[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
We see them everywhere, they are red, green, yellow and some even drink them throughout the day but are they good for your health?
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
The “smoothie”, from the English word “smooth” (which means “smooth”), is a mixture of fruits and/or vegetables mixed with their skin for the most part, which provides a supply of vitamins, minerals, fiber, water , and carbohydrates.
Other components can be added to these ingredients, such as a liquid: water, fresh fruit juice, milk or even soy juice… to obtain the desired consistency. Aromatic herbs (parsley, basil, mint, chives, etc.) or spices (curry, saffron, cinnamon, etc.) can also add an additional touch of exoticism.
So I have my 5 fruits and vegetables a day?
So, there you say to yourself, perfect! My 5 fruits and vegetables per day in a smoothie, that’s it! Well not quite…
The smoothie allows you to vary your pleasures, occasionally, but it should absolutely not replace the consumption of a fresh fruit or vegetable!
For what ?
Firstly because in a smoothie there is a significant loss of vitamins if the smoothie is not drunk quickly after opening because the vitamins are sensitive to air. And then the flash pasteurization done upstream also destroys some of the vitamins because of the heat.
Then because a smoothie is drunk, and therefore we consume more of it and therefore we absorb more sugar and therefore additional caloric intake.
In a 200ml glass of fruit smoothie, there is still the equivalent of approximately 5 cubes of sugar even if it is the natural sugar of the fruit, you should not exaggerate at the risk of promoting possible weight gain , to unbalance your diabetes if you have one or to increase your blood Triglyceride level.
Remember that WATER is the essential drink for our body.
And the homemade smoothie?
I would say that consuming smoothies is possible but preferably “homemade”, drunk quickly after making it, and without forgetting to consume fruits and vegetables in other forms too.
It is important to eat “solid” foods because chewing contributes to satiety and “pleasure”.
I add one last reason not to settle for the smoothie: the fruits and vegetables are raw. However, it is advisable to eat fruits and vegetables raw but also cooked for the intestine.
What about fruit juices?
And for fruit juices it is even less ideal than the smoothie because, as we do not mix the whole fruit, we hardly find any fiber in it. As for the sugar content of fruit juices, it’s the same as smoothies but provided that there is no additional sugar added of course!
To conclude : Don’t forget that a good chewable fruit, full of vitamins, that you take the time to chew, to savor, will never be worth a smoothie drunk in 2 minutes flat.
To sum up
- Smoothies are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, water and carbohydrates;
- Smoothies should not be the only fruit/vegetable intake;
- Drink a smoothie within 10 minutes after mixing if it is homemade;
- Do not drink more than one smoothie per day.