Nutrition 101

This is one class where eating is encouraged. Eating right, that is. Because the more you know about good nutrition - and how Jamba Juice plays a role in providing it - the better you'll feel. So let's get started!

Fruit

It's the ultimate gift from Mother Nature - packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients you need to stay healthy and strong. Not only that, fruit tastes great and comes in its own handy carrying case. Jamba Juice uses only the finest fruit and fruit juices in our smoothies, juices and blends.

Energy

The energy you get from fruit comes from naturally occurring sugars - mainly fructose. Unlike processed sugars, fructose has a low Glycemic Index (GI). That means it doesn't cause a big rise in your blood sugar - so you don't get that 'crash' soon after you eat it.

Sugars

It's not just that white stuff you spoon on your cereal. Sugar is found in almost everything we eat - and is an important source of energy. Common types of sugars include: glucose (fruits & vegetables), sucrose (sugar cane, sugar beets & honey), lactose (milk, yogurt & other dairy products) and fructose (fruit). Of these, fructose is better for you, and the one found most in fruit. And at Jamba Juice we do not add any processed sugars or artificial sweeteners to our fruits and fruit juices.

Calories

Sure, you count them, but do you know what they are? Simply put, a calorie is a unit of energy we get from food…and that our body needs to function. As with most things, there are good and empty calories. Good calories come from fruit and other natural sources. Empty calories come from higher fat foods with added sugars and preservatives. Guess which kind you get at Jamba Juice?

Boosts

Boosts are uniquely formulated to contain vitamins, minerals and functional ingredients blended to meet your personal health and lifestyle goals. Want more energy? Looking to help keep your heart healthy? We select just the right ingredients to do the job best. Pick the boost that suits you and we'll add it to your favorite Jamba Juice smoothie or juice.

Vitamins and Minerals

They're the foundation healthy bodies are built on. Did you know we need vitamins and minerals every day for growth and turning food into energy? And since we can't produce vitamins and minerals ourselves, we need to get them through the foods we eat. Good thing there are plenty of vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole grains and supplements. Oh yeah - and Jamba Juice smoothies, juices and boosts.

Balanced Diet

It's been said that a balanced diet is a Jamba Juice smoothie or juice in each hand. And while we'd like to think that's true, there's more to it than that. We hope you make Jamba Juice part of a diet that has all the good stuff you need - carbs, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fiber - in the right proportions. It's not one thing more than another, but all things working together.

Here's a quick snapshot of what a balanced diet looks like based on 2,000 calories a day.

  • 6 oz of grains
  • 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings)
  • 2 cups of fruit (4 servings)
  • 3 cups of milk or milk products
  • 5.5 oz of meat and beans

Source: USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Protein

Protein is part of every living cell and is the main component of muscles. No wonder the word protein means 'of primary importance'. While most often associated with foods such as meat, fish and eggs, protein’s also a big part of a Jamba Juice smoothie…primarily from the dairy and soy ingredients we blend together with our fruit & fruit juices. And especially when you blend in our Soy or Whey Boost!

Fats

Even the word is scary. But the fact is, we need the right amount of fat to be healthy. That's where 'good' fat comes in. Bad fat is saturated or hydrogenated. It's the kind that increases blood cholesterol, and is found in animal products such as fatty meat, butter, cheese, and in fried, processed foods.