A healthier, DIY Strawberry Banana Orange Julius Smoothie. This version is made with whole fruit, but has that uber-creamy, irresistible sweet flavor! Arguably better than the mall strawberry smoothie.
Also try this classic Orange Julius Recipe, or my Strawberry Colada Green Smoothie.
Contents
A Refreshing Strawberry Orange Smoothie
As a kid, mall trips weren’t complete without a stop at Orange Julius. My brother and I adored the fruity shakes. He always got orange, I loved the strawberry.
My mom would make them at home using orange juice concentrate and vanilla, and blend it up to frothy perfection. We also thought those were quite a treat.
As an adult, I am aware of two things:
- Whole fruit is always a better choice than juice.
- Orange Julius (now carried at Dairy Queen) uses almost no real food ingredients in their “fruit” shakes.
- Sugar is harmful to our health. It is devoid of nutrients, causes glucose spikes, and over consumption leads to insulin resistance and inflammatory disease (such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer).
Let’s choose health and make our own smoothies at home!
Is a Strawberry Banana Julius a Healthy Choice?
The ingredients in a fast-food Strawberry Banana Julius are scary! When we take the time to actually view this information, it makes it a lot easier to make healthier choices.
This shows a comparison of the ingredients used in the Dairy Queen Version of a Strawberry Banana Julius, compared to this healthier smoothie recipe made at home.
(note: these nutrition facts are for a size SMALL at Dairy Queen, and a similar sized homemade smoothie).
From the above graphic, note that:
- The fast-food version has a staggering 64 grams of added sugar. That’s more than a Coca Cola!
- The Sunkissed Kitchen version has 17 grams of sugar – from whole fruit only. The 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein also slows the absorption rate of the sugar in this drink, so it leads to a much lower glucose spike.
This graphic shows a comparison of the ingredients used in both the Dairy Queen Strawberry Banana Julius, compared to a homemade version.
From the above graphic, note that:
- The fast-food version uses hydrogenated coconut oil. Hydrogenated oils have a negative impact on health, including raising cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease.
- The fast-food version has sugar listed 7 times. This is a sneaky trick food manufacturers use! If you combine all of the sugar added, it’s most likely the #1 ingredient in this “fruit shake.”
- The Dairy Queen Strawberry Banana Julius label reads more like a chemistry experiment than food. If you’re wondering what ingredients to avoid when buying food, read this post on Food Additives to Avoid.
What You’ll Need
- Frozen Organic Strawberries (strawberries top the list of the Dirty Dozen, so avoid them if you can’t buy organic).
- Banana
- Orange
- Whey Protein Isolate (I love this grass-fed, unflavored and unsweetened whey protein isolate. It tastes great, and makes smoothies extra creamy. However, use whatever protein powder you have on hand and love.)
- Almond Milk (unsweetened, or full-fat coconut milk)
- Vanilla Extract (or scraped vanilla bean if you avoid extracts)
How to Make a Strawberry Banana Orange Julius
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender. Throw in the whole peeled orange!
Step 2: Blend the smoothie until super creamy. Add additional almond milk to thin it out or some additional frozen strawberries to make it thicker.
Tips & Variations on this Tasty Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- The mall version uses coconut cream and passion fruit juice. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the almond milk, and add 1 tablespoon of this freeze dried passion fruit to your smoothie to make it taste even more like the real deal!
- Mixed Berry Orange Julius: Make this with frozen raspberries and blueberries (half of a cup each) instead of strawberries to make a Mixed Berry Julius Smoothie.
- Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie: Omit the orange and use 1 cup of fresh chopped pineapple in place of the orange.
Other Delicious Smoothie Recipes
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Strawberry Orange Julius
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries frozen
- 1 banana peeled, quartered, frozen
- 1 orange peeled
- 20 grams whey protein isolate (unsweetened), optional
- 1/4 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a little scraped vanilla bean
Instructions
- Add frozen strawberries, frozen banana, a fresh whole peeled orange, almond milk and vanilla to a blender. If using, add in protein powder.
- Blend the fruit until it's super creamy and smooth. Add additional almond milk to thin it out, or add additional frozen strawberries to thicken it further.
- Serve garnished with whipped cream, strawberries, or orange zest.
Video
Notes
- The mall version uses coconut cream and passion fruit juice. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the almond milk, and add 1 tablespoon of this freeze dried passion fruit to your smoothie to make it taste even more like the real deal!
- Mixed Berry Orange Julius: Make this with frozen raspberries and blueberries (half of a cup each) instead of strawberries to make a Mixed Berry Julius Smoothie.
- Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie: Omit the orange and use 1 cup of fresh chopped pineapple in place of the orange.
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