Smoothie King Finally Removes Trans Fats And Sugar From The Menu

Smoothie King is kind of like the fast food of blended fruit. They took the epitome of a healthy breakfast — the smoothie — and transformed it into a preservative-laden, sugar-soaked Gargantua of a cup. Until now, that is — the chain is making some impressive and healthful changes to their menu.

Smoothie King has over 900 stores nationwide. In previous years, they were stuffing their fruit-filled smoothies with even more added sugar. That wasn't all they added, either — their menu items were hiding artificiality left and right, with flavors, colorings, sweeteners, and preservatives infiltrating every sip. Essentially, the franchise was a major contributor to the "unhealthy smoothie" travesty.

But on September 6, the franchise announced its Cleaner Blending Initiative, eliminating any and everything unhealthy about their smoothies. From over 50 of their 74 menu items, they'll be removing all ingredients banned by the NSF as well as gluten, trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. They'll also be using only non-GMO ingredients and foods without added hormones.

While we're not so sure how trans fats and hormones ever made it into a smoothie, we applaud the chain for taking accountability for the healthfulness of their products. To further prove that they have all consumers in mind, they will ensure that each store offers vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free products, tailoring to those with specific dietary needs.

"At Smoothie King, every decision we make is based on helping to support our guests' health and fitness journeys," Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim explained in a press release launching the initiative. If you are embarking on a fitness journey of your own, don't mess up your smoothie — or make one of these other common dietary mistakes.