You Should Never Add Orange Juice To Your Smoothie. Here's Why

Smoothies came on the scene in the 1960s, and now the U.S. is the largest consumer of these convenient meal replacements (via Foodtruck Empire). Over the years, the list of ingredients in smoothies has grown, while the health boost has decreased. Some smoothie chains, like Tropical Smoothie Cafe, do still use real fruit, while other chains, like Jamba Juice, have been said to rely heavily on juice blends.

According to Healthline, a standard smoothie contains a base ingredient and a liquid, with most people choosing between fruit, green, or protein smoothies. Any combination of ingredients can be used, depending on an individual's health goals and restrictions. While smoothies do have the potential to increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber, more often, they also contain hidden sugars, like those found in orange juice. Like many things, drinking orange juice comes with pros and cons, but if you're interested in creating a healthier smoothie, it's best to steer clear of the juice. 

An orange, strawberry, banana smoothie sounds delicious. All it would take is a banana, strawberries, and some orange juice (via All Recipes). But, adding orange juice won't add beneficial fiber to the mix, and you'll crank up the carb and sugar count, according to Eat This, Not That! 

Studies have shown orange juice to be nutritionally similar to a whole orange, according to Healthline, with some important differences. Orange juice has almost no fiber, while an orange has 3 grams. Orange juice contains nearly two times the calories and sugar as a fresh orange. And, drinking orange juice can cause blood sugar to rise along with the scale. If that is not enough to convince you, don't even get us started on how orange juice can mess with your taste buds in the morning, but it has something to do with the combination with toothpaste!