a return to suburbia and super-sizing

September 25, 2009

tropicalsmoothiecafe

I wish I had put something for scale in this photograph, but this smoothie wasn’t much shorter than that fire extinguisher behind it.

It was 11am, my mom and I were shopping for yoga pants*, and it was blazing hot outside. Hence the smoothie stop.

The Tropical Smoothie Cafe, funnily enough, has as many chicken salads on the menu as it does smoothies. This one, “Sunny Day,” was a mix of mango, kiwi, orange, and banana. Oh, and something they forgot to mention: a 2-ounce scoop of turbinado sugar. How do I know? Little chat with the manager during the 1/2 hour it took to finish the thing.

The nice manager insisted that this little addition was not at all like regular sugar. Let me check.

Wikipedia: Turbinado sugar, also known as turbinated sugar, is made from sugar cane extract. It is produced by crushing freshly cut sugar cane; the juice obtained is evaporated by heat, then crystallized.

Hmm, sounds like sugar to me.

It’s sad that Tropical Smoothie Cafe thinks it needs to add sugar to fruit. It’s sad that we’ve become so hooked on processed sugar that perhaps their market researchers deemed fruit-only smoothies not profitable. What else could be the reason?

Lesson learned: always ask what’s in your smoothie. Even if there’s a menu.

*I’m going to yoga teacher training next week! An intensive, one-month immersion program in an ashram on two meals a day. Stay tuned.

comments

Jess September 27, 2009 at 22:15

Thanks, EM, I’m excited and nervous!
Jess September 27, 2009 at 22:14

Thanks, Jim. He did tell me about the Splenda option, but my question is why add sweetener at all.
green ink September 27, 2009 at 19:15

YAY for yoga teacher training!!! :D xx
Earth Mother - In The Raw September 27, 2009 at 02:13

OMG, I just read the comment someone left about Splenda! Yeeesh, that stuff’s worse than the turbinado sugar! Run for your life. Better still, stick to the smoothie making at home (wooden spoons and all!)

Wow, yoga teacher training? Woooooeeeeeee, lots of changes, Jess. Have a wonderful time at the ashram.
jim September 26, 2009 at 21:14

you could have it with splenda and just 200 calories! It’s real fruit unlike teh stuff at Mcdonalds, Dunkin donuts etc…..you should be happy you stopped there!