Recipe Junction

Our Favorite Recipes'

Treacherous Smoothies

'All I had for lunch was a smoothie,” you might say.

Ah, the delicious and often nutritious smoothie drinks – a tasty way to drink your fruit.

But watch out..........

Even though many of us associate the word smoothie with all things light and healthful, they aren't always good for us.

In fact, they can be real heavyweights and nothing more than a new-millennium milkshake.

Look up the definition of “smoothie” in Food Lover's Companion, The (Barron's Cooking Guide) 3rd Edition by Sharon Tyler Herbst and you'll find “A beverage made by blending fruit with yogurt, milk or ice cream until it's thick and smooth.”

What started out as a great, light idea – fresh fruit whipped into a froth and sucked through a straw – has become a recipe to cause pause if weight control is your goal.

In fact, many smoothies average 300 to 400 calories, and some go as high as 600 to 800 per serving.

The calories pile up with every added ingredient, such as ice cream and whole milk. Take Smoothie King's 20-ounce The Hulk strawberry flavor. It's promoted as a “weight gain” smoothie, and that's what you'll do if you drink it and don't work out feverishly. It tips the scales at 953 calories, with 29 grams of fat and 24 grams of protein. To compare: 20 ounces of full-fat strawberry ice cream contains 508 calories, 25 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein.

Your most nutritional bet is to go for the basics. Stick to the blend of fruit and ice.

Prior | Submit your recipe | Next

Add to Your Social Bookmarks: Del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Simpy Spurl Y! MyWeb - StumbleUpon