It’s springtime – and visions of milk shakes might be dancing in your head. A thick chocolate milkshake can have around 750 calories for a large (22 ounce) shake. A medium (22 ounce) Burger King strawberry shake has 630 calories with 15 grams of fat and 103 grams of sugar.
You could have a bowl of strawberries instead – one cup of sliced strawberries has 53 calories with no fat, 13 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein. Add a dollop of yogurt on top and your nutrition and calorie intake from the fruit and yogurt is far different than what you would get chugging a milkshake.
Maybe you think smoothies are better alternatives to milkshakes. Sometimes they are – and sometimes they might not be.
Don’t be side swiped by the idea that smoothies are filled with fruit so they must be healthy. They may be made with some fruit and vegetables, but far too frequently they’re loaded with sugar. Unless you have a protein boost added (a whey protein additive at Jamba Juice adds 45 calories and ten grams of protein) or your smoothie is made with yogurt or milk, they have hardly any protein.
Jamba Juice’s small (16 ounce) “Ideal Meal Chunky Strawberry” has 570 calories, 17 grams of fat and 54 grams of sugar. A small (16 ounce) healthy sounding “Berry Topper” has 480 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 55 grams of sugar.
You can make smoothies at home and control the amount of fruit, vegetables, and sugar that goes into them.
