Are Smoothies Really Healthy?

Pear and Arugula Smoothie With Ginger and Walnuts — Recipes for Health – NYTimes.com.

The popularity of smoothies alarms me, particularly when they are made, as this one is, with lots of fruit and orange juice, a potent combination of sugar and acid that is not actually healthy for anyone.  If you look at the nutritional information included with the article, you will see that it has 31 grams of carbs, mostly in the form of sugars, and only 5 grams (less than an ounce) of protein.  This is far from a balanced meal.

If you were having it as a salad, which makes it a whole food, high fiber meal again, I would add some chicken, increase the walnuts, and definitely lose the juice.  Enjoy with a dressing made with fresh herbs, walnut or cold pressed virgin olive oil, and either lemon juice or vinegar. Then you’ve got a healthy balanced meal.

If you want to experiment with smoothies, please don’t make them fruit-based. Sugar is sugar, even if it comes from fruit, and especially if it comes from juice (fruit stripped of its fiber), and sugar is causing us an awful lot of health problems. Instead, experiment with more vegetable-based smoothies, with avocados (healthy fat and fiber), nuts (healthy fat, protein and a little carbohydrates), and coconut milk (good for the immune system and the nervous system). Or as a healthy alternative, see my article on green juicing.