Basic Information
Smoothies are classified as both a beverage and a snack because they’re so filling!
Smoothies - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Smoothies For Kids
The first modern smoothies began in the 1930s when health food stores in California blended fresh fruit, but the name ‘smoothie’ became popular in the 1960s!
The word “smoothie” was first used in cookbooks in the 1940s, when people started using blenders to make creamy blended drinks — because they were smoother than milkshakes!
Most smoothies are made with one or two fruits, and sometimes a veggie is added for extra goodness!
A typical 16-ounce smoothie contains about 2 servings of fruit!
In India, people have been drinking mango lassi with yogurt and cardamom for thousands of years — its yogurt base dates back to around 1000 BC!
Brazilian açaí smoothie bowls are topped with granola and fresh fruit to make a rainbow breakfast!
Cutting fruit into small pieces before freezing helps it blend more smoothly!
A smoothie can stay tasty in the fridge for about 1 to 2 days if you keep it in a tightly sealed container!
Native Hawaiian cultures have enjoyed tropical fruit drinks like coconut water and pia juice for over 1,000 years, but modern smoothies came much later!
Thousands of smoothie shops in America serve millions of smoothies every week—enough to keep smoothie lovers all across the country happy!
The most popular smoothie flavor is strawberry — often blended with banana to make the classic strawberry-banana smoothie!
The perfect smoothie temperature is between 38°F and 42°F (3°C–6°C) — cold enough to be refreshing, but not so cold that it becomes icy!
History & Origins
Steven Kuhnau, a lactose-intolerant teen, invented the modern smoothie in the 1970s. He blended fruit, juice, ice, and protein powder — later opening the first Smoothie King shop in 1973!
The first big smoothie company, Smoothie King, started in 1973 in Louisiana. Today, there are over 5,300 juice and smoothie bars in the United States!
Brazilian açaí berries have been eaten for hundreds of years along the Amazon River, but the frozen açaí bowl smoothies we know today were invented in the 1980s!
The electric blender was invented in 1922 by Stephen Poplawski, making it much easier to blend fruits and start the journey to the first smoothies!
Smoothie King, one of the first smoothie shop chains, opened in 1973 and started the smoothie shop craze across America!
The first green smoothie was made in 2004! Health fans started blending leafy greens like spinach with fruit to make colorful, energy-packed drinks.
Science & Making
When you blend a smoothie, thousands of tiny air bubbles get trapped inside, making it light and fluffy!
Freezing fruit before making a smoothie creates tiny ice crystals that make your drink extra creamy!
A powerful blender can spin its blades up to 500 times a second — that’s faster than the engines in race cars!
Adding yogurt to smoothies makes them extra creamy — thanks to special proteins like casein that thicken and smooth the drink!
Bananas make smoothies thick because they contain a special fiber called pectin that acts like natural glue!
The color of your smoothie can change based on the pH levels of the fruits you use — lemon juice can make blue smoothies turn pink!
When you blend berries, you break open tiny cells that release natural food pigments called anthocyanins!
A smoothie stays cold longer when you use frozen fruit instead of ice — because the fruit stays frosty and keeps the smoothie chilled without watering it down!
Blending creates friction that can actually warm up your smoothie, which is why starting with cold ingredients is important!
Ingredients & Nutrition
A handful of spinach in your smoothie gives you iron — plus if you toss in a vitamin C fruit like orange, your body can use even more!
Just 8 medium strawberries in your smoothie can give you more vitamin C than an orange and cover the whole day’s need!
Blueberries in smoothies contain special compounds called antioxidants that are like tiny superheroes fighting off bad cells in your body!
Mango smoothies are super high in vitamin A, which helps you see better in the dark like a superhero!
Adding chia seeds to your smoothie gives you omega-3 fats that help your brain grow smarter!
A single kiwi in your smoothie can give you more vitamin C than an orange — perfect for a colorful, healthy boost!
Avocados in smoothies give you healthy fats that help your body absorb vitamins better!
One cup of almond milk in your smoothie can give you just as much calcium as a glass of regular milk — when it’s fortified!
Global Varieties
In Thailand, they make smoothies with dragon fruit that turn bright pink naturally!
Japanese smoothies often include matcha green tea powder that gives them superpowers (and a beautiful green color)!
Mexican smoothies called licuados often include cinnamon and vanilla for extra yummy flavor!
In Vietnam, they make smoothies with durian fruit that smells funny but tastes like sweet custard!
Australian smoothie bowls often include Wattleseed, a special native ingredient that tastes like chocolate and coffee!
In Morocco, they often make date smoothies with milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon — these drinks taste like liquid cookies!
Hawaiian smoothies often include fresh pineapple and coconut that grow right on the islands!
Korean smoothies often include sweet red bean paste that makes them taste like dessert!
In the Caribbean, they make smoothies with fresh papaya and lime that taste like tropical paradise!
Fun Food Facts
The world’s largest smoothie was made in 2011 at the University of Illinois, using 960 pounds of yogurt, 600 pounds of strawberries, and 105 gallons of pineapple juice!
If you lined up all the bananas used in smoothies each day in America, they would stretch around the Earth more than once!
