Tesco Super Fruit Smoothie, Pomegranate, Bluberry + Acai

...with the exception of the Tesco smoothies. Tesco have 2 types that I have tried and they are both nice and reasonably priced in comparison with others. The one that I am reviewing is the super fruit smoothie which is a bit higher in price than the other Tesco smoothie but much cheaper than the Innocent smoothies. The flavour that I am reviewing is the superfruit smoothie with Pomegranate, Blueberry and Acai.


What is a Smoothie?
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Tesco Superfruit Smoothie.
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This is available in Tesco for £2.29 a litre which is a fair price as smoothies go. I am particulary reviewing the superfruit smoothie with pomegranate, blueberry and acai. When looking at the smoothie you are greeted with the wording `A is for Acai`. This was enough for me as I had never heard of an acai, I shall go into this slightly more ... more

Smoothies are my current craze, I try to have one every day. They certainly seem popular and what a choice. They are a way to help you toward your five a day. They are tasty and I have tried quite a few. I must admit they are so expensive that I usually try them when they are on offer, with the exception of the Tesco smoothies. Tesco have 2 types that I have tried and they are both nice and reasonably priced in comparison with others. The one that I am reviewing is the super fruit smoothie which is a bit higher in price than the other Tesco smoothie but much cheaper than the Innocent smoothies. The flavour that I am reviewing is the superfruit smoothie with Pomegranate, Blueberry and Acai.

What is a Smoothie?
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A smoothie is a selection of fruit placed in a blender or a smoothie maker and liquidised to a smooth pulp. When making your own you can achieve the desired consistency by whizzing it for longer or for less time if you like it with a bit of texture and bulk. I used to make my own smoothies which is great as you can have it however you like and use fruit or vegetables. I would add honey, natural yogurt, greek yogurt, whatever I felt like really. The only reason that I finally decided that I could justify the price of a bought smoothie is the cost of making your own. I used to put about 8 fruits in, for a cup full! Whilst it was great fun and you can customise your smoothie, it is not cheap and it was a pain cleaning out the machine. I couldn`t relax and drink it, I had to clean it first so suddenly the idea of them ready made in the fridge sounded really attractive.

Tesco Superfruit Smoothie.
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This is available in Tesco for £2.29 a litre which is a fair price as smoothies go. I am particulary reviewing the superfruit smoothie with pomegranate, blueberry and acai. When looking at the smoothie you are greeted with the wording `A is for Acai`. This was enough for me as I had never heard of an acai, I shall go into this slightly more later. Apparently acai is the new superberry containing antioxidants for all the family.

The wording looked good and promised to be healthy, I was more interested in the taste. I shook the smoothie with the lid on as advised and poured it into a glass. I have to say from making smoothies, some are an attractive colour, some certainly are not. This one was bordering on not looking very nice. It was a cross between a beige and purple. Luckily there was enough purple in it to prevent the smoothie from looking repulsive, though it is not what you would call an attractive looking smoothie.

The consistency was good. There was enough body, not too thin but not thick and gloopy either. I have tried a lot of smoothies and I was impressed with this one. My son drinks Innocent kids smoothies and they are like J20 (his words not mine) which is too thin for me. He won`t drink the Tesco one. I have to buy the kids one for him, specially designed to have no bits. I don`t consider the Tesco superfruit smoothie to have bits in it as such but be aware, fussy children may not drink it. For me it is perfect.

The taste is gorgeous. I can safely say that this is my favourite smoothie, certainly at the moment. It is quite sweet but not too sweet. I can taste the pomegranate and they are not sweet but mixed with the blueberry and acai they all complement each other to make a tasty, refreshing, moreish drink.

What does it contain?
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The smoothie apparently does not contain concentrates. It does not contain only the fruit in the title. Each carton contains:- 50 acai berries, 1 and a quarter pomegranates, 50 red grapes, 240 blueberries, 4 and a third bananas and 2 oranges AND NOTHING ELSE. All this compressed into one little carton (well, 1 litre).

Properties.
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The smoothie is sold as a superfruit smoothie. When investigating the properties of the fruits it is easy to see why.

Acai - pronounced ah-sci-ee. I have been telling everyone about this wonderful fruit which is actually a berry, I should have checked the pronounciation first shouldn`t I? It is a purple/black berry found in the rainforrest similar to a grape but with less flesh. It contains It contains vitamin B, fibre, proteins, omega fatty acids, omega 9. It is high in anti oxidants. It is likely to to the worlds highest anti oxidant fruit. It has a high ORAC which is apparently how the anti oxidant is measured. Fruits with a high ORAC are likely to slow the ageing process and prevent metabolic diseases. Anti oxidants are compounds which may contribute to healthy blood circulation, keeping the heart and blood vessels clear and healthy.

Pomegranate - contain vitamin B and some vitamin C. Pomegranates are a difficult fruit to eat, whether you peel the outside off and scoop out the flesh or eat them with a pin, they can be tedious to eat. It is much easier to acquire the taste from a juice than eating them as a fruit in my opinion though I like the fruit sometimes.

Blueberries - are a lovely small purple berry and very tasty and easy to eat. They may improve short term memory loss, reduce the chance of macular degeneration, promote urinary tract health, ance as an anti inflamatory, may improve metabolism and may also help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Healthy Smoothie?
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The smoothie contains healthy fruits and nothing extra so it must be really healthy right? It is suprising how much sugar is in the smoothie though there is no added sugar. Fruit itself is high in natural sugar, I can only think the sheer volume of fruit compressed into this smoothie contributes to the sugar content. Each 250ml contains 123 calories, 26.3g sugar, o.5g salt, saturates trace adn a trace of salt. When you think of it, it is only about the amount of calories as a banana depending on the size, but the act of eating a banana is more satisfying for hunger than drinking a smoothie.

Do I recommend?
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I recommend the taste 100%, it is delicious. It is reasonably priced and made from fruit. In comparison with Innocent smoothies it is much cheaper. It does not contain as much of your 5 a day contribution though. The Innocent smoothies are about a pound more but each portion contains the equivalent of one portion towards your five a day. This smoothie only has one portion on the carton, which certainly doesn`t suggest that it is per serving. The other Tesco smoothie that I have bought does not have as many portions as the Innocent smoothie either, the equivalent Innocent one that I have in the fridge contains 7 portions in the 1 litre carton. It is not that clear to me how the portion is measured of the Tesco superfruit smoothie, but to be perfectly honest, I can`t see that there is any less actual fruit than in the Innocent smoothies.

It needs to be weighed up which smoothie to go for when buying. I tend the buy the Innocents when they are half price but not any other time. The Tesco ones may not have quite as many portions per litre but the difference in price makes them worth buying and the taste is great. At the end of the day, it is not recommended to obtain all of our 5 a day from smoothies alone so does it really matter? I feel better consuming a smoothie that is not overly expensive and I love this flavour so much, I will definitely buy it again.

The Smoothies need to be kept in the fridge and consumed within three days once open and within the sell by date. 

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