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Healthy Eating Tip: Add Greens to Smoothies

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:30:00 -0700

When I recently posted my Almond Berry Banana Yogurt Smoothie recipe, FitSugar reader andrennabird had a brilliant idea - add greens to your smoothies. It's a great way to get more nutritious leafy greens into your diet, without even tasting them. The sweet fruit and creamy yogurt hide the earthy flavor, and since you blend the greens up, there's no chewing involved.

I like adding spinach, but you can also try kale, arugula, or sprouts. Just add a few cups of greens to your favorite smoothie recipe, and sip away. Experiment with combinations to see which taste the best, and if you've come up with any delicious concoctions, please share them below.

Jamba Juice Goes Beyond Smoothies, Debuts Food

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:50:36 -0700

Starbucks isn't the only beverage chain looking to regain its footing: Jamba Juice is also struggling to get its mojo back. In addition to its recently introduced oatmeal and licensed supermarket products, the smoothie giant will also unveil a new menu of food items.

Jamba's new menu will contain food items such as wraps, salads, and flatbreads, and will debut next week in California, with stores in the rest of the country following over the year.

The ready-made wraps include Asian-Style Chicken, Chimichurri Chicken, Gobble'licious Turkey, Greek Goddess, and Grains and Greens for vegans, and two salads, Caesar the Day, and Couscous Produce. All wraps and salads will retail at $5.50.

In addition, Jamba is also installing turbo ovens in stores for new baked-to-order California Flatbreads, which will come in four flavors: Four Cheesy ($3.50), Smokehouse Chicken, Tomo Artichoko, and MediterraneYum ($3.75). The company is also adding iced tea beverages and fruit-tea infusions in exotic flavors like prickly pear, passion fruit, and pomegranate. All will be made without high-fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.

In times when money's tight and people are more health conscious than ever, smoothies have seemingly fallen by the wayside. Because they're not filling enough - yet often have the calories - to be a meal, these fruity frosties have never played a part in my everyday routine. While it's a risky move for the chain, I could see how its on-the-go options might be appealing. Would you buy food at Jamba Juice?

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Would You Drink a Hot Smoothie?

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:30:54 -0800

Coffee and tea are so passé. At the St. Mark's Place location of Surf City Squeeze in Manhattan, it's all about the hot smoothie. New York Press writer Justin Richards decides to try it out, and concludes it's not really his cup of ~~tea~~ hot smoothie: "If you don't drink it soon enough, it's like you're cleaning your apartment the morning after a smoothie party," he explains. Would you give it a whirl?

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Homemade Smoothies Are Healthy, Easy, and Delicious

partysugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:15:24 -0800

Since my brother moved to Los Angeles four years ago, he's picked up many stereotypical LA attributes. He thinks driving below 80 MPH is slow, is permanently tan, and starts every morning with a smoothie.

He used to frequent Jamba Juice, but realized a homemade variation was more healthy and cost effective. When he was home for the holidays, he taught me how to make the perfect smoothie.

The first step to making a scrumptious smoothie is to be creative. Start with your favorite frozen fruit and go from there. Although many people put ice in a smoothie, my bro avoids it.

Frozen fruit works fine at keeping the smoothie cold; it ensures a thick, creamy, not watered-down texture. He buys frozen fruit in bulk from Costco and keeps his fridge stocked with a variety of juices like acai berry, pineapple, apple, and mango. Other occasional mix-ins are soy milk, acai berry smoothie packs, protein powder, or flax. To check out two of his ultimate smoothie recipes, read more.

The Basic Classic Smoothie
From Michael Sweeney

Ingredients

6 frozen strawberries*
3/4 cup plain, low-fat yogurt (feel free to substitute a flavored yogurt for plain: strawberry and blueberry work well)
1 banana
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon of honey
protein powder or flax, optional

Directions

Place the frozen strawberries in the blender. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, so they have time to thaw.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Check consistency: if too watery, add more yogurt. If too thick, add more orange juice.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 smoothie.

*When I made this I thought I had frozen strawberries in the freezer. However I mistook them for raspberries. Instead of running to the store for frozen strawberries, I used the raspberries.

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The K-Gizzle
From Kevin Gigax

Ingredients

5 frozen strawberries
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 banana
1 heaping tablespoon vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Place the frozen berries in the blender. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, so they have time to thaw.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Check consistency: if too watery, add more yogurt. If too thick, add more orange juice.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 smoothie.

