For your information, there are many up-to-date food trends in the restaurant industry that may surprise you, and one of them is the increasing demand for fast-casual dining. And one of the leading companies in this trend is the Tropical Smoothie Cafe with vivid, color smoothies and fun, unique names that resembles a beachy vibe. The more famous the company becomes, the more people start questioning: “Does Tropical Smoothie Add Sugar?”
Knowing your concern, in this article, we will answer your question from above by giving you detailed information of what we have researched and some alternative drink orders you can get from Tropical Smoothie to avoid the high sugar intake.
We hope that after this article, you will obtain some necessary information about Tropical Smoothie and their beverages to have objective opinions about them.
Now, let’s go into the article to see what we’ve got for you!
Firstly, we want you to know what a fast-casual dining restaurant is. This term is still new to many of you here.
What Is A Fast-Casual Dining Restaurant?
This restaurant type is a combination of fast-food and high-end restaurants. With this type, you still can achieve the convenience of a fast-food restaurant, which indicates various store options for you to choose and you are still eating your favorite unhealthy food.
At the same time, you can enjoy a high-quality meal. The difference is that these restaurants will give you healthier options, helping you avoid the harsh image of the unhealthy fast-food chain.
And as we’ve said before, the Tropical Smoothie Cafe saw this opportunity, took advantage of it, becoming one of the most famous, robust chains in the restaurant industry today.
Basic Information About Tropical Smoothie
History
This restaurant chain first appeared in 1993 in the Florida panhandle. Based on their first shop locations, the sunshine beach of Destin, Florida, no wonder why all their foods and beverages are somehow carrying a fresh, relaxed, beachy vibe.
However, back then, they were simply a smoothie-selling shop, not the Tropical Smoothie Cafe we know and love nowadays.
Through some times, they opened their first indoor franchise cafe in Tallahassee, the city known as a getaway for families and young people who can’t put up with the cold weather in the North. Because of the bright, lively, and tasty smoothies, people can feel relaxed and comfortable after trips in the middle of the hot weather.
A few years later, in 1999, they finally introduced sandwiches and wraps to their menus, making their restaurants become an ideal option for a lunch place. And they have continued to develop until today, a famous fast-casual restaurant dining chain.
They Offer More Than Smoothies
According to their names, you will know that their main strength is about the smoothies, proving that there are various smoothies options on the menu. Moreover, there are many supplements, and extras you can put in the smoothies are available.
However, it is not over. As we’ve mentioned before, The Tropical Smoothies also provide you with flatbreads and wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, and salads, aiming to give you a wide range of optimal choices for your meal.
And it is a mistake if we haven’t mentioned the breakfast options in this restaurant. Maybe next time you visit the restaurant, you should grab the smoothies along with the food for a perfect meal.
We think the introduction about the Tropical Smoothies Cafe is relevant for you to obtain some fundamental knowledge about the restaurant, what food and beverage they can offer to you. Now, we want to precisely move to the smoothies, the primary beverage choice in the restaurant, with some insights for you.
Firstly, we want to mention some assumptions or beliefs people often place on the smoothies they drink. Let’s see if you have had these thoughts and it is true or not.
Assumptions About The Smoothies
When hearing about Tropical Smoothie Cafe, all we know is that the brand describes them as an enterprise offering nutritious and healthy options. You may notice that many sporty people prefer the smoothie from this restaurant as a source to refill after an extensive workout.
We say that because when looking at their menu, you can see that their smoothies contain many fruit types. Fruit is beneficial to your health since they offer a reasonable amount of fructose into your body. And they guarantee that there will be no sugar added.
Moreover, some people will want to avoid the sugar in the fruit; therefore, the restaurant also provides the customer with a smoothie containing only two fruit kinds and all greens. In this way, the customer can absorb the health benefits from this ingredient.
In general, after seeing the menu and read their description on their website, you can somehow believe that they will be your healthiest smoothie choice in the market. However, is it true?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Isn’t Healthy As You May Think.
Some of you may ask us, does tropical smoothie add sugar? The answer is yes. You may think that the smoothie will be a healthy alternative for sodas or milkshakes, but the truth may not be exactly like what you think.
According to our research, we see that the average calories of the smoothie are 495 calories, and the amount of sugar is 90 grams. Scary, right?
Let’s say we have an example for you, the Detox Island Green, the smoothie we consider one of the restaurant’s healthiest options.
