Smoothies

A smoothie (alternatively spelled smoothy) is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) and in special cases can contain chocolate or peanut butter. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients. They have a milkshake-like consistency that is thicker than slush drinks. They can also contain milk, yogurt or ice cream.

Interestingly, the difference between a fruit smoothie and a fruit juice is that smoothies use the fruit in its entirety, whereas a juice simply extracts the liquids from a fruit. For this reason smoothies are said to contain pulps and fibres, as well as in some instances the nutrients from skins (for example apples) and therefore can be marketed as being a more healthy and nutritious drink than a fruit juice.

Smoothies are often marketed to health-conscious people, and some contain add-ins such as soy milk, whey powder, green tea, herbal supplements, or nutritional supplement mixes.