How to Lose Weight With Bolthouse Smoothies

Bolthouse smoothies contain plenty of protein and added vitamins and minerals, but they can also be high in sugar. For weight loss, switch to one of their lower-sugar options and drink it as part of a balanced diet.

Bolthouse Farms launched in 1915 as a carrot farm in Grant, Michigan. AS of 2019, the company is based in California's Central Valley. Bolthouse smoothies, including their Protein Plus and Lower Sugar options, are available at various grocery stores and online retailers. Bolthouse Farms also sells salad dressings, carrots for cooking and snacking, plant milks, coffee drinks, fruit juices and vegetable juices.

Bolthouse smoothies and juices can be part of a balanced diet, but you shouldn't regularly use them as meal replacements unless you have been cleared to do so by your doctor. That's because a store-bought smoothie or juice can contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, but it might be lacking in essential nutrients like fats or dietary fiber. There are other nutrition drinks available that are specifically designed to be meal replacements.

Each Protein Plus Bolthouse smoothie contains a variety of different vitamins and minerals. Available flavors include strawberry, chocolate, mango, coffee, vanilla and banana honey almond butter, and the calorie count and nutritional content varies depending on the flavor.

For example, the Protein Plus Banana Honey Almond Butter Bolthouse smoothie provides 210 calories per 8 fluid-ounce serving (there are approximately two servings per bottle). The smoothie also provides 5 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein and 45 grams of carbohydrates, including 1 gram of carbs and 25 grams of sugar. There are also a variety of vitamins and minerals, including:

• 40 percent of the daily value (DV) for vitamin A
• 130 percent of the DV for vitamin C
• 100 percent of the DV for calcium
• 30 percent of the DV for iron
• 40 percent of the DV for vitamin D
• 25 percent of the DV for vitamin E
• 45 percent of the DV for thiamin
• 30 percent of the DV for riboflavin
• 25 percent of the DV for niacin
• 230 percent of the DV for vitamin B63
• 40 percent of the DV for folic acid
• 250 percent of the DV for vitamin B12
• 35 percent of the DV for biotin
• 30 percent of the DV for pantothenic acid
• 70 percent of the DV for phosphorus
• 25 percent of the DV for iodine
• 25 percent of the DV for magnesium
• 25 percent of the DV for zinc
• 30 percent of the DV for copper
• 50 percent of the DV for chromium

In comparison, the Protein Plus Coffee Bolthouse smoothie provides 190 calories per 8 fluid-ounce serving, which includes 2.5 grams of fat, 16 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbohydrates, of which 24 grams are sugar. It also contains the following vitamins and minerals:

• 40 percent of the DV for vitamin A
• 25 percent of the DV for vitamin C
• 20 percent of the DV for calcium
• 8 percent of the DV for iron

A Bolthouse Farms juice cleanse would involve replacing balanced meals with Bolthouse Farms juices from their 1915 Organic line. This is like any other store-bought juice cleanse in that you purchase the juices ready-made and store them in your fridge until ready to consume them.

The 1915 Organic Romaine juice contains apple, romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, lemon and cucumber. It provides 150 calories per 12 fluid-ounce serving, including 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of protein and 31 grams of carbs, including 25 grams of sugar and 0 grams fiber.

The 1915 Organic Beet juice contains beets, carrots, orange and lemon and provides 140 calories per 12 fluid-ounce serving. It also provides 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of protein and 31 grams of carbs, including 23 grams of sugar and 0 grams of fiber.

The 1915 Organic Mango smoothie provides 170 calories in each serving of 12 fluid ounces. It also contains 2 grams of protein and 39 grams of carbs (including 2 grams of fiber and 34 grams of sugar), 100 percent DV of vitamin C, 80 percent DV of vitamin D, 4 percent DV of calcium and 4 percent DV of iron.

A Bolthouse Farms juice cleanse using the 1915 Organic line would be extremely low in dietary fiber and relatively high in sugar.

Harvard Health explains that when you juice fruits and vegetables, you lose the nutritious fiber content and any nutrients in the skin. Plus, juices can be extremely high in sugar; unpasteurized juices may contain potentially harmful bacteria; and store-bought juice cleanse products can be super expensive.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it's difficult for the body to metabolize excess sugar, storing it as fat. This is the case for both added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. Instead of juicing, the clinic recommends incorporating fruits and veggies into soups or smoothies with plenty of fiber, protein and fat.

If you're hoping to lose some weight, a juice fast or fad diet won't set you up for long-term success. Instead, try tracking your calories and getting regular exercise to ensure you're burning more calories than you consume. As the Mayo Clinic explains, there's no quick and easy solution to shedding pounds, but a commitment to lifestyle changes can make a huge difference.

Your ideal calorie intake for weight loss will depend on your age, weight, sex and activity levels. The Mayo Clinic estimates that you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume every day in order to lose 1 to 2 pounds each week.

You can achieve this calorie deficit by tracking what you eat, adding regular workouts or a combination of the two. This safe, steady weight-loss technique is more successful than a juice cleanse, which can help you drop water weight in the short term, but isn't sustainable or healthy in the long-term.