7 Healthiest Store-Bought Smoothies—and 4 To Avoid
Smoothies are great for several reasons. They are extremely customizable and allow you to create a drink that contains a variety of your favorite ingredients. Smoothies can also be nutrient-dense. With a base of fruits, many smoothies are loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. When you are in need of a quick meal or snack, smoothies can be incredibly convenient, especially those that are store-bought and ready to drink. Read on to learn how to navigate the store for the best and worst bottled smoothie brands.
How we chose the healthiest smoothies:
- Sugar content: Added sugar, in the form of honey or other syrups, is common in prepared smoothies. This ingredient takes away from how healthy a smoothie can be and can leave you with a sugar bomb that doesn't provide much nutritional density. All of our smoothie selections contain fewer than 5 grams of added sugar per serving, with most providing no added sugar.
- Need for modification: If you have the time and ingredients to make modifications to your store-bought smoothie, this is a great way to create a customized option. However, the convenience of a ready-to-drink option that meets our nutritional standards without needing anything additional is hard to beat. The smoothies on our list require minimal to no added ingredients to create a balanced meal or snack.
- Protein: While the fruit and vegetable base of many smoothies pack plenty of micronutrients, they don't contain much protein. This nutrient improves satiety and should be included in each of your meals, every day. To make our list of the healthiest smoothies, each bottle was required to contain at least 10 grams of protein per serving. Smoothies with higher protein content received extra praise, and those closer to the 10-gram minimum included suggestions for boosting the protein in your smoothie to make for a full meal.
Read on to learn the 7 healthiest store-bought smoothies, and which 4 you should avoid.
The 7 Healthiest Store-Bought Smoothies
Best: Two Good Smoothies – Peach
Although this is the lowest-calorie healthy option on our healthy list, this smoothie drink still packs 10 grams of protein. This is enough to quality for a snack, but if you want to turn this smoothie into a meal, pair it with a protein source. A hardboiled egg and serving of fruit with your smoothie will increase protein and fiber, making for a balanced and filling meal.
Best: Designer Wellness Protein Smoothie – Mixed Berry
These smoothie pouches are perfect when you need something on the run because they do not require refrigeration. They contain 12 grams of protein and zero grams of added sugar. This option is unique in that it provides MCT oil. This added fat provides more satiety and leads to sustained energy. Enjoy it on its own for a snack or pair it with nuts to boost fiber.
Best: Naked Protein Smoothie – Double Berry
At 370 calories and 30 grams of protein, this option makes for a meal on its own. It contains no added sugar and provides 3 grams of filling fiber. Made with a variety of fruits, this smoothie also packs more than 300% of your daily need for vitamin C. Fat is a touch low in this option, but you could easily boost this nutrient by adding some chia seeds and giving it a good shake before drinking.
Best: Fuel For Fire Fruit Smoothie – Banana Cocoa
Another option that does not require refrigeration, you can pack this smoothie pouch for a quick snack or pair it with fruit and nut butter for a convenient meal. These smoothies are made with whole fruits, allowing them to provide fiber, and are unsweetened. They market towards those needing fuel options before, during, and after exercise, but they work just as well for daily snacks, regardless of when exercise.
Best: Daily Harvest Banana + Almond
If you have a few minutes to blend your own smoothie, but don't want to buy all of the individual ingredients to create a balanced meal, this is a great option. These cups contain all of the smoothie ingredients and all you have to do is combine the contents with your liquid of choice and blend. This option is higher in fat than the rest of this list due to the heart-healthy ingredients, like almonds and sunflower seeds. At 11 grams of fiber, this makes for an especially filling meal.
Best: Dole Boosted Blends Protein Smoothie
This option also provides the frozen ingredients for your smoothie and allows you to easily customize your drink once added to the blender. No added sugar, 5 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein make this a great option, but you can boost nutrients even more with a few simple additions. Add a handful of spinach, a portion of avocado, and a heaping dollop of Greek yogurt to create a full meal. Alternatively, enjoy as-is, for a healthy snack.
Best: Koia Protein – Vanilla Bean
This is the only option on our healthy list that contains added sugar. However, it still made the cut because of its impressive profile of other nutrients. Seven grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein make for a filling and hearty smoothie, and 7 grams of fat from almonds enhance the heart-health benefits of this drink. The protein content is great, but calories are too low for it to be considered a meal, so add a small portion of fruit or nuts on the side to make a more complete option.
The 4 Unhealthiest Store-Bought Smoothies
Worst: Bolthouse Farms Strawberry Parfait Smoothie
At 28 grams of added sugar, this smoothie has the highest sugar content on our list, pushing it into our "worst" category. Although it does provide 13 grams of fiber, the highest content of all the smoothies on this list, this doesn't outweigh the startling sugar content. Sugar is a source of empty calories, providing energy with no vitamins or minerals. A small amount of added sugar per day is acceptable, but you should avoid concentrated sources of sugar, like this smoothie.
Worst: Danimals Smoothie – Raspberry
Smoothies make a great meal or snack for kids, too. However, this Danimal smoothie is better left out of your fridge. It may be the lowest calorie option on our list at only 50 calories, but more than half of its energy comes from added sugar. With no healthy fats and only 2 grams of protein, this option provides minimal nutrient density and is unlikely to leave your kid satiated.
Worst: Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Smoothie – Mango
Although this option doesn't contain any added sugar, it also doesn't provide much in the way of other important nutrients. Its highlight is the 2 grams of fiber it contains, but relative to the 1 gram of protein and 2 grams of fat, there isn't much substance here. Coconut as a main ingredient provides some fiber and MCT fat, but this isn't enough reason to purchase this smoothie. If you are looking for a 100-calorie snack, several options on our list provide better nutritional density for that calorie count.
Worst: Naked Boosted Smoothie Power C Machine
This smoothie is marketed on its high vitamin C content. This vitamin serves as an antioxidant and plays many important roles in the body. Unfortunately, this smoothie doesn't provide impressive amounts of other nutrients. For example, although it contains 55 grams of carbs, all coming from fruit, it contains zero grams of fiber. Additionally, it only packs 2 grams of protein, making this option likely to be less sustaining.
Sign up for our newsletter!
