What is healthier? Better smoothies or conventional fruits?

For children rather fruits: smoothies should be the exception
Fruit is healthy, but due to the fructose it should not be over-eaten. Smoothies also have a high sugar content and should therefore only be drunk wisely.

Fruits and vegetables are healthy
Although a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, or stroke, as with so many others, the right amount is crucial. According to experts, fructose contains just as many calories as most other sugars. That should also be considered with smoothies. These are not thirst quenchers, but rather a meal.

Although smoothies taste delicious, kids should only drink them occasionally. The vitamin bombs have a lower nutrient content than fresh fruits and vegetables. (Image: whitestorm / fotolia.com)

Smoothies are not suitable as a snack
Especially children love the delicious and fresh vitamin bombs. But as a snack, they are only partially suitable. "A smoothie should really be the exception," said the pediatrician Dr. Claudia Saadi in the pharmacy magazine "Baby and Family" (issue 7/2016). "From a nutritional point of view, it makes more sense for children to eat fresh fruit and vegetables as it has a higher nutrient content." That's why every now and then a fruit or vegetable portion should be replaced by a smoothie, according to the doctor. "Do not fall back on purchased smoothies, because they usually contain sugar and other additives," said the Saadi. Since many vitamins are lost during prolonged storage, children should drink the smoothie as quickly as possible.

The mix does it
Some tips can help to make delicious smoothies. Basically, the fruit and vegetables used should be as fresh as possible. Only in exceptional cases, such as berries, can frozen foods be used. The fruits should be ripe, because otherwise they are harder to crush and often taste bitter or sour. However, there are also some no-gos with the ingredients. Especially with the green smoothies lurks the danger to give the drink with "wrong" vegetables a bitter note. So plant green should be used only in moderation. It's best to make green smoothies with lots of fruit and a third of vegetables. (Ad)