There are days when I exist almost completely on a smoothie diet.

I get up late, leave myself no time for breakfast, and grab a Vitamin C Blaster! on my way to class. Lunch time rolls around, I’ve got meetings and rehearsals before another batch of classes, so I run back over and buy a Protein Berry Boost. The people at the smoothie place know me by name. It’s like we’re in some secret club; I come in, they see me, nod, and get to work.

But I recently read an article that stopped me in my tracks.

Here I was thinking I was being Miss Healthy, drinking my nutrients, when in actuality, I might have been loading my body with unwanted fat and carbs.

Cool.

For one thing, a small, store-bought smoothie usually rounds out at about 16 ounces, which is roughly two cups. Anything larger than that is more than an average woman needs in one serving, especially if there’s yogurt, flavoring, and sugar added.

Also, just because something has a piece of fruit in it, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. A small “Chocolate Elvis” from the chain Planet Smoothie may have bananas in it, but it also has loads of calories, 9 grams of fat, and 108 grams of carbs. Read More »