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Jamba Juice Testing Organic To Go Food Items

partysugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:00:11 -0800

Smoothie chain Jamba Juice is teaming up with Organic To Go to test out a new line of organic food products. In an effort to boost sales, Jamba Juice is considering adding Organic To Go branded items - grab and go salads, sandwiches, wraps, cookies, and yogurt parfaits - to their already existing menu of classic fruit smoothies. The testing will take place in three West Coast stores in Los Angeles and Orange County, CA, and Bellevue, WA. If the test is successful, the partnership will expand to all of Jamba Juice's 749 stores nationwide. Steven Berrard, CEO of Jamba Juice, explains the affiliation:

We’re excited about the possibilities of this test. Our partnership with Organic To Go provides Jamba customers organic and natural food that supports their growing desire for a healthy lifestyle.

The news comes as no surprise as fast food chains across the country scramble to deal with the declining economy. I'll be curious to check out the meals, how about you?

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Taste Test: New Starbucks Items

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:30:28 -0700

In an attempt to boost sales during tough economic times, coffee giant Starbucks has just unveiled a line of smoothies, rolled out a healthy morning menu, expanded its breakfast sandwich assortment, and revealed a new collection of gourmet hot chocolates. Since we've been deluged with a new range of options, we decided to put the food to the test. To see how Starbucks fared, click start.

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Score Free Smoothies This Morning Only!

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:00:27 -0700

To promote their new coffee-flavored smoothies, Smoothie King is giving away 20-ounce Coffee- and Mo'cuccino-flavored smoothies through 10:30 a.m. today.

It would be a smooth move to run to the blender master closest to you, 'cause the offer is for this morning only.

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Healthy Eating Tip: Freeze Overly Ripe Fruit For Smoothies

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Summer, even as it's waning, puts me in the mood for fruit. I tend to overbuy or misjudge the appetites of my darling (read sometimes soooooo picky) daughters, so much of my tasty fruit tends to get overly ripe before I have a chance to eat it. If you can relate, save your about-to-spoil fruit by prewashing, peeling (if necessary), and dicing all your bananas, berries, peaches, kiwi, and melons. Place them in a plastic freezer bag so they're ready next time you want to make a smoothie for breakfast or a snack. Not only will this tip save you money and time, but it'll also encourage you to eat healthier. Plus, when fruit is frozen it tends to taste less sweet, but since overly ripe is extra sweet your smoothie will be as well.

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Starbucks to Do Smoothies, Subway to Do Coffee

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:15:47 -0700

With reality stars posing as fashion designers and singers turning into restaurateurs, it's no surprise that Starbucks and Subway would expand into something other than caffeinated beverages and sandwiches. Tomorrow Starbucks is scheduled to launch a new smoothie line. Called Vivanno Nourishing Blends, the smoothies come in two flavors: Orange Mango Banana and Chocolate Banana.

Scrambling to increase sales with innovative new products like smoothies, Starbucks has reason to worry: Subway is testing out a cafe concept. The Subway cafes will be larger than the existing sandwich shops with comfortable seating, wi-fi, espresso drinks, gelatos, and paninis. Subway isn't the first fast-food chain to expand into coffee, both McDonalds and Burger King have been heavily promoting coffee drinks.

What do you think about these announcements? Will you try a Starbucks smoothie or Subway coffee?

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Two Unexpected Ways to Be Kind to Your Teeth

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Dental health is important for a variety of reasons, and the two that top my list are:

When my teeth hurt, eating is painful and I like to eat.
Dental work is expensive and I would rather spend my money on something fun.

Aside from the proactive activities of brushing and flossing, there are two rather surprising things you should avoid to help keep your teeth in tip-top shape.

Nail biting is the more obvious of the two tooth-damaging activities. It can wear down your teeth, aging them prematurely. Nail biting mainly stresses the front teeth. Not only are the front teeth the most visible ones in our mouth, these teeth were designed for cutting and not chewing and are not strong enough to be used constantly.

To see the other culprit, read more.

Often considered health food, smoothies can actually do a doozy on your teeth. Smoothies often contain high levels of both sugar and acid – a combination that can lead to the decay of tooth enamel. Unfortunately, brushing your teeth immediately after drinking a smoothie can cause even more damage to the already weakened enamel. Your best bet is to brush your teeth prior to having a smoothie, but then I can't imagine it would taste very good.

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