How often do you throw your smoothie ingredients in the blender without measuring and end up with much more than you planned? Of course, smoothies don’t really keep, so you grab a bigger glass and drink it all down. Do you know how many calories you’re getting in that giant smoothie? Maybe more than you bargained for.
Store-bought smoothies can be even worse. For example, the smallest size smoothie at Smoothie King is 20 ounces. One menu choice contains 400 calories in the small size, 660 calories in the 32-ounce medium serving, and 810 calories in the 40-ounce large serving. For most people, this is going to be way more calories than they need, especially if it’s being consumed as a snack. The average person needs about 2,000 calories a day — one medium smoothie would supply about a third of their daily calories.
A reasonable size for a smoothie is about 8 ounces, depending on the ingredients you’re using in your smoothie and whether your smoothie is being eaten as a snack or a whole meal. Avoid store-bought smoothies and make your own at home. Use fruits to sweeten it instead of sugar or fruit juice. Keep in mind that fruits higher in sugar, such as banana and pineapple, will raise the calorie count, as will high-fat additions like peanut butter. And consider investing in a single-serve blender, which will help you further control how much you’re consuming.