The 9 Healthiest Menu Items at Smoothie King—and 5 To Skip

Smoothie King is one of, if not the most, best smoothie joints across America. With 742 locations across the country, Smoothie King offers a wide range of smoothie options that are marketed toward various health needs, including boosted energy, protein-heavy workout enhancers, weight management blends, and general "be well" blends that promote overall nutrition. It's incredibly easy to order at any Smoothie King, and you can add pretty much anything you want to your blend, including multivitamin or protein powder, fruits, dairy and plant-based milk, and even espresso. There is an endless combination of smoothies available at the touch of a button.

That being said, however, not every smoothie is created equally. Many of Smoothie King's smoothies contain less-than-ideal ingredients, such as high added sugar counts, that aren't doing your body any favors. Additionally, Smoothie King's claims of "clean blends" aren't always crystal clear. Take, for example, their Diet Down blend. This blend contains ingredients such as green tea extract, 5-HTP, L-carnitine, and stevia leaf extract. However, the list then states "and other ingredients." These ingredients are not listed on the website, and they urge you to contact Smoothie King Franchises to learn more.

Not all proprietary blends are as dubious, however, and some of them are very straightforward, such as their Super Grains blend or their Whey Protein blends. The thing is, most of us are on a time crunch and are not going to give Smoothie King a call to make sure that our smoothies contain beneficial ingredients. That's where we come in. We've rounded up 9 of our favorite healthy smoothies available at Smoothie King across all categories (except for Kids Smoothies), and we also made sure to highlight 5 smoothies that we are not the biggest fans of either because of their dubious ingredients or unhealthy nutrition label.

How We Chose the Healthiest Smoothie King Menu Items

• Low/No Added Sugars: Sugar is a staple in any delicious smoothie – that is, naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and other carbohydrates. Added sugars, however, do not have to make an appearance in smoothies, though they often do across bigger chains such as Smoothie King in an effort to make their smoothies taste as good as possible. Excessive quantities of added sugars are linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Therefore, we chose smoothies that contained 7 grams or less of added sugar, with most options containing no added sugar at all. Fruit on its own is sweet enough!
• Lower Sodium: Believe it or not, sodium is a pervasive problem across the menu at Smoothie King. In fact, higher sodium levels are found all across various chain restaurants, and though recent years have seen a slight drop in average levels, these averages are well above the American Heart Association's recommendation of less than 2,300 milligrams per sodium per day. As Americans are eating upwards of 3,400 milligrams per day, we ensure that each of our healthy smoothie choices contains less than 350 milligrams of sodium per 20-ounce serving to help you stay on track toward your health goals.
• No Artificial Sweeteners, Colors, or Flavors: Artificial ingredients can be tricky. After all, we don't want to be fearmongers, and the current evidence isn't exactly for or against artificial ingredients. In fact, many parties involved in the nutritional world are unsure where to stand in this debate. When it comes to Smoothie King, we simply don't see the need to incorporate artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors into something as simple as a smoothie. After all, you can make a smoothie at home using all-natural ingredients. Additionally, we ensured that all ingredients in our chosen healthy smoothies were clearly labeled and easily accessible – this is important as many of Smoothie King's proprietary blends are not transparent. We do want to note that stevia is, in fact, a natural sweetener, and we have marked anywhere where stevia is utilized.

Read on to learn about the healthiest and unhealthiest Smoothie King menu items. Then, check out the 8 Healthiest Fast-Food Smoothies To Order Right Now.

9 Healthiest Smoothie King Options

Refreshers

Best: Pineapple Mango Refresher

Smoothie King's line of Refresher drinks may be a good option for those who want a jolt of caffeine but aren't in the mood for a classic cup of coffee. Refreshers, like Smoothie's King's Pineapple Mango Refresher, contain 63 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to the caffeine found in a one-ounce shot of espresso. The Pineapple Mango Refresher's caffeine is sourced naturally from green coffee beans and contains only 7 grams of added sugar. This is on the lower end when it comes to their line of refreshers, which can contain up to 10 grams of added sugar per 20-ounce drink.

