Blending Towards Healthier Lifestyles: The Impact of Regular Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Consumption on Dietary Patterns and Sustainable Health Behaviors

Abstract

Purpose This research aimed to characterize the nutritional, health and basic sustainability practices among regular smoothies’ consumers (RSC; ≥ 1-2 servings/week for ≥ 2 months). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Self-report online multiple-choice questionnaire survey of random sample of adults from online retailer database and community. Sample 193 healthy Israeli adults (75.6% females, mean age 40.65 ± 14.36) completed an online multiple-choice validated survey from May 2022 to August 2023. Measures Demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle habits, including physical activity, FV consumption, and sustainability practices. Analysis Data were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney tests for non-normally distributed continuous variables. The level of statistical significance was set at .05. Results RSC were significantly older ( P < .001) and more physically active ( P = .025) than occasional smoothie consumers (OSC). They consumed more FV, reaching nutritional recommendations, and exhibited significant lifestyle changes, including reduced meat ( P = .013) and processed food consumption ( P = .013), and regular meal consumption ( P = .045). RSC used fewer disposables ( P = .002) compared to OSC and non-smoothie consumers ( P = .001). RSC demonstrated a higher incidence of weight reduction compared to weight gain. Conclusion RSC is significantly associated with health and nutritional sustainability.