Smoothies often seem like the healthier alternative to a milkshake or soda, but this is not always the case, smoothies can be just as jam-packed with sugar as milkshakes and sodas.
Remember, many smoothies contain fruit, and fruits can have a very high natural sugar content, which can actually be extremely high when you blend them up and serve them in smoothie form.
One of the highest smoothie sugar counts found at Tropical Smoothie actually has a crazy 132 grams of sugar in it! We will tell you which later, for now, try to guess which one it is!
The lowest sugar count at this dining spot is 29 grams, which is lower than the highest amount by quite a margin but it will be over the average serving recommendation!
Even the food they serve is a bit on the high side. It is recommended you get 13 grams of saturated fats per day, yet most of the food here can have around 1.5 to 14 grams, making the average 7 grams. This seems fine until you realize that this is unlikely to be your main meal of the day, so you’re bound to end up over!
While we tend to assume that smoothies are healthy, we have to remind you that not all smoothies are healthy, and while you can get some healthier options here… not all will be.
Is Tropical Smoothie healthy? Yes and no. Let’s talk about it a bit more!
What Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe?
Tropical Smoothie cafe is a restaurant branch in the US, they serve smoothies, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads! Founded in 1997 with their headquarters in Atlanta, they are now found in over 1,000 locations!
Tropical Smoothie Menu:
Want a bite, check out their menu items here:
Flatbreads:
- New! Cali Breakfast Flatbread.
- Peanut butter banana crunch flatbread.
- Chicken bacon ranch.
- Chicken pesto.
- Chipotle chicken.
Wraps:
- Baja chicken.
- Buffalo chicken.
- Caribbean jerk chicken.
- Hummus veggie.
- Supergreen cesar chicken.
- Thai chicken.
Quesadillas:
- Three cheese chicken.
- Santa Fe.
Sandwiches:
- Avocado grilled cheese.
- Smoky grilled cheese.
- Chicken Caprese.
- Turkey bacon ranch.
Salads:
- Beach club.
- Thai chicken.
- Supergreen Cesar.
Breakfast:
- New! Cali breakfast flatbread.
- Peanut butter banana crunch flatbread.
- All American wrap.
- Southwest wrap.
Kids:
- Classic grilled cheese.
- Cheese.
- Turkey and cheddar.
Sides:
- Jalapeno corn.
- Maple-kissed sweet potatoes.
- Chips.
- Cookies.
- Apple and kale slaw.
- Whole fruit.
What Types Of Smoothies Are Available At Tropical Smoothie Cafe?
You can get a whole range of smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. They have classic smoothies and superfood smoothies, and you can add a supplement or a fresh add-in to your smoothie should you wish to do so.
They have 10 options for classic smoothies, as well as 4 options that are a little more naughty – like the mocha madness. Then there are 13 options for superfood smoothies.
You have 9 options for supplements and 9 options for fresh add-ins. If you choose to look at their menu online you can also see the calorie count per smoothie (and the same for food as well!).
Most Popular Smoothie In Tropical Smoothie Cafe
The favorite smoothie will never be the same, it will always change depending on trends. However, there are two that seem to be the most popular over time.
These include the Bahama Mama smoothie and the Acai Berry Boost smoothie.
The Bahama Mama is made with pineapple, strawberries, coconut, and white chocolate and comes to 510 calories.
The Acai Berry Boost is made with acai, banana, strawberries, pomegranate, and blueberries and has a total of 470 calories.
Are There Healthy Options On The Tropical Smoothie Cafe Menu?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe does seem like a pretty unhealthy place to visit when you consider how high in calories quite a few of their options are. However, they do have plenty of good options as well.
The most nutritious packed item on their menu is their ‘Detox Island Green Smoothie’, which is nutritiously great thanks to it having fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients. It is made with kale, fresh ginger, mango, pineapple, and spinach.
It is naturally sweetened only and only contains 180 calories, compared to the rest of the smoothie options which have between 360 and 740 calories!
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Menu Items Ranked Best To Worst
So, what is the best smoothie at Tropical Smoothie? If you are wondering which smoothies are healthy and which are not, check out our ranking list. We will rate the healthiest as the best and the most unhealthy as the worst!
BEST
- Detox Island Green – 180 calories.
- Blueberry Bliss – 340 calories.
- Peaches ‘n Silk – 360 calories.
- Sunrise Sunset Smoothie – 360 calories.
- Sunshine – 390 calories.
- Mango Magic – 400 calories.
- Island green – 410 calories.
- Triple Berry Oat – 410 calories.
- Orange Ginger Glow – 420 calories.
- Paradise Point – 430 calories.
- Blimey Limey – 440 calories.
- Kiwi Quencher – 450 calories.
- Acai Berry Boost – 470 calories.
- Strawberry limeade – 470 calories.
- Muscle Blaster – 470-520 calories depending on choice of protein.
