Smoothies have a high sugar content

Up to 20 pieces of sugar in the smoothie
Smoothies are trendy. They are considered a particularly healthy drink that allows an alternative intake of the daily fruit dose. However, a recent test by the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labor (AKNÖ) has clarified which sugar bombs many smoothies actually represent. The Trend drinks contained up to 20 sugar cubes, according to the AKNÖ.

In the course of the test, 22 products were examined, taking into account not only smoothies but also fruit and vegetable juices for the comparison of the sugar content. Thirteen products were pre-packaged goods and nine were freshly prepared. For most of the packaged products, the sugar content was determined using the nutritional value table provided, the smoothies without appropriate information sent the testers to the laboratory for sugar determination.

The sugar content of smoothies is often alarmingly high. (Image: M.studio/fotolia.com)

Smoothies of fast food chains with extra sugar
According to the results of the AKNÖ, "the open smoothies of the fast food chains Burger King and McDonalds" have the highest sugar content. Here are almost 16.1 grams per 100 milliliters contained, which corresponds to about 20 pieces of sugar cube. But even vegetable smoothies are surprisingly no guarantee for a lower sugar value. Thus, for example, the green smoothie from the manufacturer Merkur still contain twelve pieces of sugar cubes, although this is mixed from cabbage, cucumber, Vorgerlsalat and spinach.

Without added sugar and yet sugar bombs
In principle, consumers should bear in mind that smoothies have a high fruit sugar content and are therefore not suitable as a thirst quencher. Even if no sugar is added, the trend drinks often make regular sugar bombs. For example, the innocent smoothie "Kiwi, Apple & Lime" contains 10 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. In the raven nest "Smoothie blueberry banana + Acai" the testers came to a sugar content of the equivalent of nine sugar cubes. A one-third less included, for example, the innocent smoothie "kiwi, apple & lime", which had the lowest sugar content among tested packaged smoothies, according to the announcement AKNÖ together with the saved Enjoy "Orange-Mango Smoothie".

Check the contents of the smoothies
In view of the current test results, Manfred Neubauer, consumer expert of AKNÖ, emphasizes that smoothies - even if no sugar is added - contain large amounts of sugar and only saturate for a short time. "The healthiest and most affordable is still seasonal fruit and vegetables," Neubauer continues. Also, consumers could not rely on the fact that the fruit and vegetables are awarded in terms of quantity most often contained in the respective products. Often the proportion of offered varieties is relatively small. Here a look at the list of ingredients can help.

Smoothies as a permanent substitute for fruits and vegetables not recommended
Although smoothies could replace a portion of fruit or vegetables every day, according to the AKNÖ, but this is not recommended in the long term. Not least because almost only peeled fruits are used for the production of smoothies, whereby many important ingredients such as fiber or phytochemicals largely lost.

Supplementary clarification (20.10.2015):
"Our test showed that no refined sugar was added to all of the smoothies tested, the stated amounts are only to be interpreted as comparative values! The AKNÖ regret the fact that this has created a misleading impression regarding the ingredients. "

(Fp)