I'm obsessed with smoothies. I actually tried drinking only smoothies for an entire week just for the fun of it, but could only last a few days (shocking). I love the idea that you can put just about anything in a smoothie (with the exception of kale) and it will still taste relatively good. With kale, I can put as many other ingredients in as I want, and it will always still taste like only kale.
While you can make your own healthy smoothie with minimal calories and without all the added sugar, sometimes it's just not an option. When you're in a hurry to get from one class to the next, a smoothie from Jamba Juice could be the perfect thing to hold you over. Just watch out for the smoothies loaded with sugar, and maybe try one of the following healthy Jamba Juice smoothies. Some of these drinks still contain as much sugar as a can of Coke, but at least some of that sugar is coming from the fruit and juices naturally.
#SpoonTip: Opt for the small size. While hey may be slightly less filling, they have a whole lot less sugar in them.
1. Orange Carrot Karma
With only 180 calories and 38 grams of sugar, the Orange Carrot Karma is not a bad snack option. It's a mix of carrot juice, sweetened with mangos and bananas. This drink serves as an excellent source of Vitamins A and C.
2. Apple 'n Greens Smoothie
Ah, Kale. This smoothie's got two servings of fruit in it and one serving of veggies. It's got kale in it, but the apple-strawberry juice blend, bananas, mangos, and peaches make it hard to taste. It's got 250 calories and 45 grams of sugar, so it may be able to serve as a quick pick me up before class.
3. Strawberry Whirl
The Strawberry Whirl is a refreshing option and contains 210 calories and 45 grams of sugar. It's a blend of apple-strawberry juice, fresh strawberries, and bananas. This one is also high in Vitamin C and contains at least two servings of fruit.
4. Berry UpBEET Smoothie
This one's is pretty high in calories (240 calories and 40 grams of sugar), but it's still a lot less than other drinks you could order at Jamba Juice. This drink certainly does pack a punch with a combination of strawberries, blueberries, mixed berry juice blend, carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach, kale, lettuce, mangos, and ice.
5. Great Greens
Another green drink! Great Greens has only 110 calories and 17 grams of sugar. It's loaded with 3 servings of veggies and about 1/2 serving of fruit, and also packs a lot into one drink with fresh cucumber juice, fresh apple juice, fresh spinach and kale, fresh lemon juice, and chia seeds.
6. Veggie Vitality
Drinking your veggies is a whole lot easier when there are some sweet fruits thrown in the mix. This drink has fresh carrot juice, fresh apple juice, fresh spinach and kale, and chia seeds. Luckily this drink has three whole servings of vegetables in it and only 23 grams of sugar.
7. Peach Mango Smoothie
The Peach Mango Smoothie is packed with 300 calories, 41 grams of sugar, but does contain 11 grams of protein. It contains a peach juice blend, peaches, mangos, soy milk, and Lean Balance, which contains both soy and milk.
8. Peach Perfection
This drink is another sweet one with 42 grams of sugar and a combination of peach juice blend, mangos, peaches, apple-strawberry juice blend, and strawberries.
9. PB & Banana Protein Smoothie
This one is probably best for a post-workout snack with its high protein content. It contains milk, ice, frozen bananas, peanut butter, Whey Protein Boost, and clover honey. This one is higher in calories at 490, but that's because it's also packed with 32 grams of protein. This one has 35 grams of sugar in it as well.
10. Tropical Greens
This smoothie is full of more veggies (spinach and kale) and sweetened with fresh apple juice, fresh pineapples, and chia seeds. It's low in calories at 160 and contains only 29 grams of sugar.
11. Apples 'n Charge
With 26 grams of protein, this smoothie is another perfect post-workout drink. It's got nonfat Greek yogurt, milk, apples, bananas, pumpkin seeds, honey, and cinnamon in it. It comes in at 410 calories and 42 grams of sugar.
With any of these smoothies, you can add pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, or kale for an additional $0.75. Other "boosts" include Whey Protein or caffeine boosts.
I couldn't believe I spent $5 on a small smoothie at Jamba Juice, but I can say I was pretty satisfied. While their options may be a little expensive and not the healthiest choice when you're trying to watch your sugar intake, I can tell you their drinks all taste good.
I'm not the biggest fan of Jamba because it's a little overpriced in my opinion, but it's a nice option for a quick lunch in between classes. I'd much prefer to make my own smoothie without the added sugar, but nevertheless, the right smoothie from Jamba Juice can be a relatively healthy choice.