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Best: Pineapple Mango Lemonade Refresher

The Pineapple Mango Lemonade Refresher may appear, at first, to be far from healthy as it contains 30 grams of sugar. However, most of these sugars are natural, derived from the white grape juice blend that creates a distinct lemonade-like flavor. This refresher contains only 7 grams of added sugar. It's important to remember that naturally occurring sugars are digested differently in the body as compared to added sugars, the latter of which can lead to a slew of chronic illnesses when eaten in excess. And white grape juice consumption specifically has been linked to increased HDL "good" cholesterol, as well as a reduction in BMI among a small sample of women.

Get Fit Blends

Best: Original High Protein Pineapple

Smoothie King's Original High Protein Pineapple sticks to the basics, using fresh fruit and simple whey protein to create a blend that offers 27 grams of protein with only 4 grams of added sugar per 20-ounce serving. Although there are options that contain 0 grams of added sugar, we noticed that these blends utilized Smoothie King's "Gladiator" or "Lean1" proteins, which sweeten their beverages using sucralose. Although the jury is still out on whether or not sucralose raises health concerns, the World Health Organization advises against these sweeteners – and after all, 4 grams of added sugars is probably not going to negatively tip the scales of your health goals.

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Best: Original High Protein Banana

With 27 grams of protein, only 4 grams of added sugar, and no hidden ingredients, the Original High Protein Banana may be a good choice for those who are looking for a healthy smoothie to aid in workout recovery. Bananas are also carbohydrate powerhouses. As healthy carbohydrates help the body store and use proteins more effectively, bananas may be a positive addition to your post-workout nosh. Additionally, bananas are a source of potassium, a nutrient that is vital after a workout as it helps maintain proper muscle function and may reduce cramps by aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in balancing electrolytes, which supports overall hydration and recovery post-exercise.

Feel Energized Blend

Best: Vegan Coffee Mocha

Smoothie King's Feel Energized Blends contain higher levels of both protein and caffeine than their refresher blends while also offering a classic smoothie-like consistency. The Vegan Coffee Mocha is one of the best choices as it contains lower sodium levels at 180 milligrams and less than one gram of added sugar. Additionally, a blend of pea, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seed protein offers 10 grams of protein. This smoothie is sweetened naturally with both banana and dates, which contribute to the 9 grams of fiber found in this blend, which may help slow digestion and, therefore, potentially decrease blood sugar spikes after eating.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Manage Weight Blends

Best: MangoFest

 

Smoothie King's MangoFest smoothie is one of the only blends in the "Manage Weight Blends" categories that contain wholesome, straightforward ingredients, very low sodium, and no artificial flavoring or sweeteners. This smoothie is made with mangoes, pineapple juice, and papaya juice for a deliciously refreshing smoothie with no added sugars and only 300 calories. Although the protein in this smoothie is lower than other Manage Weight Blends, this smoothie only contains 15 milligrams of sodium, which is optimal as excess sodium intake can lead to a slew of health problems, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease, which may lead to a risk of stroke.

Be Well Blends

Best: Pumpkin Vegan

Vegans, rejoice! All year long, vegans and non-vegans alike can enjoy the autumn taste of pumpkin with Smoothie King's Pumpkin Vegan smoothie, which contains <1 gram of added sugar (unlike an OG Pumpkin Spice Latte) and even offers 14 grams of protein for greater satiety. Additionally, this smoothie is made with not only pumpkin but also banana, dates, oat milk, a spice blend, and vegan plant-based protein, offering 11 grams of fiber. We want to note that this smoothie is also made with stevia, a natural sugar substitute. Stevia may help lower blood sugar levels, but if you are wary of sugar substitutes regardless of their natural origins, you can easily ask to hold the stevia – your smoothie will be plenty sweet regardless!

