Is Trader Joe's Banana And Almond Butter Protein Smoothie Healthy?

Smoothies pack a ton of nutrition into a delicious and quick meal. You tend to get a good dose of vitamin C from fruit, and some smoothies have added protein from yogurt or protein powder. Depending on where you buy your smoothies, you could find smoothie ingredients you should avoid, such as ice cream. Some store-bought smoothies have added sugar or fruit juice that could make your healthy smoothie unhealthy.

Trader Joe's has a decadent banana and almond butter protein smoothie that has 14 grams of added protein from peas without any added sugar. In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Maggie Moon, MS, RD, Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of The MIND Diet, gives this smoothie a thumbs-up.

"I would consider this as a healthy choice because it's nutritionally balanced and includes a variety of wholesome foods, and not much else," Moon said. This Trader Joe's smoothie lists water and coconut water as its first ingredients, followed by banana puree, almond butter, pea protein, and vanilla extract. These ingredients provide plenty of key nutrients you could be missing in your diet.

Moon says that many people don't get enough potassium in their diets, which can cause constipation, fatigue, and muscle weakness. "Potassium keeps the brain and body's electrical system in good shape so brain cells can clearly communicate and muscles can contract including the heart," Moon said. Adult men need 3,400 milligrams of potassium every day, and women need 2,500 milligrams. This Trader Joe's smoothie has 630 milligrams of potassium from coconut water and banana puree. (By the way, eat these foods if you need more potassium.)

Moon approves of the plant-based pea protein and the healthy fats, calcium, and vitamin E found in almond butter. She was also impressed with the 5 grams of fiber from the banana puree, almond butter, and pea protein. "What I like is that if you had half the smoothie as part of a larger meal, it's still contributing a decent amount of fiber (9% DV) and potassium (7.5% DV) along with 7 grams of plant protein," Moon said. "In other words, it has good nutrient density also known as nutrients per calorie."

Because this is a premade smoothie, Trader Joe's banana and almond butter protein smoothie has some additives such as sunflower lecithin that thicken the smoothie and keep the ingredients from separating in the bottle. Although Moon doesn't find these food additives to be alarming, she says you can make it easily at home using the same nutritious ingredients without the additives. "I'd probably use soy milk instead of water for even more complete protein," she said.

If you're looking for a quick snack to fuel your workout, this smoothie might not be the best choice. You'll get 19 grams of carbs to fuel your workout, but the 21 grams of fat could slow down your digestion and your workout performance. You might also want to pass on this banana and almond butter protein smoothie if you're trying to reduce your weight. Moon says that the 320 calories in Trader Joe's banana and almond butter protein smoothie are enough calories for a small meal, so you'll need to consider how your smoothie fits into your overall calorie intake.