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BETTER-FOR-YOU DRINKS: BE A SMOOTHIE OPERATOR

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Everybody knows water is the best drink, ideally from the tap (if drinkable) rather than in plastic bottles shipped half-way around the world, or even trucked across the country. But let’s face it, we do enjoy non-water drinks and have perhaps leaned a little too much on heavily marketed sugar-sweetened drinks, as well as alcoholic drinks, in the past. But, if the latest Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey results are anything to go by, we’re drinking less of both, and that’s good news for health. However, it begs the question: what can we drink instead?
In hospitality venues, there has been significant growth in low- and no-alcohol drinks such as beer, wine and even ‘spirit’ alternatives to sip neat or to make mixed drinks using plant botanicals for flavour. These faux-booze options are great for the ‘stealth-health’ folks who still want to party but without the hangover. And the plant botanicals are likely to have health benefits from their natural phytochemicals. Jazzed-up water is also a thing. I’ve been to events where the beverage of choice is fruit-water, where fresh fruit is bobbing about in water adding a subtle flavour infusion and looks gorgeous presented in a glass vessel.
Smoothies are also popular. While previously only embraced by the health and fitness crowd, fruit smoothies have taken their place as a mainstream trend. And what a delicious way to enjoy your daily fruit and dairy? Unlike juices, the whole fruit is used in smoothies, which keeps the beneficial fibre. And fruit smoothies generally have a low glycemic index. A new report in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition addresses concerns about the sugar content in fruit smoothies and the impact this has on blood glucose levels. The authors argue that because the whole fruit is used, consuming them in blended form is not a problem for blood glucose management; in fact, it can even improve glycemic response compared with eating whole fruit. They suggest this counter-intuitive result is likely due to the increased viscosity of fruit smoothies, which slows stomach emptying; plus, the milk.
A fruit smoothie is a simple recipe: fruit and milk, blended until smooth. You can be creative and use what you have. Banana is a classic and has the bonus of using up overripe bananas (waste-not). Berries and mango feature strongly, and adding whole berries with their seeds really ramps up the fibre content as well as the colour. You can experiment with more exotic additions such as avocado, spinach or matcha (for a green smoothie), nut butter or tahini (great with banana), cacao (for a healthy hit of chocolate) and coffee (for a pick-me-up). Or for an even more substantial smoothie, add chia seeds, oats or flaxseeds.
I’m not surprised the sales of smoothie appliances are high because they make such a quick and easy breakfast or snack, and they’re quite filling and satisfying. Some smoothie makers have a removable jug with a lid so you can blend and go. As smoothies are on-trend, they’re available when we’re out and about. Got the shopping mall munchies? Grab a fruit smoothie. One word of caution: choose the portion size to suit your needs; they can be large. It’s not often that a convenience food offers this much potential for good nutrition and enjoyment, but fruit smoothies tick all the boxes.
Here’s some recipes to try (there are loads of recipes online):
Base: 1 cup of reduced fat milk (or plant-milk alternative)
Fruit Additions:
  • 1 ripe banana, 1 Tablespoon peanut butter, 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed*
  • ½ cup fresh/frozen raspberries/blueberries/strawberries, 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 mango cheek, 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
  • ½ banana, ½ avocado, ½ cup chopped pineapple, 1 cup chopped spinach/baby spinach/silverbeet
  • ½ cup fresh/canned peach, 1/3 cup blueberries
  • ½ cup cooked apple, ¼ cups oats, cinnamon & nutmeg
*Banana, Peanut & Flaxseed Smoothie Nutrition Information:
Nutrition information per serving (385 g (1 cup))
Nutrients Per serving Per 100 g
Energy (Kilojoules/Calories) 1580 kJ (380 Cal) 410 kJ (98 Cal)
Protein (g) 16.8 4.4
Fats (g) 17.3 4.5
Saturated fats (g) 4.5 1.2
Carbohydrates (g)  35.8 9.3
Sugars (g) 27.8 7.2
Starches (g) 8.1 2.1
Fibre (g) 4.6 1.2
Sodium (mg) 214 55
Potassium (mg) 939 243
Vitamin C (mg) 5.5 1.4
Glycemic index 30 30
Glycemic Load (g) 11 3
 
Source: Australian Food Composition Database-Release 2.0 and International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021
 
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Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, author, consultant, cook and food enthusiast who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious.
Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website
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