Mmm, what liquid treats. Shakes and smoothies tend to keep you going especially when the weather is hot. But just because they’re both drinks, doesn’t mean that they’re identical. In fact, there are plenty of differences to talk about in the shake versus smoothie debate.
Who doesn’t like having a satisfying, cool drink, full of color, flavor, and texture? It seems these days everyone loves smoothies and shakes. But how healthy are they? How good for you? And what are the differences between them? I honestly can say that I love both smoothies and milkshakes for their smooth, creamy consistencies, and the sweetness of them. They’re something that the summer was made for. Also, some of them are absolutely loaded with vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients. But not all of them. Just like not all smoothies are healthier than shakes. A lot of the nutritional value depends on what’s in the drinks themselves.
Shake versus smoothie: the main difference
A smoothie is made by blending the whole food, even though it might exclude the skin and seed. It depends on the fruit used. A shake is a dairy-based beverage, with milk or ice-cream as a base for everything else. It might have added flavors from syrups, fruits, or powders.
A smoothie can be a quick meal replacement, even though it doesn’t always satisfy the drinker. It depends on its consistency and ingredients used. And it’s also a raw food. The base of a smoothie usually is yogurt or milk, but you can make one from just fruits. You can also add grains or oatmeal to it, for the thickness. And we also recommend honey, to give it the right viscosity.
A shake is more of a dessert than the smoothie. It’s not really used to replace a meal. And it’s usually topped with non-healthy items, like whipped cream and candy toppings.
Shake versus smoothie: nutrition
Smoothies are usually high in carbs and are considered a healthier alternative to shakes because they’re made from real fruit with a low-fat protein-rich one. On the other hand, shakes shine in the protein department. They also contain a pretty good amount of calcium.
But a smoothie isn’t healthy in and of itself. If it contains high-fat products like peanut butter, it is not very good for your diet and it will give you a much too high caloric intake. And shakes aren’t too great either. If you make them with ice-cream, they’re definitely full of sugar and they don’t do much to help your figure.
History of the drinks
When it comes to the inception of the two types of drinks, the shake is pretty much older. The term appeared in 1885, but the drink is even more ancient. Only back then it was definitely called a milkshake, and it was made from a type of dairy with eggs and some whiskey. You definitely couldn’t have a milkshake at work (or maybe it was socially accepted back then). Alcohol was dropped from the shakes at the beginning of the last century and the drink became popular in shops during the ‘30s.
As for the smoothies, they were devised as a dairy-free alternative to shakes. It’s a bit ironic that you can also add some dairy to smoothies too, isn’t it? The drink appeared during the health food movement in the ‘60s. The first person to actually market the smoothie was Steven Kuhnau, a.k.a. the Smoothie King, in 1970. He started to produce and sell smoothies.
