By Lauren Incarnato, Student Nutritionist The weather has FINALLY started to heat up, the semester is coming to an end, and the excitement of summer is starting to set in. Most people typically spend more time outside in the heat and that leads to an increased popularity in smoothies. As a "juice bar barista" myself, I am a huge fan of smoothies and the variety of benefits they have to offer. With so many different fruit combinations, liquid bases, and add-ins to try, smoothies are such a versatile food. Even with all the benefits, smoothies are notorious for their sugary content, especially if they're from a restaurant. This summer, learn more about what goes into your smoothie so that you are able to get the most out of it! Where does all the sugar come from? It's no secret that your smoothie is going to contain some type of sugar, especially with the amount of fruit that goes into it. However, that doesn't mean that your smoothie has to be ALL sugar. Fruits naturally contain fructose, which is one of the many different types of sugars. While fructose is still a sugar, there are so many different health benefits of eating fruits! Even though the sugar from the fruits is natural, lots of smoothies contain sugar from the fruit in the drink AND additional added sugar as well. It may be difficult to spot, especially if you are not the one making your own drink, but different liquid bases or add-ins can be loaded with so much sugar. A lot of smoothie chains have their own juice bases that are loaded with extra sugar so it's difficult to know this if you don't ask! Sometimes, juice bars do not even use real fruit, using flavored syrups instead. This can rack up the amount of sugar in your drink and decrease the nutritional value you think that you are getting as well. Tips to avoiding added sugar:
To sum up this lengthy post, stick to more natural, homemade smoothies to ensure you are not consuming a drink full of added sugars. Smoothies are a summer staple, but leaving the extra sugar out is just another way to help ensure that you are getting the most out of your drink!
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ABOUTTerps With Taste is run by the Student Nutritionist Team with University of Maryland Dining Services. We write content for students, by students. Enjoy! Categories
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