For many people, it can be difficult to incorporate the suggested amount of servings of fruits and vegetables into their daily diet. According to Canada’s Food Guide, adults between the age of 19 and 50 should consume approximately 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A medium-sized fruit or a ½-cup of fresh, frozen, or canned vegetable is considered one Food Guide serving, which translates into the average adult needing to consume approximately four to five cups of fruits or vegetables per day.

With today’s hectic lifestyles, smoothies have become an easy and quick way to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, while on-the-go, without sacrificing nutritional value or taste.

Smoothie mix manufacturers allow restauranteurs to participate in the burgeoning market of clean eaters, without being encumbered with the time and expense that accompanies the use of fresh or frozen produce. The best smoothie mix manufacturers can offer a shelf-stable solution that helps restaurants, coffee shops, cafés, juice bars and refreshment stands create the healthiest of menu items that will set them apart from other establishments.

Smoothies: Great Way to Increase Consumption

Joseph Price, a PhD, health economist, and associate professor at BYU piloted a health study in 2015 in which he revealed that only 4% of kids eating a school breakfast ate a serving of fruit.

However, when the school added smoothies to the morning menu, that number jumped up to 45%!  

This number not only demonstrates that smoothies are a great way to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents, but also that there is an entire demographic that restaurants could be appealing too.

Many restaurant chains purchase smoothie bases from smoothie mix manufacturers in order to create a wide range of items that appeal uniquely to the youngsters.  They know that parents are always on the lookout for healthier options for fussy kids. For more than just smoothies, smoothie mixes can be used as deceptively delicious options for adding a healthy (and tasty) boost to meals, sides and even toppings.  When served in a 16 oz. beverage, kids are getting three full fruit servings in just one sitting.

Some kid-friendly menu items include:

• Fancy virgin cocktails complete with tiny umbrella, maraschino cherry and an orange wedge. Orange wedges are always more appealing this way!
• Mixed juice blends and punches
• Flavorful iced teas
• Colorful and delicious salad dressings
• Condiments to add zing to a sandwich or burger, or simply to dip fries in
• Breakfast parfaits complete with yogurt and granola
• Bubble tea creations
• Sundae bowls with fruit blend topping

Parents especially are listening to healthy living experts when they discuss the particular benefits of making wiser choices when eating out for their children, but also for the whole family. Including menu choices that contain no added sugars, GMOs, or artificial additives in a restaurant’s menu is a great way to be inclusive of this trend.

Many establishments realize that customers are also looking closer at what restaurants, cafés and coffee shops can offer to promote a healthier diet on-the-go for the entire family. Simply adding fruit flavoring to menu items is no longer an option for restaurants that hope to be competitive and offer their diners more.

Discover how locating smoothie mix manufacturers that offer the healthiest choices can help restaurateurs serve delicious and healthy menu choices without the added cost of working with fresh or frozen produce.