Some popular smoothies contain more sugar than you should have in a day

A nice fruit smoothie might feel like a quick way to boost your nutrient intake, but if you down the bottle it could push you over the recommended daily maximum sugar limit in one go.

We compared the sugar content in a range of popular smaller sized 'on-the-go' smoothies, sometimes sold as part of convenience meal deals, and found many contain more sugar than an adult is advised to have in an entire day (30g).

A 150ml serving can count as one portion of your five-a-day, but most on-the-go bottles are bigger than this, ranging from 250-400ml. 

While 300ml bottles from Innocent and Naked do state that they contain two servings, previous Which? research into portion sizes shows that people tend to view these bottles as a single serving.

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How much sugar do popular smoothies contain?

Innocent's Invigorate smoothie and Naked's Gold Machine (both 300ml) contain 33g of sugar, while the smaller 250ml Innocent smoothies we looked at had at least 25g of sugar per bottle.

Pret's 'Easy Greens' drink – which contains coconut water, apple, cucumber, spinach, pineapple and kale – is the lowest in sugar of the popular products we checked, at 14g per 400ml.

*products listed in alphabetical order

None of these smoothies contain added sugar, but don't let that fool you – most still contain almost the entire maximum recommended daily sugar intake, in some cases they exceed it.

The sugar in smoothies comes from the fruit content and is classed as 'free sugar' – the same as sugars in juice, honey and standard sugar. It's this type of sugar that can cause dental decay, and that people are advised to limit their intake of.

Drinking a smoothie isn't the same as if you eat a piece of whole fruit, as the sugar in whole fruit is locked in the cell walls and doesn't count as free sugar, so it doesn't have the same effect on our teeth or blood sugar levels. 

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Do smoothies count as one of your five a day?

Despite the five-a-day message having been around for decades, many people still don’t reach this target number of fruit and veg in a day. Most adults don’t manage the recommended 30g a day fibre intake either.   

Smoothies can help towards both. A 150ml portion counts as one of your five-a-day and it still contains the vitamins and minerals you'd find in the whole fruit and veg. But 150ml is a smaller portion than you might think, and it's easy to over-consume without realising.

Smoothies do also contain some fibre, but it isn’t the same amount as you'd get from eating the fruit or veg whole because the blending process breaks down the cell walls. This destroys down some of the insoluble fibre and releases the sugars. 

Are you just paying for expensive apple juice anyway?

Spend any length of time perusing the label on the back of different smoothie bottles, and you'll notice a surprising theme. The biggest ingredient in many shop-bought smoothies is apple juice, even though it may not be mentioned in the name or description on the front of the bottle. 

For example, Naked's Blue Machine smoothie lists blueberry, goji berry and blackcurrant on the front but check the back and you'll find it's 83% apple – 71% apple juice from concentrate and 12% apple puree. Blueberry puree accounts for just 7%, blackberry puree 1.6% and goji berry extract 0.1%.

In fact, apple juice was the main ingredient in all of the drinks we looked at above, except for Innocent strawberries & bananas and Pret Easy Greens.

This is because apple juice is a useful 'base' ingredient which adds sweetness without having an overpowering flavour, and can help to balance the flavours of more punchy ingredients such as mango and raspberries. It's also often cheaper compared to other ingredients such as strawberries.

If you're not sure what your smoothie contains, check the ingredients list on the back of smoothie bottles – they're listed by amount from biggest to smallest.

There's no rule that says manufacturers have to market products based on the main ingredients it contains, but food labelling rules do say that anything mentioned on front of pack must display the percentage it contains in the ingredients list. So you should always be able to check how much a smoothie actually contains of the fruits that have drawn you in.

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How to choose a healthier smoothie

You don't have to ditch your favourites, but it's worth being aware of how much you're drinking in one go and what that means for your daily sugar intake.

If you want a lower-sugar option, look out for smoothies that use milk or coconut water as their base. Options that contain veg as well as fruit are also typically lower in sugar.

You can also make your own version at home. Here are some tips to make healthier smoothies:

Add vegetables

Try to have an even balance of fruit and vegetables in your smoothie. Reducing the amount of fruit will help to reduce the sugar content. 

Leafy greens such as spinach and kale are good additions, as are avocado, cucumber and beetroot.

Add extra fibre

Adding extra fibre to your smoothie will mean it fills you up for longer. Try flaxseeds, oats or quinoa. 

Add protein

Nuts and seeds will also increase the fibre content of your smoothie as well as adding protein and healthy fats. You could also use nut butter or tahini.

You can add some silken tofu or a scoop of protein powder for an extra protein boost if you need it.

Avoid fruit juice

Smoothies generally need a bit of liquid to get them blending well. But avoid using fruit juice as a base.

Instead try using plain kefir, yoghurt, milk or a fortified plant-based alternative.

These are all lower-sugar choices compared to fruit juice and will increase the calcium and content of your smoothie. Using milk, yoghurt, kefir or soya milk will also increase the protein content.

Coconut water is also a lower-sugar alternative to juice.

Remember the recommended portion size for a home-made smoothie is still 150ml. Having more won't contribute any more than one portion of your five-a-day. You can freeze leftovers so you have extra portions ready to go.

It's also important to have whole fruit and veg in your diet and not rely solely on smoothies.

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