- Lean Machine – 490 calories.
- Health Nut – 520-570 calories.
- Pomegranate Plunge – 520 calories.
- Avocolada – 600 calories.
- Chia Banana Boost with strawberries – 610 calories.
- Chia Banana Boost with peanut butter – 780 calories.
- Chia banana Max – 880 calories.
- Bahama Mama – 510 calories (high in sugar).
- Beach Bum – 550 calories (high in sugar).
- Peanut Butter Cup – 700 calories (high in sugar).
- Mocha Madness – 660 calories (high in sugar -132 grams)
Is Tropical Smoothie Healthy?
Really whether Tropical Smoothie is healthy or not depends on your views and what you are ordering. It can be healthy, but it can also be very unhealthy. But… What about risk items?
Ingredients That May Pose Health Risks, Such As Added Sugars And Artificial Additives
Tropical Smoothie does have some risky items on the menu, their recipes include veg, fruit, seeds, but, juice, yogurts, nut butter, and so on.
However, many of their menu items also include added sugars, and there are also some artificial additives, which are especially common in their smoothies that include chocolate!
That is just looking at the smoothies as well, not even their food menu! Which, if we are honest, has even more health-risk ingredients.
A lot of their smoothies may also contain allergens, this is especially true for nut allergies, so you should be aware.
Let’s not forget you can add in supplements to these smoothies, which is good in theory but usually means there are artificial additives present!
How Can Customers Make Healthier Choices At Tropical Smoothie Cafe?
You can make healthy choices here thankfully, even if it does not seem possible at first…
Tips For Ordering Healthier Menu Items And Making Substitutions
Luckily many of the unhealthiest smoothies on the menu will have options. For example the choice between fresh fruit or peanut butter.
While some fresh fruits can contain a fair amount of calories or sugar, they contain nowhere near as much as something like peanut butter.
Peanut butter contains a lot of calories, and most of the peanut butter brands also have added sugar and palm oil to them.
Making wise substitutions is one aspect of making better choices here, however, avoiding their smoothies that contain chocolate is an even better way to avoid unhealthy Tropical Smoothie Cafe choices.
Customer Reviews And Experiences With Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Photo Credit @Tropical Smoothies
Tropical Smoothie has a TrustPilot review rating of 3.7 stars. They have a 50% rating of 5-star reviews, 12% 4 stars,s and 38% 1 star.
However, Yelp gives them a 3-star review. Some people rave about Tropical Smoothie, but others do not feel so hot about them. Before you leave, let’s tell you what people think.
What Do Customers Have To Say About Tropical Smoothie Cafe?
Opinions are very split on this restaurant chain!
Customer Reviews And Ratings Of Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Gypsy Q (Yelp): “If I could have a smoothie from Tropical Smoothie every day, I would never have a savings account!” – 5-stars
Aries S (Yelp): “If you’re diabetic do not drink smoothies from here. 100 grams of sugar per smoothie. Tasty, but dangerous”. – 2-stars.
Skye S. (Yelp): “Love the Beach Bum with white chocolate!!!” – 5-stars.
Conclusion
Tropical smoothie is and is not healthy, it depends on your choices and what you want from your smoothies. There are oppositional views from customers here so the best thing to do is go there and decide for yourself.
Summary Of The Pros And Cons Of Tropical Smoothie Cafe Based On Menu Options And Customer Experiences
PROS:
- Tasty smoothies.
- Variety of smoothies.
- Serves food as well as smoothies.
- Variety of calorie intake options.
- Affordable.
CONS:
- High in sugar (most).
- Customer service is sub-par in some locations.
- A lot of high-calorie options.
- Not many ‘super healthy’ options.
How To Make The Most Of Your Visit To Tropical Smoothie Cafe
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The best thing to do when you visit Tropical Smoothie is to know what you want from your visit if you want something tasty, or something healthy. If you want something healthy your options may be restricted, but if you are looking for flavor, you will have hit the jackpot!
Suggestions For Choosing Healthier Menu Items:
Check out our top tips for healthy choices!
- Lower your sugar intake.
- Consider your snack foods and main meals during the day.
- Balance your diet through your daily meals.
- Calories do not always mean unhealthy.
- Watch fat and sugar intake.
- Avoid smoothies with chocolate and nut butters.
- Choose green smoothies for healthy options!
FAQs:
Does Tropical Smoothie Add Sugar To Their Smoothies?
Tropical Smoothie says there isn’t added sugar in their fruit but some smoothies receive added Turbinado sugar for flavor!
Does Tropical Smoothie Use Real Fruit?
Tropical Smoothie does use fresh fruit, however, they do combine fresh fruits with fruit concentrates.
Best Smoothie At Tropical Smoothie
This depends on your own personal tastes, some vote for the Bahama Mama, others the ‘detox island green’, and some prefer ‘sunshine’.
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