Why Ready-Made Smoothies are Bad for Your Health

Smoothies are becoming more popular every day. They are available at restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, convenience stores, and more. One reason for their high demand is that they are marketed as healthy food. If you’re health-conscious, you might be consuming ready-made smoothies and thinking that they are nutritious and will contribute to your health journey.

The question is, “Are smoothies really healthy?” They can be if you are preparing them at home. Unfortunately, most ready-made smoothies are often anything but healthy. If you’re a smoothie fan, keep reading to find out the downsides of bottled smoothies and be inspired to make your own smoothies at home.

Added Food Colors

Smoothies contain food dyes to make them more appealing and eye-catching. There are many adverse effects of added food colors.

For example, they can stimulate allergic reactions in some people. They are also associated with aggressive and impulsive behavior of children. Recent research has shown that these dyes can also cause birth defects, cancers, and organ damage.

Instead of going for bottled smoothies, make one at home with natural fruits and vegetables so that you don’t have to add additional color.

Plus, you can serve your actually healthy smoothie in glass jars and containers of your choice!

Added Sugars

The biggest pitfall of ready-made smoothies is their high sugar content. The reason behind being chock-full of sugar is that the bottled smoothies contain fruit puree, not the fruit itself. Along with this, honey and maple syrup are mostly used as sweeteners in them.

Most of the ready-made smoothies are made of non-dairy milk that is also a source of added sugar. The sugar content of such smoothies is equal to that of a soda.

Due to a large amount of added sugars, their nutritional value decreases. Consuming too much sugar will make you prone to diseases like diabetes and heart attack.

Less in Fiber

When you pick up a smoothie bottle from a store, you expect it to be rich in fiber because you think that it is made of whole fruit. Most commercially-made smoothies have zero fiber in them because they are made of processed fruits.

The fiber in processed fruits is shredded and becomes ineffective.

Fiber helps in maintaining blood sugar levels by slowing down the conversion of food sugar into blood sugar. Smoothies with zero fiber in them will raise the sugar level of blood.

Fiber also helps lower your cholesterol level and keeps the digestive tract healthy. So, if you’re consuming a smoothie that has no fiber in it, you’re seriously lacking in a critical area.

Packed with Saturated Fats

Usually, ready-made smoothies are loaded with saturated fats that are not good for your health. Many pieces of research prove that saturated fats can lead to heart-related diseases. The amount of saturated fats in such smoothies is more or less equal to that present in a double cheeseburger.

If you can’t find the time or the ingredients to make smoothies at home and absolutely have to buy pre-made ones,  then be sure to choose wisely.

Try to find brands whose smoothies are made of no-fat milk or skimmed milk. Look for lower-calorie options as well. Remember, the fewer the fat content, the healthier your smoothie will be.

Added Preservatives

Ready-made food items contain a lot of preservatives. This is done to prevent food spoilage so that the packaged food like smoothies can last for a longer time.

These chemical additives can be very harmful to you in the long run because they can potentially cause cancer and hyperactive behavior in children. If you’re consuming too much processed food, you’re at risk of a heart attack because preservatives can weaken the tissues of the heart.

Conclusion

Now you have an idea about the drawbacks of ready-made smoothies. They are packed with lots of sugar and zero fiber. The chemical additives in them can lead to serious health conditions.

Smoothies are used as a tool for losing weight, but sadly their calorie content is very high. Generally, more calories mean more chances of obesity.

If you want to lose weight, you need to keep your calories in check. So,  avoid high-calorie smoothies as they will deter from your path towards your goal weight.

If you are a smoothie lover, then instead of buying one, try to make it yourself with simple ingredients having low calories like skimmed milk, any fruit of your choice, and yogurt. Stay healthy!