This smoothie is for those of us who love the classic “breakfasty” taste of orange juice in the morning but want a fiber-rich, nutrient-packed, on-the-go breakfast.

The large amount of sugar in the “standard American diet” is a major contributor to our diabetes and obesity epidemic. Forgoing soda and juice is a simple way to cut excess sugar from your diet. For most people the soda one is a no-brainer, but many still drink juice and think they are doing their bodies a favor (the USDA’s MyPlate isn’t helping the matter, which is incredibly frustrating, but more on that in a later post).

Even though juicing is a hot trend right now, and juice undoubtedly contains large amounts of vitamins, the lack of protein and/or fiber to slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream is a problem. Its important to remember that in general, fruit juice contains the same amount of sugar and calories as soda. I think of a smoothie as whatever fruits and vegetables I’m putting in it – a meal or part of a meal, not really a beverage. And, while its obviously not the exact same, I think of a glass of juice as water plus 8-15 teaspoons of sugar plus some vitamins. That looks like this:

My lecture about juice is over (for now), but my point is this: you love 100% fruit juice and want it as a treat? Go for it. But know what you’re consuming, and be mindful of that. Maybe you’ll decide its a “sometimes treat” instead of a breakfast staple. And maybe for breakfast you’ll go forgo the orange juice for a whole-food alternative, like a ginger-citrus green smoothie.

Ginger Citrus Green Smoothie

Ingredients

2 oranges (peeled and quartered)
1/4 cup mango
1 inch slice fresh ginger
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 lemon peeled
1 Tbsp raw honey
1 cup spinach

Instructions

Blend all ingredients. You may need to add water, depending on how many of your ingredients are frozen - don't worry about diluting the taste a bit - you shouldn't lose the citrus flavour (it's strong).