As you can see in line 10 of the chart, the smoothie itself contains 29 grams of sugar, which only comes from the fruit. However, the Tropical Smoothie also adds 35 grams of sugar with Splenda, constituting a sum of 64 grams of sugar in your drink.
Some of you may not recognize the problem here; we will analyze that although this is the healthiest option available, the sugar intake of 29 grams is still much higher than the average recommended of 25 grams.
And more terrible news is that they even sugar the smoothies in addition to the generally existing sugars in the fruit, making them include 64 sugar grams in the drink, which 2.5 times more than your daily amount.
We only give you insight into the drink called the most nutritious drink in the chain, and it exceeds 2.5 times the recommended sugar intake. Imagine other drinks and how many times their sugar input surpass the suggestion.
Knowing it may not be as healthy and nutritious as you notice, you will think that it is best to eat ice cream in a fast-food restaurant because some drinks you see as healthy contain; however, it is not the optimal solution for you. You still need to live healthily and here are some solutions we can offer you.
Ways To Reduce Sugar Consumption In Tropical Smoothie Cafe
This section will provide you with some tips to decrease the amount of sugar Tropical Smoothie Cafe puts into your drink.
Control Your Sugar Intake
If you look at the bottom of your menu, you will see the notes that a smoothie is made with turbinado sugar unless requested or noted.
For your information, turbinado sugar is partly refined sugar that contains some initial sugar cane molasses and has a deep caramel flavor. It looks like brown sugar, to be understandable.
For alternative options, you can request small, kid-sized cups of specific flavors. According to our research, some employees don’t want to switch the drink’s recipe from a large cup to a small cup when mixing different fruits; however, some people will still do it.
Also, Splenda is available instead of the turbinado sugar choice; therefore, you can still choose it to decrease the amount of sugar intake. As you know, Splenda is an artificial sweetener. It can be used as a substitution for low-calorie sugar for diet people.
In general, you have these choices, either you request small, kid-sized cups, or you ask for Splenda, or you request the employee to put in a half of sugar, or even no sugar at all, which many people do.
Consider Nutritional Guideline Of The Restaurant
As you can see from the above, we’ve included the nutritional guide of available smoothies in the Tropical Smoothie in a picture form. You will see some measurements in the picture, including the protein, the carbohydrates, and so much more. They are all necessary for your health measurements.
However, in the scope of this article, there are some measurements you need to consider, such as sugars, sugars with Splenda, and the total calories so you can calculate your calorie intake and sugar intake. In this way, you can control the sugar amount you consume in your body and choose for yourself a suitable smoothie.
Consider Supplements And Add-Ins
Supplements and add-ins are proved to enhance the benefits that a smoothie can bring to you. There are supplements like matcha, probiotic, which is excellent for your digestive system, vitamin C, vitamin B12, whey protein, which is beneficial for building your muscles. Some add-ins can be listed almonds, ginger, peanut butter, and so much more.
For example, if your daughter or your friends are sick, they catch a cold and have a sore throat, a fruit-based smoothie with no sugar and added vitamins, such as vitamin C and ginger. That’s a drink that will be likely to make you feel better. Moreover, with a 24 oz beverage, you can drink half the first time and keep the remaining in the freezer or refrigerator to use later, saving your money in the future.
We can provide you with some solutions to avoid a high sugar intake from these tasty, beautiful-colored smoothies. Some of you will follow our pieces of advice by adjusting your favorite drink to be as healthy as possible. On the other hand, after reading and realizing how some smoothies can negatively influence your health situations, you decide to drop them and choose for yourself the most nutritious option.
Knowing that some of you may either feel to reduce the sugar consumption or cut the sugar in your smoothies, we have included a guideline on choosing the most nutritious smoothie and the least one.
In this section, we want you to know that you should make a smoothie at home if you’re going to cut the artificial sugar in your smoothies. However, if you choose to go outside and buy the drinks, you will have to accept that there will always be sugar in your glass. Your task is simply to decrease the sugar amount to the lowest.
How To Choose Your Specific Smoothie In The Restaurant
The Most Nutritious
If your purpose is to maintain a healthy diet, then Detox Island Green is an ideal choice for you. Firstly, its sugar amount is only 29 grams, which exceeds the recommendations of about 4 grams; however, it is still the smoothie that contains the least sugar than the remaining other types. Moreover, it includes all nutritious necessities, such as kale the spinach, but still not too bitter or too green.