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Best: Veggie Carrot Kale Dream

This Veggie Carrot Kale Dream smoothie is certainly one of Smoothie King's healthiest options – can't you tell by the name? A blend of bananas, kale, carrots, white grape, lemon, apple, and pineapple juice, this powerhouse also contains Smoothie King's "electrolyte blend," which is sourced from coconut water (so for those with a tree nut allergy, this smoothie may not be for you). We love this smoothie because of its 0 grams of added sugar – without any sugar substitutes – and this smoothie also offers a small protein and fiber boost for greater satiety.

Enjoy a Treat Blends

Best: Island Impact

Smoothie King's "Enjoy a Treat" blends are, for the most part, higher-sugar blends that are designed to be desserts rather than health-boosting additions to a well-balanced diet. However, the Island Impact smoothie appears to be relatively healthy compared with other options, as it contains no added sugars and 7 grams of protein. We can't find any evidence that this smoothie contains artificial ingredients such as flavoring or sweeteners, either, so we're surprised at the low sugar count. Remember, if you're ever concerned about ingredients, don't be afraid to ask what's going into your blend!

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5 Unhealthiest Smoothie King Options

Worst: Açai Cocoa Haze Bowl

Many of us may immediately see the word "açai" in Smoothie King's Açai Cocoa Haze Bowl and immediately assume it's healthy. However, this is one of the highest-sugar offerings on the entire menu. Containing half your daily saturated fat and 51 grams of added sugar, it may be wise to give this bowl a wide berth. The American Heart Association recommends that the average, healthy woman consume no more than 25 grams of sugar per day, while men should aim for about 36 grams or less. This one bowl provides double the recommended daily added sugar limit – there's nothing healthy about that.

Worst: Go Go Goji Crunch Bowl

Made with an açai base, Purely Elizabeth granola, blueberries, strawberries, honey, and goji berries, this Go Go Goji Crunch Bowl seems, at first, to be nothing but nutritionally dense. Although you will be receiving a slew of vitamins from the fruit therein (plus 8 grams of fiber), the 53 grams of added sugar eclipses the nutritional benefits of this bowl. You've certainly heard health advocates denouncing excess added sugars, and this is with good reason. Eating added sugars in excess can lead to a slew of negative health outcomes, including not only obesity but also type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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Worst: The Shredder Chocolate

The most glaringly unhealthy attribute of Smoothie King's The Shredder (Chocolate) is its high sodium count at 760 milligrams of sodium per 20-ounce smoothie. This is already an egregious amount of sodium for any smoothie, especially as this smoothie is specifically marketed to be healthy thanks to its usage of "Diet Down Enhancer." This brings us to another point: looking further into what is actually in the Diet Down Enhancer, we were happy to see straightforward ingredients such as green tea extract and L-carnitine, both of which may aid in weight loss. However, we were hit with the phrase "and other ingredients." We aren't sure exactly what's in this "diet-enhancing" smoothie, so we can't recommend it.

Worst: The Hulk Strawberry

We don't even know where to begin with the The Hulk (Strawberry) smoothie. Should we begin with the fact that this smoothie contains almost 900 calories, that it contains 23% over your daily saturated fat limit of 13 grams, or perhaps we should start with the fact that this smoothie contains 91 grams of added sugar? This smoothie is marketed for those looking to build strength and recovery, but we can't imagine anyone feeling like they want to lift weights after drinking this. This smoothie not only contains butter pecan ice cream (how is that energizing?) as well as a "Hulk Blend," the ingredients of which the website does not dive into.

Worst: Pumpkin Slim-N-Trim

You may be asking, "What's so bad about this smoothie?" Our answer is…perhaps nothing! However, many of the proprietary, trademarked blends found in many smoothies, especially those that are marketed toward weight loss, simply aren't anywhere to be found on the Smooth King website. This autumn, many people may be opting for a Pumpkin Slim-N-Trim smoothie instead of a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but as it contains a "Slim-N-Trim" blend, the ingredients of which aren't easily accessible to the consumer, we recommend giving this smoothie – and those like it – some serious space. You should always know exactly what you're consuming.

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