Dear Healthy Professor: Are smoothies nutritious?

A: To answer the question, let's think about what's in a smoothie. Smoothies are essentially a milkshake with a conscience, delivering both macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) into the body.

They may include a number of combinations of the following ingredients: fruit and/or vegetables, milk (cow's, soy, almond), yogurt and other fermented products, nuts or nut butters, flax seeds, chia seeds, bran, wheat germ, and powdered protein.

If you are a smoothie maker, you probably have your favorite additions, too. Smoothies have a thick consistency and are made using a blender. The more powerful the blender (like a Vitamix), the better the consistency and the more likely you are to retain all the fiber from your fruits and vegetables.

If you can toss a whole apple into the blender, you get to consume the whole apple.

With all that said, smoothies can indeed supply good nutrition. However, depending on the recipe, the calories can add up. Also, using smoothies as meal replacements may not be the best bet for dieters. Some of us just need to chew, and drinking calories isn't always as satisfying.

More Information

Fit Tip

Dr Oz green morning smoothie

Yield: 4 servings


2 organic green apples, skin on

3 cups fresh spinach

1 cucumber, peeled

3 organic celery sticks

1 tablespoon ginger root, peeled

1 ounce parsley

1 cup 100 percent lemon- ginger juice, or juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon



I asked my fellow Sage College professor, Sonya Hauser, for her opinion on this topic, as her academic specialty is obesity. She believes that from a weight-control perspective, drinking your calories may be counterproductive. She went on to explain that individuals tend to be less satisfied when ingesting calories in liquid, as opposed to solid form, and may compensate by taking in more calories overall.

It seems liquid calories might not "register" in the same manner as "solid" calories, which require chewing and typically take more time to ingest and digest. This effect is present whether the liquid calories come from soda or "healthier" options such as fruit juice.

She cited one study, conducted by researchers at Purdue University, which compared the appetite effects of equal-calorie servings of apples (solid), applesauce (semi-solid), and apple juice (liquid).

Whether consumed with a meal or alone as a snack, the solid food form reduced hunger most effectively, while the liquid form had the least impact. The semi-solid form registered somewhere in the middle. Subsequent research has identified both physiological and psychological mechanisms that may be behind this effect.

Professor Hauser emphasized that while research in this area is ongoing, it's interesting to note that the rise in obesity in the past three decades has occurred simultaneously with a dramatic increase in caloric beverage consumption.

That being said, smoothies can be a convenient way to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. "Green smoothies," made mostly with vegetables and lower in sugar than the typical fruit smoothie, are gaining popularity, although not everyone is eager to try these vegetable concoctions.

Sage College nutrition students Bethany Fusini and Erica Krupp presented a recent class demonstration addressing a concern that people could be turned off by the green color, taste and texture of a vegetable smoothie.

However, they emphasized that the health benefits are worth giving it a try, because consuming vegetables this way retains nutrients that may be lost during cooking. To ease the fear of the green drink, they suggested trying a fruit-and-vegetable smoothie blend. For example, start off by adding one cup of spinach for every cup of fruit in your smoothie recipe. This way, you can keep your smoothie tasting fruity, while increasing your vegetable intake.

You can gradually add more vegetables of your choice and less fruit as you acquire a taste for the nutrient-rich blend. The students also reported that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 75 percent of people are not eating an adequate amount of vegetables on a daily basis. If you need to increase vegetables in your diet, maybe a green smoothie will work for you. Now, that's something to "chew" on.
