Since the ‘90s, Jamba Juice has been one of the most popular juices and smoothie chains in the US. With almost 900 locations, people cannot seem to get enough of these delicious and supposedly healthy smoothies. Is Jamba juice good for you? What are the healthiest drinks that Jamba Juice offers?
Jamba Juice can be healthy in moderation. Although fruity drinks like fruit juices and smoothies are often perceived to be healthy, they can be fairly high in sugar and, as a result, high in calories. While smoothies are touted as containing only natural sugars, too much of any sugar is not healthy.
That said, Jamba Juice does contain some drinks on its menu that are better than others. Here is our list of the healthier options from this loved chain!
- 1.ACAI SUPER-ANTIOXIDANT SMOOTHIE
- 2.GREENS N’ GINGER SMOOTHIE
- 3.GOLDEN TURMERIC SPICE SMOOTHIE
- 4.ORANGE AND CARROT TWIST JUICE
- 5.MATCHA GREEN TEA BLAST SMOOTHIE
- 6.PROTEIN BERRY WORKOUT SMOOTHIE
- 7.ORANGE C-BOOSTER SMOOTHIE
- THE BOTTOM LINE
1.ACAI SUPER-ANTIOXIDANT SMOOTHIE
The Acai Super-Antioxidant smoothie is a healthy blend of soy milk, acai fruit juice blend, strawberries, blueberries, raspberry sherbet, and Jumba’s daily vitamin + zinc boost.
A small serving, which is 16 ounces, will provide 100% of the RDA for several key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
It will also contain 340 calories, 54 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. Most of the sugars in this drink are natural sugars, which come from all the delicious fruit; however, if you are diabetic, following a low-carb diet, or trying to lose weight, this may not be the drink for you. Although natural sugar is certainly healthier than its processed counterpart, excessive consumption of any form of sugar is not great for you.
2.GREENS N’ GINGER SMOOTHIE
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Do you dream of greens? #GreensnGingerSmoothie
See AlsoIs Jamba Juice Healthy? Here Are Several Good OptionsJamba Juice Nutrition: What to Order & AvoidThe Untold Truth Of Jamba Juice - MashedWhat is Jamba Juice? A Refreshing Blend of Deliciousness and Nutrition - Starters KitchenA post shared by Jamba (@jambajuice) on
Jamba’s Greens N’ Ginger smoothie is a blend of lemonade, peaches, kale, mangos, and ginger.
A small smoothie (16oz) contains 230 calories, 1 gram of fat, 48 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Jamba’s Greens N’ Ginger will provide 150% of the RDA of vitamin A, 160% of vitamin C, and 520% of the RDA of vitamin K. It also provides smaller amounts of other micronutrients, including copper, folate, manganese, and calcium.
Kale and ginger, which provide less inherent sugar as well as offering health benefits of their own, make this smoothie a desirable choice.
Studies have found that ginger improves cognitive function and attention, helps ease nausea caused by morning sickness or chemotherapy, and also helps relieve joint pain. Leafy greens such as kale are also very healthy and provide a good source of nutrients such as omega-3 and calcium.
3.GOLDEN TURMERIC SPICE SMOOTHIE
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I wonder if there is a smoothie somewhere out there thinking about us, too.
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Jamba’s Golden Turmeric Spice smoothie is a blend of oat milk, turmeric spice blend, bananas, mangos, and agave.
A small Golden Turmeric Spice smoothie contains 280 calories; it has 33 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat. This drink will provide 26% of the RDA of potassium, 28% of the RDA of fiber, and 40% of the RDA of calcium. A small smoothie will also contribute to 120% of the RDA of vitamin A, 45% of the RDA of vitamin C, 45% of the RDA of riboflavin, and 30% of the RDA of phosphorus.
The turmeric in the drink carries added benefits because of its strong antioxidant abilities. The bananas and mangos have their own health benefits as well. For example, mangos are a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C and can also help maintain good eye health. This is because mangos contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect against age-related macular degeneration and damage from blue-light from phone and laptop screens.
4.ORANGE AND CARROT TWIST JUICE
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You’re a perfect blend of cool and also nice.
