How Many Calories ... in a Booster Juice smoothie?

Smoothies are all the rage these days. Forget meals -- you can get all your nutrition in liquid form, served in a handy to-go cup. Not that there's anything wrong with giving in to the smoothie craze -- I myself have forgone the traditional meal in favour of a quick energy fix from the nearest smoothie vendor.

And there are smoothies to fit all needs -- whether you're looking to bulk up on protein, trim fat, get as many antioxidants as possible or fulfill all your daily fruit and veggie requirements in one drink. All that and they're usually absolutely delicious.

But conventional wisdom tells me that when something tastes good, it probably has lots of calories. Still, how many calories can there be in fruit juice and yogurt? What do you think?

The answer is 509 calories, according to Booster Juice's official website. Here's the breakdown:

• 509 calories
• 3.6 g of fat
• 68 g of carbs
• 51 g of sugar
• 11 g of fiber
• 33 g of protein

This all looks pretty good ... except for the 51 g of sugar. Keeping in mind that a can of soda has about 40 g of sugar, that's pretty frightening. So much for a 'health' food, huh? Still, you won't get any fibre, protein or nutrients in a can of soda.

This doesn't mean you have to give up on smoothies entirely. Read the nutritional info online before you order one. Booster Juice offers some healthier choices, like the Very Berry with 364 calories. Still too much? Order a half smoothie or make your own at home.