An Afternoon Treat (With a Side of Veggies)

As a blogger, I have yet to experience the perks of brands wooing me (hard to believe, I know). So when I got an email from Jamba Juice offering me a sneak peek (or taste, I guess) at their new fruit & veggie smoothies the other day, I felt like I’d arrived. I also felt like Mother of the Year knowing how much my kids love Jamba Juice—and have become master juicers themselves thanks to the juicer my brother gave my parents.

Let me tell you, we’ve tried it all. We’ve made juice combinations that have included orange, banana, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, mango, frozen strawberries, tomatoes, lemon, carrots, apples and more. Every time Big eats a vegetable—yesterday it was cucumber—he asks if it has juice in it. He’s always looking for new winning recipes. (Though he’s had a few major bombs, too.) Granted the kid loves his fruits and veggies, but I’ve gotta say the juicer is really bringing out the health nut in him. (And while it’s a lot of fun, it’s messy and expensive since it takes a ton of fruit to make a single glass of juice.)

Well, luckily the folks at Jamba Juice put their expertise to work and have added veggies to some of their delicious smoothies. Today we got to try all three: Apples n Greens, Berry UpBEET(TM) and Orange Carrot Karma. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but all three of us really liked them. (Even Mr. I-Hate-To-Eat, Little.) Big got the Orange Carrot Karma (which I think ended up being my favorite too), Little liked the Apples n Greens (which actually had a banana-like thickness and flavor to it) and I got the Berry UpBEET. All fruits, veggies and ice…no ice cream or extra sugary ingredients added.

Big already knows that he’s going to order Apples n Greens next time we head out for a treat. Much better than chocolate n gummy bears if you ask me!

Disclosure: Jamba Juice sent me a coupon for 3 free smoothies, but I was not required to write about my experience and the opinions expressed are entirely mine (and my kids’).