The juice on smoothies

This month, we started serving ‘real’ smoothies at seven OPEN Food sites. We’re looking to roll this out to as many of our locations as possible. But if you’re looking to stop by for a frozen yoghurt-filled, creamy fruit drink, you’re barking up the wrong cup.

The truth is, we’ve lost the plot about what smoothies and juicing are all about. Travel overseas and order a smoothie from a reputable health restaurant – you’ll be served a delicious combination of vegetables, with a small amount of fruit (just a few pieces), nuts and some coconut water or almond milk to dilute it.

South African restaurants are set on serving super-sized cups of blended frozen fruit, combined with frozen yoghurt – or worse, ice cream – and fruit juice. Another ‘healthy’ option is an equally gargantuan glass of orange, pineapple and apple juice. We gulp it down, while convincing ourselves we’re doing our bodies a favour.

Not so sweet

What most of us (and too many restaurants) don’t know is the average smoothie or fruit juice contains just about as much sugar as a fizzy drink. It also contains about five times our recommended daily fruit allowance – without the fibre and goodness to keep us full afterwards. Perceived ‘heathy’ smoothies have essentially pulped nature’s own portion control.

In short, we need to abandon what we know about smoothies and juicing and adopt a more philosophical approach to ‘healthy’ fruit and vegetable drinks. Done right, a smoothie is a complete meal – or two – which can sustain the body and keep energy levels up for hours. It’s a meal on the go that fits in with our manically busy lifestyles while also being an excellent way to take in whole foods.

Be smooth

Smoothies and juices can also be a great way to avoid waste – we use loads of fresh vegetables and fruit offcuts from our restaurants in smoothies – always making sure they’re in the right quantities. You can do the same thing at home.

Some of our best combinations are goji berries and beetroot, or fennel, celery and spinach. Always make sure any smoothie you buy is sweetened with nothing but a small amount of fruit – added sugar is a no-no. Any liquids added to your smoothie shouldn’t be sweetened either – stay away from loads of fruit juice. Try smoothies made with wholesome coconut water, coconut milk or almond milk.