New Smoothies From Jamba Juice Will Trick You Into Eating (Drinking?) Your Veggies

Jamba Juice is pairing veggies with fruit in a new line of smoothies.  Got kids that won’t eat their vegetables for ANYTHING?  Here’s the ticket.

We’ve known for some time that smoothies are a go-to choice for people that want a meal replacement or a cool, soothing snack on the go.

Vegetable based smoothies are nothing new; Trader Joe’s, Naked, and others have provided green smoothies for some time now.  Oh, and don’t forget Jay Kordich — and his eyebrows! — who has been hocking vegetable juice and its benefits for as long as I can remember.

I see this new line of fruit and veggie smoothies from Jamba Juice as a way to get kids to consume some vegetables….and like it.  They know the brand name, they like what they’ve had there before, and they won’t hesitate to scarf down a 16 oz smoothie with 3 servings of fruit and vegetables. Parents can pull a switcheroo for everyone’s benefit!

I was invited to my neighborhood Jamba Juice to sample each flavor of their smoothies that mix their regular smoothie ingredients — berries, bananas, apples, and fruit juices — with some new players on their menu: beets, broccoli, kale, and spinach to name a few.

The result is a colorful addition to their line up of frosty drinks that adds additional vitamins, minerals, and all that “good for you” veggie stuff.

But what to do they taste like!  Here’s my humble opinion.

Orange Carrot Karma

The orange and citrus flavors take the lead in this brightly colored blend with faint carrot and banana flavors following behind.  This one is also the “lightest” of the three; its only 180 calories for a 16 oz serving.

Apples ‘n Greens
Just a few shades shy of pea soup in color, I’d call this one “slime” and dare the kids to eat it.  They will.  The flavor has sweet apple in the front end with banana on the back.  No hint of vegetable flavor at all.  I’m guessing that the vegetable juice blend — which includes spinach, kale, and bell peppers — is masked by all the fruit: apple-strawberry juice mixed with peaches, bananas, and mangoes.  With all the stuff insides its no surprise that this one would be a little “heavier”; it tips the caloric scale at 220 calories.

Berry upBEET
This was my favorite of the three with its strong flavors and vivid red color with flecks of black and purple.  The berry flavor is unmistakable — strawberries and blueberries take the lead — while the beet is present but doesn’t overwhelm.  If you know beets, you’ll know its there.  Otherwise it will just be another component to the complex, layered flavor.  Other veggies lending a hand in the vegetable juice blend include spinach, broccoli and kale.  At 230 calories per 16 oz serving, its the highest in calories of the three.

You can find a complete list of ingredients and nutritional info on the Jamba Juice website.

Along with the vitamins and minerals you’re taking in, consider the cash you’re putting out.  At the time I visited my local store, each of the sixteen ounce fruit and veggie smoothies retailed for $4.15.  That’s kind of high for a “treat” but maybe about right for a meal replacement.

Bottom line: Fruit and veggies smoothies might be a good choice if you want something cool and refreshing while you’re getting your veggies in, or you want to “surprise” the kids with a treat they will like and you will be comfortable giving them.