Just a few decades ago going out for s smoothie was almost
impossible, so the only real choice available to you was to buy or pick a
handful of fresh fruit, toss it all in a blender, maybe add some ice, and then
mix it all together. These days however it seems like practically every city
block has a different smoothie company, independent or major nation-wide chain,
vying for your attention, convincing you that they, and they alone have the
ultimate snack for your on-the-go healthy lifestyle. If anything, though,
something important about the classic fresh fruit smoothie has been lost. What
was once a simple, wholesome drink has become a wildly complicated concoction
of additives, blended flavors, artificial sweeteners and other ingredients that
are almost impossible to pronounce without a chemistry degree. In many ways, if
you want to enjoy the healthiest pure fruit drink possible, you must go back to
the basics: in your own kitchen with a blender, ice, fresh fruit or 100% real
fruit smoothie mix.
The Right Stuff
Nature has its way of packing an astonishing amount of
nutritious goodness into convenient, compact, efficient packages. These
packages have names you’d probably recognize: banana, mango, pineapple and the
list goes on. A single piece of fresh fruit contains a huge number of vitamins
and nutrients essential for healthy living. In fact, nutrition experts recommend
that most adults consume at least 5-13 servings of fruits, or vegetables, every
single day. Fresh fruit is both delicious and perfectly nutritious on its own.
Want to make healthy eating choices? Starting with a piece of fresh fruit is a
great way to go. Alternatively, some smoothie mix brands out there offer
certified Non-GMO 100% real fruit purees with no added sugar or additives,
which can be a nutritious and convenient alternative.
What is a Smoothie
Mix Clean Label?
Smoothie mixes come
in many shapes and forms. Some contain added sugars, artificial colors, and preservatives,
but contain low levels or no fruit at all. Make sure to read the label. The
principle of "less is more” works well here. Avoid phonetically challenging
ingredients. Make sure your smoothie mix contain 100% pure fruit or 100% fruit
juice with no added sugars, preservatives or colorants. If the label has a non-GMO
or organic certifications, that’s a plus. Make sure the sugar content is not
ridiculously high and that the directions are easy and clear. Remember that
smoothie mix or fruit purees shouldn’t be mistaken for syrups. They are
different in terms of fruit content, nutritional values and concentration.