Smoothie King is a personal favorite of mine, but I know that not every menu item is exactly healthy. While the chain definitely offers some good options, not all smoothies served are as nutritious as you would think. After scouring the Smoothie King nutritional information page, here are the four healthiest options I found for when you just need a pick me up.
Slim-N-Trim Orange Vanilla
This smoothie has 208 calories for a small (20 oz) size, and only 1 gram of fat. However, according to the restaurant's website, the drink does have 36 grams of sugar, so it's definitely a good idea to think of this more as a treat than as a staple in your diet.
Pure Recharge—Mango Strawberry
For a small, this flavor has only 210 calories. Again, these smoothies do tend to have a lot of sugar (this one has 50 grams), so I wouldn't recommend them as an everyday food. But this drink does have 0 grams of fat and a small amount of fiber, which helps it to become one of the slightly healthier options on the menu.
Berry Carrot Dream
While this may not sound like the most appetizing smoothie on the menu, it definitely is one of the healthiest. While it has slightly more calories for a 20-oz portion than the ones listed above (278 calories), it definitely packs the most nutrients.
This smoothie contains carrots, strawberries, and bananas, as well as various fruit juices. Drinking carrots may not seem totally normal, but I can personally attest to the fact that you won't taste them at all. Beware, however, that the fruit juices do have added sugars, bringing this drink to a whopping 58 grams of sugar in total.
Carrots also contain lots of Vitamin A, which is good for eyesight, so I would definitely recommend trying this variation at least once for a fun way to get some nutrients into your diet.
Gladiator—Strawberry, Chocolate, or Vanilla
After scouring through the Smoothie King nutrition facts pages, I've come to the conclusion that the Gladiator smoothies are definitely the best option if you're looking for something low in calories and sugar.
For a 20-oz cup, all three flavors have only 180 calories and 0 grams of sugar. While all other smoothies contain juices that have added sugars, these smoothies don't, making them your healthiest option by far. Additionally, they all have a huge amount of protein (45 grams), which will keep you full long after drinking them.
They are made from protein powder and your choice of two fruits, so you have the opportunity to make a slightly different smoothie each time.
The Takeaway
While Smoothie King definitely isn't the healthiest place, it's great for a treat every once in a while. For the most part, the smoothies tend to have a lot of sugar, but there are definitely some lower-calorie options that will help make up for it.
My personal favorite is the Gladiator Strawberry smoothie, which I make using strawberries and bananas. Next time you're in the store, try to pick up one of these for a healthier treat that will leave you totally satisfied.