March 7, 2008

You Ask, I Answer: Smoothies/Fiber

Can you explain to me why a smoothie lacks fiber?

If you're taking whole fruits that have fiber in them in that form, and simply crushing/pureeing them, but not discarding any parts (still eating everything you'd eat if you ate them whole), how is it that the resulting smoothie lacks fiber?

I love to throw fruit in the blender as a way to more easily consume a variety of them (and I love the flavors blending!) and it seems to me that the nutritional profile shouldn't be changing.

-- Daphne
(Via the blog)

The smoothies I normally refer to are commercial ones, which use fruit juice concentrates and powders rather than real fruit.

This churns out low-fiber, high-sugar drinks that do not resemble the nutritional profile of eating, say, an orange.

These smoothies also tend to contain sugary yogurts or high-fat dairy products, practically turning a refreshing drink into liquid ice cream.

If you are making smoothies at home with whole fruits, you are in much better shape.

An even better option?

Make smoothies with a high-power blender like the Vitamix (in which you can puree and liquefy entire fruits) to get the most nutrition.

1 comment:

Daphne said...

Thanks for answering the question, Andy! I think financially I need to stick with my Cuisinart hand blender at the moment ;) but it does a good job on bananas, peaches, and strawberries!