The spinach and the kale will offer you crucial nutrients, like the phytonutrients and a brilliantly bright green color. Also, the mango and the pineapple will enhance the tasty, tropical flavor complemented with the green color.
The banana will set the texture denser, not too watery, giving you the total energy to perform daily activities. If you want to put more of a slice of ginger into your drink, it’s okay. Ginger will also offer you various health benefits.
The Least Nutritious
This smoothie option should only be on occasions when you want to indulge yourself for a while. We have some options for you; therefore, let’s see what we’ve got for you.
The Peanut Butter Cup
Although the Tropical Smoothie is famous for the healthy smoothie, who says that they don’t have some options that will be perfect for your cheat day? The Peanut Butter Cup is one way to go for you. For your information, the amount of sugar in this smoothie is a maximum of 107 grams, which can be double as dessert. It is undoubtedly not the healthiest smoothie for you; on the other hand, it is incredibly unhealthy for you. However, as long as you don’t drink it every day, it is wonderful. Who says that you don’t deserve a cheat day meal with the unhealthiest drink? You have tried hard enough, and this is a reward for you.
Mocha Madness
If you are a coffee addict, this drink is also a perfect option for you. For your information, its ingredients contain coffee, cappuccino, chocolate flavor with free-of-fat yogurt. You may look at the element and think this drink is relatively healthy; however, you are wrong. Can you guess the amount of sugar in this drink? The number will be shocked to you: 132 grams.
Bahama Mama
Looking at this drink, you may think that it is only a typical fruity smoothie; you keep asking yourself: “What should I be worried about it? It looks healthy.” However, until you see the main ingredient, it is the white chocolate, then you know it may be the sweetest smoothie you’ve ever tried. The proof is that it included 110 grams of sugar. Scary, right? However, we may think that you should still try it once.
Chocolate Chimp
If you are simply into the sweet drink, Chocolate Chimp may be what you are looking for! This smoothie is made from chocolate and banana, which only contains 52 grams of sugar. We know that this amount of sugar is still high, but it is much lower than the other three options above. Therefore, we are sure this drink is a good drink for you if you still hesitate about your calorie consumption even on your cheat day.
Advising about buying the right smoothie is kind enough up to this point. As we have mentioned earlier, only if you make a smoothie at home can you obliterate the sugar from your drink? Therefore, in this last section, we want to give you some smoothies you can make at home in the inspiration of the Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
You Can Make Tropical Smoothie At Home
As we have mentioned before, there are many reasons that you may be concerned that you don’t want to buy a smoothie from this restaurant. It may be because you don’t have a Tropical Smoothie restaurant around you or maybe because you are too tired and you don’t want to leave your house. Or simply because you don’t want to put too much sugar in your body, you want to handmade your smoothie.
Luckily, there are many Tropical Smoothie recipes on the Internet so that you can enjoy your smoothie without leaving your house. Most recipes are easy to understand and simple to follow; therefore, you don’t have to worry that you cannot make one. Yes, you can!
Blimey Limey
For your information, the recipe for Blimey Limey is relatively user-friendly. All you have to do is prepare water, strawberries, sugar, pineapple, lemonade, and concentrate orange juice. Easy, right? And its flavor is the exact taste you are looking for when buying in the restaurant. And you can control the amount of sugar; less sugar or no sugar is welcome!
Jetty Punch
Another simple recipe we want to show you is the Jetty Punch. All you should have is bananas, strawberries, and some artificial sweeteners. Even if you don’t want to add sweeteners, it is excellent. You are getting one step closer to your success in strictly following your diet.
Conclusions
We hope that after this article, you’ve already found the answer to the question: “Does Tropical Smoothie add sugar?”. The answer is yes! However, this is not the end of the world. You can still reduce your sugar consumption by following our tips, and the optimal solution is that you follow the recipe on the Internet to resemble the Tropical Smoothie drinks. In this way, you can still enjoy a smoothie without worrying it will negatively affect your diet effort.
If you still insist on taking a drink in the Tropical Smoothie, you can simply choose based on our recommendation about which beverage is the most nutritious and the least one.
There will be many recipes for you to follow, and you will need some types of equipment to assist you in making the most delicious smoothie. And you should check out the blender that is served for a kale smoothie. And we are confident that it will be beneficial for your kale smoothie and various smoothie types:
This is the end of our article. Thank you for staying with us through the end of it! See you in our next article!
