Today’s health conscious consumer knows that consuming fruits and veggies is the center of a healthy diet. The health revolution has created a new demographic that is much more aware of the types of foods and drinks that they put into their bodies. While fruit and vegetable consumption has been consistently low over time, there has been a culture shift towards eating more whole foods packed with dense nutritional content. 

This demographic still needs viable fast and convenient food options while on the go. The only way restaurants, coffee shops, cafés, and juice bars can tap into this market is by being hypervigilant about the ingredients they use when creating their menu items.

The USDA has created a number of initiatives to change the way people think about consuming fruits and veggies. The MyPlate initiative is designed to remind Americans to eat healthy and make better food choices. Most Americans find it difficult to eat the daily-recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables, which can make smoothies a popular choice for adolescents and adults to order when they are on the move. Finding the right commercial smoothie base can be the difference between making your smoothie a healthy or unhealthy option.

Many smoothie bases are made with added sugars, GMOs, and other artificial ingredients that can compromise the nutritional benefit of the drink you are serving, never mind the preservatives that are used to prolong shelf life. Using fresh or frozen produce is always a choice, but for many restaurants it is an exceptionally time consuming and pricy one, considering the preparation time, storage requirements and endless wastage that accompany this option. 

Make an effort to read the labels and ask about the ingredients that go into your commercial smoothie base to avoid making a purchase that is unhealthy to both your business and your consumers. 

A commercial smoothie base from a superior supplier will seek to find the healthiest cost effective solution for their restaurateur clients, offering all the goodness of real fruit without the added cost.  They provide products that are shelf-stable 100% real fruit blends boosted with functional superfoods.

Served for breakfast, a light snack, or a meal on the go, smoothies are a convenient way to offer your customers their daily dose of fruits and vegetables. A small, 16 oz. beverage can contain three or more servings of fruits and vegetables. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center at Yale University believes that when made without added sugars and other additives, ordering a smoothie is "far better” than not eating fruit at all and a great choice where other unhealthy options might prevail. 

When choosing a commercial smoothie base, it is important to read the labels to ensure that there are no added sugars, artificial flavors, or preservatives in the product you are ordering. These ingredients can turn the smoothie recipes on your menus from a healthy source of fruits and vegetables into a sugary snack with minimal nutritional value.