Sugar in fruit smoothies

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7/13/12 8:37 P

Thanks for the great tips. I put almond milk in them and matcha. Flax makes me really bloated. I only have them as a snack because I find they don't fill me. I really like drinking them though and I just wanted to make sure all the sugar wouldn't make me gain weight! :)

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7/13/12 8:29 P

Homemade smoothies without added sugars are great! I would skip the juice for your liquid, and instead use water or some sort of milk, because juice CAN be overly sugary, and has most of the fiber from the original fruit removed. I like to use light almond milk, which is only about 35 calories per cup. Just remember that a smoothie is a meal or part of a meal, not a beverage to be had with a full meal. I like to add some protein and fat to my smoothies to slow the absorption of the fruit sugars and help me stay full longer. Usually I use some plain yogurt or whey protein, plus a tablespoon of ground flax. You can also give green smoothies a try, which keep the fruit flavor, but add a serving of vegetables, like spinach or kale. The color can be kind of funky, but the greens don't really affect the flavor of the smoothie. I like blueberry, banana, orange and spinach. "Pumpkin pie" smoothie is a great lower-sugar smoothie using canned pumpkin, flax and pie spices.

If your smoothies end up being too bland, experiment with adding natural flavorings like vanilla or cinnamon instead of extra sweeteners. I often put about 1/4 tsp of lemon extract in mine and it adds a great flavor boost without extra sweetener.

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7/12/12 11:23 A

Strawberries or any kind of berry, especially the ones that are non sweetened, are low on the glycemic index so you shouldn't experience a sugar spike. The banana on the other hand does contain considerably more sugar so use 1/2 to 1/4 of a banana.

I don't buy my smoothies from the store or a fast food place. Don't trust what is in them. Also won't do Jamba Juice because a lot of their stuff comes from mixes as well.

My favorite smoothie-- strawberries, kale or spinach, 1/2 banana, cinnamon (not sweetened like sugar), some almond milk and a dash of vanilla.

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7/11/12 3:19 P

No, fruits are not bad at all. We need a balance of both fruit and vegetables to get all the nutrients. The problem with smoothies is buying it, let's say, at McDonald's with all those added sugars and not healthy for you at all high fructose corn syrup. When you do it at home it's natural and you control how sweet you want it. You can add fruit that is sweet and not have to add additional sugar or other kinds of fruit and add a tbsp or less of honey and it will be fine.

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7/11/12 12:47 P

Are fruits bad in general though? I heard the sugar in fruits makes you gain weight and you should stick to vegetables... but the thought of a vegetable smoothie is just not appealling!!!

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7/11/12 10:53 A

I think homemade smoothies can be a great, fun way to have a dessert or a snack. I think the type of smoothies they generally warn you against are from smoothie/coffee/fast food shops. They usually use some type of thick, syrupy base with all sorts of added sugars, not just the natural sugars found in the fruit.

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7/10/12 8:26 A

I think it would depend on how much of each ingredient you would use? You could measure each ingredient and put them in separately in the tracker or make a recipe and import that into your tracker.

You could also try using tea instead of juice to reduce calories, or adding milk or frozen yogurt for additional protein (although that would add more calories also).

I do prefer to eat whole fruits most of the time, but sometimes it's fun to make smoothies for variety and comfort during hot weather!

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7/10/12 6:16 A

I am wary of drinking fruit smoothies because I heard there was a lot of sugar in fruit and that it is more filling to eat the fruit rather than to drink it. Does anyone know the amount of sugar in say a 500mL cup of a home made strawberry - banana smoothie (so unspecific but basically just juice, ice, banana, and strawberry is what I would use).
Thanks!