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The Orange and Carrot Twist is simply a combination of fresh carrot and orange juices. A small serving of this juice contains 210 calories. This fruit juice is an excellent source of vitamin A, containing a whopping 800% of the RDA! It’s also very high in vitamin C with 230% of the RDA; additionally, it provides 40% of the RDA of vitamin K, 25% of the RDA of thiamin, and 30% of the RDA of folate.
It is also a good source of potassium with 1250mg, which is 36% of the recommended daily dose of the mineral. This juice is a decent source of fiber with 7 grams per small serving, while also containing 4 grams of protein and 32 grams of sugar.
Healthy doesn’t have to be complicated and the Orange and Carrot Twist is proof of that, with only two ingredients in this juice. The urban myth that carrots improve your vision is not entirely unfounded. Night blindness is often caused by a deficiency of vitamin A; carotenoids, which are compounds in carrots, can even help slow down or reduce the risk of age-related sight loss.
5.MATCHA GREEN TEA BLAST SMOOTHIE
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Green is good. And it tastes good, too.
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The Matcha Green Tea Blast is another one of the simpler items on Jamba’s menu. With only three ingredients, this smoothie is a mixture of soy milk, fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, and matcha green tea.
A small serving contains 270 calories, 0 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber, and 51 grams of sugar.
Although the Matcha Green Tea Blast is less nutrient-dense than the previous drinks listed, the matcha tea in this drink is the primary reason it makes the list.
Although coming from the same tea plant, matcha is healthier than regular green tea as it contains more chlorophyll, antioxidants, and amino acids than regular green tea because it’s grown shaded from direct sunlight.
The antioxidants and catechins in matcha are 137 times higher than in China Green Tips green tea, and three times greater than other green teas.
Many people do not like the taste of matcha or green tea, so a matcha smoothie can be a simple way to reap the benefits without having to taste the tea.
6.PROTEIN BERRY WORKOUT SMOOTHIE
Jamba Juice offers two variations of their Protein Berry Workout: the whey protein blend and the vegan version with soy protein. The two versions are very comparable in terms of their nutritional value. The Protein Berry Workout is a blend of soymilk, strawberries, bananas, and either whey protein or soy protein. Although both versions come with soymilk, anyone with a soy allergy can ask for cow’s milk instead.
A small Protein Berry Workout smoothie is 300 calories. There’s only 1 gram of fat in this blend with 41-47 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and 13-19 grams of protein, with individual nutrients varying between the two different blends. Although this smoothie is not as rich in vitamins and minerals as some of the other healthiest smoothies you can get in Jamba Juice, it is a great source of vitamin C with 80% of the RDA in a small smoothie. It also contains significant amounts of several other micronutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and manganese.
Despite the popular belief that you need a lot of protein after a workout, it is more beneficial to consume carbohydrates and protein together. The ideal ratio post-workout is 1 gram of protein per 3 grams of carbohydrates. While the macronutrients do not equate exactly to the recommended ratio, this is still a healthy balanced smoothie from Jamba.
7.ORANGE C-BOOSTER SMOOTHIE
The Orange C-Booster is a blend of orange juice, orange sherbet, peaches, bananas, and Jamba’s daily vitamin + zinc boost.
A small Orange C-Booster contains 240 calories, 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 46 grams of sugar.
A small smoothie provides 280% of the RDA of vitamin C and 110% of the RDA of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. It meets exactly 100% of the RDA of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid.
Vitamin C doesn’t protect against colds as many people believe, but this doesn’t mean the Orange C-Booster isn’t important during flu season. It can help reduce the length of a cold by a day and ease the severity of it too. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and helps the body with the absorption of iron. As you can see, vitamin C is a very important part of our diet.
THE BOTTOM LINE
These 7 healthiest drinks you can get in Jamba Juice all offer different health benefits; whether you want a boost of protein, antioxidants, or vitamin C, Jamba has the juice for you. That said, most smoothies here are super high in sugar. For this reason, we recommend that Jamba Juice smoothies be consumed as a treat as opposed to on a regular basis. If you can choose to go with the small cup and not the medium or large cups as doing so significantly reduces the sugar and calories ingested in a single sitting.
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