What You Need to Know About Smoothie King's GLP-1 Support Menu for Ozempic Users
Smoothie King, a franchise that specializes in selling smoothies, recently launched a "GLP-1 Support Menu," made specifically for people who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy
Smoothie King
- Smoothie King, a franchise that specializes in selling smoothies, recently launched a "GLP-1 Support Menu."
- The new menu was made specifically for people who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
- According to Smoothie King, the smoothies on the GLP-1 Support Menu all have at least 20 grams of protein, 0 grams of added sugar, and are rich in fiber.
Smoothie King just launched a new "GLP-1 Support Menu" made specifically for people who take glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for weight loss and diabetes, such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
The five-item menu aims to help customers achieve their weight loss or weight management goals with ingredients that support satiety and muscle mass, as each smoothie has at least 20 grams of protein, 0 grams of added sugar, and is rich in fiber.
Smoothie King developed the GLP-1 Support Menu with the help of Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health, to keep up with heath trends and the growing popularity of GLP-1 drugs. Recent survey data shows that one in eight Americans say they have taken a GLP-1 drug, including 6% of U.S. adults who are currently taking one of these medications.
“We know that every individual’s path is different, and with the rising use of GLP-1 medications across the country and our customer base, we want to ensure that Smoothie King provides the nutritional resources to match," Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King, said in a press release.
So what's in these smoothies? And how much can they really support people on GLP-1 medications? Here's what experts had to say.
What's in the GLP-1 Support Smoothies?
When Kimball and her team at Ochsner Health set out to create the GLP-1 Support Menu, they started by interviewing nearly 70 experts on GLP-1 medications, including obesity medical specialists and weight loss dietitians, Kimball said.
They asked the healthcare providers for some of the biggest nutritional challenges and deficiencies they see for their patients on GLP-1 drugs, and the responses pointed to consistent muscle loss and a lack of protein, fruits, and vegetables.
With this in mind, Kimball said they packed the GLP-1 Support smoothies with protein, fruits, and veggies, and included no added sugar.
Kimball said the idea was to create a nutritional alternative to the high-carb snacks, like crackers and pretzels, people typically reach for in a pinch. “If you’re having real food, and it’s quality nutrition, we’re not saying remove that and have this instead," Kimball said. "But when you’re not having that, this can be a really nice way to fill in any of those gaps.”
Kimball also stressed that these smoothies are not only for people taking GLP-1 medications, and can be a healthy addition to anyone's diet. "If someone is on GLP-1 or not, that entire panel of the Smoothie King menu board is a really good fit nutritionally," she said.
The GLP-1 Support Menu includes five smoothies, all with 0 grams of added sugar. Here is the breakdown of each smoothie's ingredients and macronutrients:
Gladiator® GLP-1
- Ingredients: Protein flavor choice of chocolate, vanilla or strawberry with choice of two ingredients: almonds, almond butter, wild blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, organic ginger, kale, carrots, or spinach
- Calories: 220-560
- Protein: 45-61 grams
- Fiber: 2-14 grams
Slim N Trim™ GLP-1 Mango Greens
- Ingredients: Mangoes, greek yogurt, Califia Farms® almond milk, Slim N Trim™ blend, organic kale, ginger, spinach
- Calories: 200
- Protein: 22 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
Keto Champ GLP-1 (Berry or Chocolate)
- Berry ingredients: Califia Farms® almond milk, almond butter, wild blueberries, raspberries, keto protein blend, 100% cocoa
- Chocolate ingredients: Califia Farms® almond milk, almond butter, 100% cocoa, keto protein blend, Stevia plant-based sweetener
- Calories: 420-450
- Protein: 24 grams
- Fiber: 14-15 grams
The Activator® Recovery GLP-1 Almond Berry
- Ingredients: Strawberries, wild blueberries, Califia Farms® almond milk, coconut water, Gladiator® protein strawberry.
- Calories: 200
- Protein: 24 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
Power Meal Slim™ GLP-1 (Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry)
- Chocolate ingredients: Bananas, Califia Farms® almond milk, power slim protein, 100% cocoa
- Vanilla ingredients: Bananas, Califia Farms® almond Milk, power slim protein
- Strawberry ingredients: Bananas, strawberries, power slim protein
- Calories: 190-210
- Protein: 19-22 grams
- Fiber: 6-10 grams
Do the Smoothies Really Support GLP-1 Journeys?
The smoothies on the GLP-1 Support Menu are reasonable meal-replacement options for someone trying to manage or lose weight, Richard Siegel, MD, endocrinologist and co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center, told Health.
When Siegel counsels patients for medical weight loss, he said he recommends a diet high in protein and fiber, because the two macronutrients, especially fiber, make you feel full—and the smoothies are rich in both.
“I definitely encourage the overall eating plan to be as plant-based and unprocessed as people are able and willing to go, so it’s nice to see [the smoothies] have a fair amount of fruits and vegetables," Siegel added.
Siegel also said the smoothies may be a good choice for someone experiencing side effects of GLP-1 drugs because they're low in fat. To avoid common side effects—such as stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea—Siegel tells his patients to eat smaller portions and less fat to support digestion. "Fat can slow how the stomach empties," Siegel explained.
One potential drawback of the menu Siegel noted was the liquid nature of the smoothies, cautioning people to drink slowly. “GLP-1 and other anti-hunger hormones kick in 15-20 minutes after you start eating," Seigel said. "The process of chewing definitely slows things down.”
Seigel also said he would not necessarily recommend the smoothies for all three meals in a given day, as he encourages patients to broaden their diets. Still, "if people are working on overall, long-term weight management and weight loss," he said, "these seem OK to me."
This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Jenna Anderson
