Smoothies

[maxd]

My parents have recently discovered the joy of smoothies and have one for lunch every day.  If they use 2 apples, 2 bananas, strawberries/raspberries, a little orange juice and a fruit yoghurt how many of their 5 portions a day of fruit are they getting?  Does pulverising the fruit make a lot of difference to its nutritional value?

 

Thanks

[Gilli]

I've just had a smoothie myself, using 1 banana, 1 mango, 1 pawpaw, juice of a lime & 2 passionfruit.

Yes - they do count towards the 5 a day total. An apple is an apple whether it's eaten whole or whizzed up ! ....... and, because you aren't actually cooking the fruits, none of their nutritional value is lost, as can happen when you heat it, nor are any of the juices lost through evaporation.

I always whizz up 5-6 ice cubes with the fruit as well so it's icy cold and has the same texture you get with a Satrbucks frappucino. You can also add flavourings like ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon for added variety.

[Gilli]

That should of course have read Starbucks ....

[cassimer]

Fruit juice can only make up one portion of the 5 a day regardless of how many glasses are drunk.
According to the Department of Health website
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCa re
Topics/FiveADay/FiveADayFAQ/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4039413&chk=hlJWRW

"Juice (fruit or vegetable) only counts as 1 portion a day, regardless of how much is drunk, because it has very little fibre. Also, the juicing process 'squashes' the natural sugars out of the cells that normally contain them, and this means that drinking juice in between meals isn't good for teeth. Pulses contain fibre, but they don't give the same mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as fruit and vegetables. So in order to get a healthy balance, it is important to ensure that you get a variety of fruit and vegetables."

[Gef]

Sorry but I don't entirely agree with cassimer. I agree that fruit juice only counts for one portion but a smoothie is not just fruit juice. It is pureed fruits and contains the same amount of fibre and vitamins as the original fruit. The bit about squashing the sugars out of the cells sounds ridiculous - sugars are sugars!

If you eat enough fruit (or smoothies) then you don't need to eat veg (and vice-versa) although it's still important that the rest of your diet is varied.

I now wait to be pelted with rotten tomatoes!

[Scarlett]

I have always read that it is important to have fruit and veg in their original format ("as god intended"!) because of the fibre in the original fruit/vegetable. This is lost in a juicer. It's also like the reason why you should cook veg 'til they are al dente- not all soggy. It's easy to boil the goodness out of them. Smoothies are very nice and all, but to be as healthy as you can, eat fruit and veg in their normal state- or lightly cooked.

[morg_monster]

I think if you eat the smoothie instantly, or near enough, then it is the same as eating the fruit itself. Using a food processor or blender isn't much differnt from chewing it well... if it doesn't hang around between being processed and getting to the stomach then I reckon all the good stuff is still there.  each apple/banana is one portion, probably a handful of berries is too.  Then depending on how much orange juice, that is another portion. So maybe 6portions - that'd be 3 each - nice! 

[Gilli]

Sorry but I have to disagree with Scarlet and Cassimer ....

.... smoothies are made in blenders, you just chuck everything in and whizz it up.

Juicing machines separate the juice from the fibre, pith, seeds and edible skin (as in apples, pears) and I agree that nutrients and volume can be lost that way.

However, nothing is lost in a blender. I actually think it's possible to gain a little something as, for example, with an apple, I can cut the core out far better with a knife, than I could by eating it whole, thus ensuring less wastage !

I do think it's important to make the distinction between juice and smoothie ! I suspect that "official" government advice re: fruit juice is erring on the side of caution anyway, given the huge disparity between the quality & added ingredients of different juices. For example, I don't doubt that some people think a drink of "Um Bongo" or "Ribena" counts as a fruit portion !

I still maintain that a raw apple is a raw apple whether it is pulped or not ..... and providing the smoothie is drunk straight away. I also like to think that smoothies aid digestion given the fruit has been pureed first.