of calories. That can lead to obesity. Sugary drinks also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (diabetes). In the video below we explain why you can eat fruit and vegetables better than drink.

Would you like a smoothie anyway?

1. 4 tips if you ever make a smoothie: Make the smoothie yourself. Ready-to-eat smoothies from the store often contain added sugar or juice. Making smoothies yourself without adding sugar or juice is therefore usually healthier. Take a small portion: for example, use 100 grams of fruit. Do you also want to put vegetables in it? Then choose a vegetable that contains little sugar, such as spinach or kale. Optionally add low-fat or semi-skimmed yogurt. Do not add sugar, honey, syrup or juice. Grab a spoon. You eat the smoothie more slowly, so you will notice a little earlier if you are full.

Are there vitamins and fiber in smoothies?

1. A smoothie contains a lot of vitamins and fiber if you puree whole pieces of fruit and vegetables. Because oxygen is added during mashing, some of the vitamin C is lost. Juice is often also added to a smoothie. Juice contains less fiber and nutrients than whole fruit. You also get enough vitamins and fiber from vegetables and fruit if you eat 2 servings of fruit and your daily portion (250 grams) of vegetables.

What about vegetable smoothies?

1. Vegetables generally contain less sugar than fruit. Still, vegetable smoothies sometimes contain a lot of sugar. Some vegetables themselves contain sugar, such as tomato, beetroot, carrot and rhubarb. In addition, vegetable smoothies often include pureed fruit or juice. In fact, fruit juice is sometimes the main ingredient in store-bought vegetable smoothies. So vegetable smoothies are also sugary drinks. That is why it is better to eat vegetables than to drink.

Elderly and people with malnutrition

1. Smoothies are an easy way to get nutrients for people who have trouble eating enough. For example, smoothies with dairy can be good for elderly people who have difficulty with eating and people with malnutrition

Can you say that one product is healthy?

1. You cannot really say whether one product is healthy. It always depends on how much or how often you eat or drink it. We can therefore say whether a product fits in a healthy diet. Read more .