Remember when the mention of McDonald’s brought images of french fries, shakes and how many sold? What a change from today, with offerings of salads, iced coffee and lattés. And new on the menu this month? Smoothies!
Indeed, McDonald’s is now serving two flavors of smoothies, chosen after rigorous consumer testing. The winners were Strawberry Banana and Wild Berry, both containing fresh berries and yogurt. And between July 22 to July 24 you get to taste these smoothies for free!
The ingredients? The McDonald’s website lists the following:
Strawberry Banana Smoothie: Strawberry Banana Fruit Blend, Low Fat Yogurt, Ice
Wild Berry Smoothie: Wild Berry Fruit Blend, Low Fat Yogurt, Ice These smoothies sound simple, healthy and delicious. “But what is in the fruit blend?” we asked. The Strawberry Banana Fruit Blend contains strawberry puree, banana puree, water, sugar, concentrated apple juice and also contains less than 1% of cellulose powder, natural and artificial flavors, pectin and citric acid.
The smallest Strawberry Banana Smoothie comes in a 12 fl oz cup. It has 210 calories, 35 grams sodium, 49 carbs, 44 grams sugar and 2 grams of protein. After drinking this you will have received 70% of your daily value of vitamin C.
Now, if you move to the large smoothie which is 22 fl oz, you will get 330 calories, 55 g sodium, 77 carbs, 70 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein. This smoothie contains 110% of your daily vitamin C.
So these smoothies are not calorie or sugar free, as seen above. However they are certainly healthier than a Quarter Pounder and side of fries. Furthermore, they do not contain any high fructose corn syrup – a definite plus indeed.
When you get a chance to try one of McDonald’s Smoothies, come back and let us know what you think!
