01.Fruit smoothies and frappés
We looked at more than 90 smoothies and frappés from popular food and drink outlets, and analysed their nutritional content, paying particular attention to the amount of kilojoules per serve.
Fruit and vegetables are generally
low-kilojoule foods, rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals,
making them perfect for a snack
between meals. So, given how healthy fruit and
veggies are, surely frappés and smoothies made
with “fruit” are also healthy snack options?
CHOICE analysed 95 of these
from popular outlets such as
Boost, Donut King and Wendys, and found that,
while they seem good in theory, the inclusion
of fruit concentrate and added sugar – along
with serving sizes that can be larger than an
average plate of food – poses serious health
issues for people consuming these drinks
as between-meal “snacks”.
Scientific studies, including those recorded in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, show people whose diet is
high in fruits, vegetables and legumes have a
lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and
type-2 diabetes. On the other hand, diets high
in added sugars are associated with obesity and
dental health issues, which means the “hidden”
sugar in these products isn’t likely to do your
health – or waistline – any favours.
Sugar high
When fruit is juiced, the sugars, fluids and
flavours are extracted from the fruit fibre, but
the kilojoule content remains much the same. In
addition to the fruit concentrate that is already
high in natural sugars, some drinks also contain
added sugar. All up, a large number of kilojoules
can be packed into a small amount of liquid.
Dietitian Dr Rosemary Stanton says while it
is known the body doesn’t recognise feelings of
satiety after drinking soft drinks, whether this
also applies to juice is not known. However, any
excess of kilojoules is a problem and consuming
large amounts of fruit sugars without fibre on a
regular basis isn’t ideal. “Most people would be
unlikely to get through four apples, but could
easily manage the equivalent in juice,” she says.
Of the 95 drinks we
looked at, 81 had sugar levels
we would classify as high in
sugar (with 7.5g/100mL or
above). With a teaspoon
of sugars weighing in at
about 4g, the use of juice
concentrate or added
sugars means that when
you have one of these
drinks, you could be
consuming far more sugar
than you expect – up to the
equivalent of 31 teaspoons
in just one regular drink.
A meal in a drink
Another key issue we
found was the difference in
“regular” or “medium”
serving sizes – from 280mL (at
Donut King) to 650mL (at
New Zealand Natural).
Stanton says that in
addition to the problem of
using fruit sugars without
fruit fibre, the “regular”
serving sizes at some popular juice bars go
far beyond what can be
considered as a reasonable
snack, except for those who are
very physically active. Given
a regular flat white coffee
provides about 500kJ of
energy, consuming up to
2600kJ in one smoothie is
simply encouraging people
to overeat, she argues.
Even the kids’ serving size
at Boost (350mL) provides
up to 1500kJ.
The draft version of the
revised Australian Dietary
Guidelines recommends
limiting food and drinks
containing added sugars –
particularly sugar-sweetened
drinks. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating suggests a
single serving of fruit juice
shouldn’t be bigger than
125mL, while a serving
of yoghurt (a common
ingredient in smoothies)
is capped at 200g.
Products reviewed
- Baskin Robbins Mango Yoghurt Smoothie
- Baskin Robbins Strawberry Banana Yoghurt Smoothie
- Baskin Robbins Strawberry & Wildberry Yoghurt Smoothie
- Baskin Robbins Strawberry Yoghurt Smoothie
- Boost Juice Super Smoothie Brekkie to Go Strawberry
- Boost Juice Super Smoothie Brekkie to Go Mango
- Boost Juice Super Smoothie Brekkie to Gogo Original
- Boost Juice All Berry Bang Lite
- Boost Juice Berry Berry Lite
- Boost Juice Crushes Lemon Crush
- Boost Juice Crushes Watermelon Crush
- Boost Juice Skinny Minnie Melon
- Boost Juice Smoothie Mini-Me Mango
- Donut King Fruit Freeze Mango
- Donut King Fruit Freeze Strawberry
- Gloria Jeans Banana Fruzie Smoothie
- KFC Krusher Strawberry Smoothie
- Michel's Patisserie Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Banana
- Michel's Patisserie Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Mango
- Michel's Patisserie Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Mixed Berry
- Michel's Patisserie Smoothie Banana
- Michel's Patisserie Smoothie Mango
- Michel's Patisserie Smoothie Mixed Berry
- Muffin Break Banana Smoothie
- Muffin Break Blueberry Smoothie
- Muffin Break Mango Smoothie
- Muffin Break Raspberry Smoothie
- Muffin Break Strawberry Smoothie
- Muffin Break Froot Blast Blueberry Banana
- Muffin Break Froot Blast Mango Tropic
- Muffin Break Froot Blast Strawberry
- New Zealand Natural Berry'lishius Yoghurt Smoothie
- New Zealand Natural Mango Tango Yoghurt Smoothie
- New Zealand Natural Tropical Tornado Yoghurt Smoothie
- Subway Banana Smoothie
- Subway Mango Smoothie
- Subway Strawberry Smoothie
- Wendys Berri Blast Non Dairy Smoothie
- Wendys Lemon Zest Non Dairy Lite Smoothie
- Wendys Watermelon Delight Non Dairy Smoothie
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