Eat, not drink, your fruit (from Jill)

Just wanted to bring to light the discrepency between what you THINK you get in a fruit smoothie and what you actually get. What many people think they get is good nutrition but what you actually get is alot of sugar and not alot of nutrition. Now, this is not always true across the board - especially if you make it at home. But, for the most part, if you order a smoothie at any of the popular chains, what you are getting are mostly fruit-flavored syrups and ice - and ALOT of it! A standard 20 ounce (the smallest option at most chains) provide you with ~ 400 calories, almost no fiber, no protein and alot of sugar. Yes, some of that MAY be natural fruit sugar (depending on what was real fruit and what was syrup) and yes, it will most likely be fat free, but slurping down 400 calories of mostly quick-absorbing carbohydrates as a "snack" isn't going to give you nearly the longer-term fullness factor that other 400 calorie items might and, most of use grab these as a snack but, for most of us 400 calories is way too much for a snack. So, again, be prepared when you leave the house and bring your own fresh fruit and water for a snack and, if you HAVE to stop off at a smoothie bar, get the smallest size possible, check to see if they add any fresh fruit to it and SPLIT it with a friend :-)