Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie Smoothies {Review}

While we all have our favorite restaurants, I've long teased my husband about one of his that has morphed more into... an obsession. A place where, upon simply seeing the sign, he lights up with excitement.

What's more is that he has slowly but surely passed that passion on to our kids as well. It's no wonder that it's a much-loved event around here when anyone finds out that a trip to Jamba Juice is in the day's plan!

Creating smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices, yogurt and fruit blends, wheat grass shots, steel-cut oatmeal, healthy baked goods and much more, Jamba Juice has been following their goal of inspiring and simplifying healthy living for more than 20 years.

Whether you prefer their classic smoothies made from real whole fruit, 100% fruit juice, sherbet and frozen yogurt or their amazing juices made freshly on the spot (or one of the other delicious menu options), Jamba Juice has mastered the science of tasty nutrition.

Which is why I was excited to hear that one of our favorite names had expanded on their selection with their all new Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie Smoothies!

Created in response to alarming findings from a recent study conducted by Produce For Better Health Foundation on America's consumption of fruits and vegetables (only 1% of adults and 2% of kids meet both the fruit and veggie recommendations each day!), these new smoothies each contain two servings of fruits and one serving of veggies.

Not only that, but they are made from only real, whole fruit and vegetable juice, contain no added sugar, and still taste fresh and delicious! What more could I ask for?

Knowing that my family full of Jamba Juice addicts would be excited to give these Fruit & Veggies Smoothies a try, we headed to our nearest location to check them out.

Right away we had no problem spotting the Fruit & Veggie Smoothies and I was impressed with the way that Jamba Juice had made each of the four flavors — Tropical Harvest, Apple 'n Greens, Berry UpBEET and Orange Carrot Karma — different enough to satisfy everyone's taste buds.

As well as the Fruit & Veggie Smoothies, I was happy to see the addition of the new Jamba Kids meals, perfect for pint size patrons who don't need a full smoothie but could instead use a little snack.

Developed in conjunction with the expert dieticians on Jamba's Healthy Living Council, these perfectly sized meals feature smoothies made with whole fruit and fruit and veggie juices, and a choice of a pizza swirl with turkey or a cheesy stuffed pretzel, both of which are full of whole grains and protein.

It was time to put these tasty new menu items to the test! We opted for:

• The new Tropical Harvest Smoothie — made with a fusion of mangos, peaches and passion mango juice blended with juices from butternut squash, sweet potato and carrot. An excellent source of Vitamins A and C, this beverage is free of dairy and gluten and is 230 calories.

• The Jamba Kids Berry Beet It! Smoothie — made with a delicious blend of strawberries, mangos, bananas and mixed berry juice with carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach, kale and lettuce. Measuring in at 190 calories, this beverage is also free of dairy and gluten and is an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, B6 and fiber.

Result: yum and yum!

While both of these smoothies were a bit thicker and chunkier than what we are used to, the flavors ended up being a hit and if none of us had known that there were vegetables in our cups, we probably wouldn't have guessed!

I felt that the strongest flavor in the Tropical Harvest was the sweet mango...

...while the Berry Beet It! was a blend of the strawberries and mixed berry juice. I definitely would have never named beets, broccoli, spinach, kale and lettuce!

Whether you are avid visitors to Jamba Juice, only stop by once in a while, or have never been, if you are looking for a tasty way to boost your (and your family's) fruit and vegetable intake, head over to your nearest Jamba Juice to try out the Fruit & Veggie Smoothies and the Jamba Kids meals!

To find out more menu options or to locate a store near you, visit JambaJuice.com and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.