Smoothies are a health food staple – they’re easy to make, totally customizable, and a great way to enjoy nutrient-rich foods. Whether you’re adding smoothies to your diet for your own reasons or at the advice of a healthcare professional, knowing how to maintain the nutrition of your blended drinks is essential.
When asking, “Does blending fruit destroy nutrients?” there is a lot of conflicting information. This guide helps you weed through all of the noise so you can maximize the nutrition of your smoothies.
Are You Blending The Nutrients Out of Your Fruit?
While many people believe blending fruits causes a significant loss of nutrients and fiber, the good news is that most dietitians agree that this isn’t the case. While blending your fruit may cause a small amount of nutrient loss, it is not as drastic as people assume. Plus, not all nutrients are created the same – some are more resilient than others.
The Benefits of Blending Fruit
Blending fruit is a delicious way to add more variety to your diet while maximizing your nutritional intake. Here are just some of the many pros of blending your fruit into a tasty smoothie.
Convenient, Nutrient-Rich Meals and Snacks
Smoothies make absorbing nutrients easy – especially when compared to a cooked meal. Because smoothies are made with raw ingredients, the integrity of their nutrients is better protected.
Cooking foods destroys nutrients during the processes of steaming, baking, sautéing, and everything in between. Raw consumption of fruits, like smoothies, eliminates any additional cooking process.
Easier on Your Stomach
Anyone with a sensitive stomach knows it can be challenging to digest foods that are high in nutrients and fiber – like fruit! Luckily, blending your fruits and vegetables can make them easier to digest. By blending fruits, you give your body a little digestive head start, potentially eliminating some stomach issues along the way.
Consume More Fruits
If you find it difficult to incorporate more fruits into your diet, blending could be the perfect solution! Whether you like apples, bananas, strawberries, or even dragon fruit, you can throw them all together in a blender.
In no time, you’ll have whipped up a delicious drink that you can take with you anywhere – and it will have tons of vitamins, fiber, and healthy nutrients!
Fast and Simple
Smoothies = quick convenience. What could be more important than that in today’s constant hustle culture?
Rather than pulling out all the pots, pans, and dishes to make a meal, all you need to do is toss your ingredients in a blender, plug it in, and press a button.
And…The Downside of Blending Fruit
While there are countless benefits to blending your fruit, there are a few cons to keep in mind – especially if you have any specific dietary needs or restrictions.
More Sugar
The ingredients you put in your smoothie determine the sugar content you consume. With that in mind, you can’t magically add sugar to food by blending it. However, you will likely need to add a significant amount of fruit to produce a sizable smoothie.
Adding vegetables and other low-sugar food can help you boost volume while keeping your sugar intake to a minimum.
More Calories
Some fruits are higher in calories and sugar. Therefore, if you include fruits that carry a higher calorie load, you can expect your smoothies to be more calorie-dense. If this is a concern, just opt for fruits that naturally have a lower amount of calories.
How to Reduce Nutrient Loss While Blending Fruit?
Whenever you prepare food, there is always a risk of losing some of its nutrients. These tips will help you preserve the vitamins and minerals in your smoothies so you can count on a delicious and healthy meal every time.
Vary Blending Speed
Higher speeds generate more heat, which can impact the integrity of the nutrients in your fruit. For maximum nutrient retention, it is best to blend your fruits using low-speed settings.
Consume Immediately
Cutting up fruits and blending them begins a slow process of nutrient loss. While blending your fruits won’t dramatically reduce their nutrient content, letting them sit for too long allows this process to continue. For the highest amount of nutrients, consume your smoothies immediately after blending.
Add a Pop of Citrus
Not only does adding citrus fruits to your smoothies keep them tasting fresher for longer, but they also help preserve nutrients! Citrus fruits are natural preservatives that slow the oxidation process – which is responsible for robbing your smoothies of their nutrients.
Explore Nutrient-Rich Add-ons
There are countless nutritional add-ons for smoothies. From vitamin blends to nut butter, you can add plenty of different nutrients to your smoothies and also make them more filling.
Blending vs. Juicing: Which Conserves More Nutrients?
Fruit salad is delicious, but most of us live a fast-paced life filled with on-the-go meals. When schedules get too busy, blending or juicing is the next best option for enjoying your fruits and vegetables in the car, at the office, or even at the gym before a workout.
But which method keeps the most nutrients in your food? Because blending retains the pulp, seeds, and fiber, it is often the best option for a more nourishing and well-rounded drink.
Conclusion
Blending your fruits is an excellent way to make a quick, simple, and healthy meal or snack. While you may worry about losing important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to the blending process, you can rest assured that your smoothies will provide a delicious and nutrient-rich meal on the go!
