Smoothies: Light Juice? 100% Juice?

AChelseaMorning
AChelseaMorning Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Now that it's getting to be summer (where I live), I want smoothies. Frozen fruit, non-fat yogurt, protein powder - all good stuff. And then there's juice. Smoothies need juice.

What I'm wondering is if it's better to buy 100% juice with like 120 calories or something per 8 oz. or try Light/Diet juice with 50/5 calories?

And before anyone says "make your own juice at home! :)" No. Ain't nobody got time for that. (Well maybe somebody got time for that, but I am impatient, and if I'm making a smoothie already, I'm not going go through the process of making juice first.)

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    Lol, indeed, I ain't a juicin' person.

    I think if you're fine with the ingredients in the Light stuff, that should be fine. For me, the frozen fruit is usually the overwhelming flavor, and the juice is just there as a liquid to help with blending. Orange juice tends to be the only one powerful enough to stand on it's own for me (orange vanilla <3), but I get that in concentrate so I never bothered with a lighter version.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Really I don't worry about it and I use 100% juice (orange juice mostly) for the liquid in my smoothies. Well, actually half juice and half water.
  • stephaniemartin42
    stephaniemartin42 Posts: 12
    I make my smoothies with unsweetened vanilla almond milk as the liquid. My breakfast pretty much every day is:

    1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    1 cup some combo of frozen mixed fruit (with at least 1/2 cup of that being berries since berries are lower sugar/lower calorie - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, peaches, mango, dark sweet cherries, etc.
    1/4 of a frozen banana (I cut ripe bananas into quarters and freeze)
    3 oz. of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
    1/2 scoop protein powder (I like Optimum Nutrition Oats & Whey)
    Enough water to thin out enough for blending, 1/4 to 1/2 cup

    This makes a HUGE and yummy smoothie for right around 300 calories.
  • paygep
    paygep Posts: 401 Member
    I just use water in my smoothies. bananas, frozen fruit, yogurt and water. the bananas will make it taste sweet if they're ripe, and using frozen fruit makes them nice and cold. :smile:
  • paygep
    paygep Posts: 401 Member
    Ain't nobody got time for that.

    LOL

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