Choose a fruit smoothie whose label shows carbohydrate if you need to refuel soon after demanding exercise, particularly before another session; the British Dietetic Association advises starting carbohydrate-rich food and fluids promptly when quick recovery is required. Choose water or a sparkling drink when your main aim is fluid and fizz, rather than assuming a sparkling fruit drink has the same ingredients as a smoothie. A smoothie is not automatically a complete recovery meal, and NHS guidance is to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day, with a meal.
If another demanding session or competition is close, you may need a convenient carbohydrate-containing food or fluid after exercise. The British Dietetic Association advises starting to refuel promptly when quick recovery is required; consider what you will eat as well as what you will drink.
A packaged smoothie can be convenient after training, but it need not serve as your whole meal or snack. Check its nutrition label and consider what your next food choice provides.
If carbonation makes a drink more appealing, choose it for that preference. Check the ingredients of a sparkling fruit drink separately rather than assuming it contains smoothie-style fruit purée.
Start with your reason for buying a drink: prompt refuelling, fluid and fizz, or a convenient part of a meal or snack. Then compare the exact pack’s nutrition and serving size.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt refuelling | Check carbohydrate on the exact drink’s nutrition label and consider when your next meal and training session fall. The British Dietetic Association advises prompt carbohydrate-rich food and fluids when quick recovery is required. | I have another demanding session soon and want something convenient alongside my wider food intake. |
| Fluid and fizz | Check whether the product is water, a sparkling fruit drink or a smoothie, then read its ingredients and serving size. Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling juice drinks and smoothies in separate ranges. | After exercise, I mainly want a drink I enjoy. Fizz matters to me more than choosing a smoothie. |
| Food alongside the drink | If you expect the drink to contribute protein, compare the amount on its individual nutrition panel. Otherwise, consider the protein-containing food in your next meal or snack. | I want to know what my drink contributes, rather than treating a fruit smoothie as the whole post-workout meal. |
| Smoothie portion | Compare the amount you plan to drink with NHS guidance: fruit juice and smoothies together should be limited to 150ml a day and drunk with a meal. | A bottle may contain more than I plan to pour, especially if I also have juice or another smoothie that day. |
Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling juice drinks separately from smoothies; its sparkling range includes different types of drink, including pressés and flavoured sparkling waters. The word “sparkling” does not identify a drink’s fruit content.
Read the ingredients, nutrition table and serving size if you want to compare a fizzy drink with a smoothie.
A packaged smoothie can contain more than the combined 150ml daily amount advised by the NHS for fruit juice and smoothies.
Check the bottle volume, pour the amount you intend to have and account for any other juice or smoothie that day. The NHS advises having juice and smoothies with a meal.
A range name does not tell you how much protein the particular drink contains or what else your meal provides.
Check the exact pack’s nutrition panel. If you are relying on food as well as the drink, consider what your next meal or snack contains.
These ranges illustrate the labels and formats you may encounter; a brand or category name cannot replace the nutrition information on the individual drink.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s list Innocent smoothies, including Super Smoothie products.
Tesco lists Naked Protein Machine, while Sainsbury’s lists Naked Blue Machine.
Tesco’s smoothie range lists products from brands including Naked and Innocent.
Sainsbury’s lists own-label smoothies alongside Innocent and Naked products, including a 750ml own-label mango and passionfruit smoothie.
M&S lists fruit smoothies and separately describes high-protein yoghurt smoothies in its chilled-drinks range.
These two Nootz packaged smoothies are options to examine if you want a fruit smoothie after exercise. Compare their pack sizes with the amount you intend to drink, and check the label if carbonation is important to you.
No image available
This packaged papaya smoothie is an option to consider when you want a fruit-based drink after training.
Its listed nutrition is 9g carbohydrate and 0.4g protein per 100g; these are not whole-bottle amounts. The 180ml bottle exceeds the NHS’s combined 150ml daily guidance for juice and smoothies, so consider the portion you pour.
Check the label if you specifically want a carbonated drink.
No image available
This packaged passion fruit smoothie may suit someone who wants a ready-to-serve fruit drink after exercise.
Its description lists coconut milk, coconut water, passion fruit and coconut sugar, and says to shake before serving. The 325ml pack exceeds the NHS’s combined 150ml daily guidance for juice and smoothies; check the nutrition label for the amounts relevant to your choice.
If fizz is part of your decision, check the pack for carbonation.
Use water when replacing fluid is your main aim; a smoothie can be a separate food or drink choice. The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies together to 150ml a day and having them with a meal, so a smoothie is not an unrestricted drink for thirst.
Do not assume so. Waitrose & Partners lists sparkling juice drinks and smoothies separately, and its sparkling range includes several types of drink. Check the exact ingredients and nutrition rather than using carbonation to judge the fruit content.
Consider one whose label shows carbohydrate if you need to refuel soon and it fits with the food you plan to eat. The British Dietetic Association advises starting carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids as soon as possible when quick recovery is required, such as before another demanding session.
A high-protein smoothie is not a requirement for every workout. If you want a drink to contribute protein, compare the grams on its individual nutrition panel and consider the protein-containing food in your next meal or snack.
Bottle size and the amount you drink are different. NHS guidance is to limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined maximum of 150ml a day and have them with a meal; check the bottle volume and pour the portion you intend to have.