When looking for a healthy drink or an alternative to fizzy drinks or Coca Cola, many think a fruit or veg-filled smoothie is a great choice.
But did you know that in fact that so-called ‘healthy’ drink might in fact be masking a calorie bomb?
Dietitian, Paula Norris, recently illustrated exactly how many calories are in some popular retail or homemade smoothies – and the answer might surprise you.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at where the hidden sugars are hiding, how you can make your smoothie healthier and some of the worst retail offenders.
Dietitian, Paula Norris , recently illustrated exactly how many calories are in some popular retail or homemade smoothies – as much as four soft serve ice cream cones (pictured)
When it comes to making a healthier smoothie choice, Paula said it’s all about choosing the right ingredients – such as one piece of fruit, veg, protein and a healthy fat (stock image)
Australian food expert, Paula, outlined that ‘some smoothies can end up containing the same calories as four soft serve cones!’.
She illustrated her shocking confession with a comparison photo of a single Boost Juice smoothie, and four soft serve cones.
Popular options from Boost, such as the Brekkie to Go Go, contain 2560kj or 612 calories and 18 teaspoons from sugar.
Meanwhile, other smoothies from Boost and fellow outlets such as Gloria Jean’s contain more calories than a Big Mac.
So how can you make your smoothie a healthier choice?
Firstly, Paula believes it’s all about including the right ingredients.
Writing on her Instagram page – where she regularly shares plates of seemingly identical meals that prove how you can accidentally ruin your diet with that extra slice of avocado – Paula said you can make your smoothie healthy by ‘making it vegetable based with a maximum of one piece of fruit’.
‘While smoothies can be a great option, if you are not mindful they can easily become loaded with sugar and calories,’ dietitian, Lyndi Cohen (pictured), told FEMAIL
‘Use a blender that keeps all the fibre in it,’ she added – this means ‘it doesn’t remove the skins on fruit or veg’.
Paula also recommends including a protein source, whether that be milk, alternative milk or yoghurt.
‘Some healthy fats, like nuts or chia, are also a good addition,’ she continued.
For Lyndi (pictured) , the key thing to think about when making a smoothie is portion size – ‘Imagine if all of the smoothie ingredients were on a plate, would you be able to eat it all in one sitting?’.
This approach is something that chimes well with fellow Sydney dietitian, Lyndi Cohen, who told FEMAIL not all smoothies are created equal:
‘While smoothies can be a great option, if you are not mindful they can easily become loaded with sugar and calories,’ she explained.
For Lyndi, the key thing to think about when making a smoothie is portion size:
‘This is the key when preparing a healthy smoothie,’ she said. ‘Imagine if all of the smoothie ingredients were on a plate, would you be able to eat it all in one sitting?’.
A survey from government-funded health program LiveLighter (pictured) found smoothies from Boost Juice, Gloria Jeans and McDonald’s were some of the worst offenders
The recommended daily kilojoule intake for adults is 8700kj and the World Health Organisation recommends we consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day (pictured: smoothies from Boost Juice)
While Lyndi said she is a fan of a smoothie, she also added that she loves to add oats to make them satisfying, filling – but low on sugar:
‘Oats add bulk without loading up the sugar and help me to sneak in more fibre for a healthier gut,’ she said.
The dietitian thinks you should keep your servings of fruit to one or maximum two per smoothie – and add protein to help to keep you full.
‘An ideal smoothie would be one serving of fruit, a serve of protein and a healthy fat like two tablespoons of nut butter or 1/4 of an avocado.’
Lyndi said her favourite recipe is a cup of baby spinach, a cup of milk, a frozen banana, two teaspoons of nut butter and one date.
A Mango Fruzie smoothie (pictured) from Gloria Jean’s contains up to 31 teaspoons of sugar
Last year, health experts warned Australians to be wary of store-bought smoothies, after a survey of 40 cold drinks found some contained more kilojoules than a Big Mac and more sugar than a bottle of soft drink.
A survey from government-funded health program LiveLighter found smoothies from Boost Juice, Gloria Jeans and McDonald’s were some of the worst offenders.
The recommended daily kilojoule intake for adults is 8700kj and the World Health Organisation recommends we consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day.
‘Food outlets use phrases like 97 per cent “fat free” or “dairy free” to make their smoothies and frappes sound healthy, but with up to 31 teaspoons of sugar and as many kilojoules as a Big Mac, these drinks can actually do more harm than good,’ LiveLighter Victoria Campaign Manager, Alison Ginn, said in a statement.
‘The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that added sugars make up no more than 5 per cent of people’s daily energy intake, or six teaspoons per day, for the biggest health benefit. You would consume up to five times this amount from just one drink alone.’
In the past, Paula Norris has shared plates of seemingly identical meals on Instagram that prove how you can accidentally ruin your diet with that extra slice of avocado (pictured)
In the past, Paula Norris has shared plates of seemingly identical meals on Instagram that prove how you can accidentally ruin your diet with that extra slice of avocado or using just one teaspoon of oil while cooking.
One of her snaps shows two plates of steak with rice noodles and a salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado and red onion with a soy, lime and sesame oil dressing, which look exactly the same.
However, one meal has almost 800 calories due to an extra slice of avocado, an additional teaspoon of sesame oil, and 80g more of untrimmed steak that’s been fried in oil, while the second version has just over 400 calories because the steak is grilled and some of the noodles have been replaced with extra veg.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Boost Juice for comment.