Nobody can claim McDonald’s smoothies are healthy. It’s the complete opposite. They are full of sugar and are so caloric dense you may as well call them a small meal. You can make your own smoothie if you want to drink something healthy.
For example, a medium strawberry banana smoothie has 240 calories – while one large banana has 100 calories, and one cup of strawberries has less than 50 calories. The rest is nothing but sugar and other additives!
How can you make a healthy smoothie? Fruit puree, yogurt, and ice are all you need. That’s it! Blend it all together, and drink something that will be good for you.
People think McDonald’s smoothies are good for you because these products have fruit in them – but don’t realize there are a few more things in there: at least 39g of sugar. A large smoothie has almost twice as much sugar.
That’s why these smoothies are so addictive – and why you should stay away from them.
How much sugar is in a McDonald’s smoothie?
A small strawberry banana smoothie has 39 grams of sugar, the medium one has 49 grams of sugar, and the large one has 68 grams. The mango pineapple smoothie has even more sugar: a small serving has 42 grams of sugar, the medium one has 52 grams, and the large one has 72 grams.
How much sugar can one person have per day? Doctors recommend having no more than 24 to 36 grams of sugar per day. That means one McDonald’s smoothie has almost twice as many grams of sugar as you should have daily.
Let’s say you play by the book and decide to limit yourself to 24 grams of sugar per day. You will drink three times your sugar limit if you order a large mango pineapple smoothie from McDonald’s. It’d be like drinking three days’ worth of sugar in five minutes!
Consuming too much sugar can lead to headaches, irritability, fatigue, and more nasty symptoms. It’s always better to avoid going too far.
What smoothies does McDonald’s have?
McDonald’s smoothies come in two flavors: strawberry banana and mango pineapple. They both have the same ingredients: fruit puree, yogurt, and ice. Unfortunately, these smoothies are not as healthy as they seem. Quite the contrary, you should stay away from them if you want to drink something good for you.
Why are McDonald’s smoothies terrible for you? Because they have too much sugar in them. One small smoothie has more grams of sugar in one glass than what you should have daily. You’ll do much better if you decide to make your own smoothies at home or eat the fruit straight.
There’s a reason why McDonald’s offers smoothies with so much sugar in them. Sugar is addictive! They sell you something that seems healthy and delicious – but it only is delicious.
One could argue these drinks are unhealthy for you. And it wouldn’t be hard to do so: In McDonald’s, a large mango pineapple smoothie has more calories than a cheeseburger.
Does McDonald’s serve smoothies all day?
You can order a McDonald’s smoothie all day long. Make sure you ask for yours at a McCafe – because that’s where they sell it. You can choose two different flavors: strawberry banana and mango pineapple; these options share the same ingredients except for the fruit part. They come in small, medium, and large serving sizes.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into when you drink one of McDonald’s smoothies! They’re not as healthy as they seem. They have more or less the same calories than a glass of coke has.
How is that possible? Well, it’s simple. They have similar sugar content. A medium glass of coke has 56 grams of sugar, while a medium mango pineapple smoothie has 52 grams. They’re four grams of sugar shy from being almost the same thing! That’s why both are so delicious – and so unhealthy.
So, don’t order a strawberry banana smoothie or a mango pineapple smoothie thinking you’re picking the healthy choice – because you aren’t.
Is McDonald’s strawberry banana smoothie healthy?
There are no healthy smoothies in McDonald’s. The strawberry banana smoothie is no exception. It has more calories than a regular smoothie has – and a lot more sugar content than any smoothie should have.
For example, a mango pineapple smoothie has almost as much sugar as a glass of coke and more calories than a cheeseburger.
There’s no fault in believing a McDonald’s smoothie is healthy. It looks like a regular fruit smoothie and tastes like fruit. The sugar content makes it sweeter than usual – and more addicting. Unfortunately, that’s what makes it unhealthy as well.
You should try to make your own smoothies at home if you want a healthier alternative. You can buy a smoothie somewhere else too – but make sure you order something with low sugar. Otherwise, you’re repeating the same mistake someone drinking a McDonald’s smoothie does.
There’s no issue with drinking a mango pineapple or strawberry banana smoothie every once in a while. Don’t make a habit out of it, though.
How does McDonald’s make their smoothies?
McDonald’s ships bags full of smoothie mix to their different locations. The one thing employees do is put the bag on a machine and wait for customers to place an order. When that happens, they push a button and fill a glass with your smoothie of choice. McDonald’s smoothies are not made in store.
The traditional way of making a smoothie includes blending fruit, milk or yogurt, and ice. McDonald’s has a different approach. To cut costs, they use pre-made mixes they can quickly serve.
How can you make a strawberry banana smoothie like McDonald’s? For a strawberry banana smoothie, mix one and a half cups of ice, two medium bananas, half a cup of strawberries, and half a cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt. Replace the bananas and strawberries with mango and pineapple for a mango pineapple smoothie. To give it an extra kick, add sugar (that’s what McDonald’s does!)