I tried all the supermarket smoothies one beat Innocent and £2.55 less

Smoothies are always a delight – creamy and rich, brimming with fruit and flavour, they seem like an ideal way to kick-start the day. Innocent has always been the preferred brand in my household, but we don’t indulge often due to its hefty price tag.

So, in search of a refreshing summer beverage, I set out to find a supermarket’s own brand version that could match up to Innocent but at a more affordable price. I purchased strawberry and banana smoothies from Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons and enlisted my children to assist me in a taste test. We compared them based on flavour, price, shelf life, ingredients and sugar content, reports Birmingham Mail. 

Here’s what we discovered:

Innocent Strawberries, Bananas and Apples Smoothie

The Innocent Strawberries, Bananas and Apples Smoothie is priced at £3.50 for 750ml from Sainsbury’s, which equates to 47p per 100ml. However, you can get it for £2 with a Nectar card.

It’s made from three pressed apples (44%), 14 crushed strawberries (25%), 21⁄2 mashed bananas (18%), 8 pressed white grapes, 1/3 of a squeezed orange, 13 crushed blackcurrants, and a dash of pressed beetroot.

A 100ml glass provides 11% of your recommended daily intake of folic acid, 12% of vitamin C, 11% of manganese and 10% of potassium as well as 48 calories, 0g of saturated fat, 10g of sugars and 0g of salt per 100ml, plus 1.1g of fibre and 0.53g of protein.

The bottle I purchased had a seven-week shelf life, unopened. This smelt divine – reminiscent of strawberry picking on a summer’s day. The smoothie was a vibrant pink, likely due to the beetroot, and while you could see bits in it, there were no seeds that got stuck in your teeth.

It had just the right consistency – not too thick or thin. A delightful sweet treat but, surprisingly, not my favourite. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

M&S Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Priced at £2.10 for 750ml, the MandS Strawberry and Banana Smoothie equates to 28p per 100ml.

Composed of apple juice, strawberry purée (26%), banana purée (21%), apple Purée and elderberry purée, it contained 12mg of vitamin C, which is 15% of the recommended intake. This was one of the few supermarkets to display the vitamin C levels on the bottle.

Per 100ml, it contained 52 calories, 0.1g of saturated fat, 11g of sugars and 0.01g of salt, plus 1.5g of fibre and 0.6g of protein. The smoothie had a six-week shelf life.

I found this smoothie to have quite an artificial taste. Perhaps this was due to the addition of elderberry, but it wasn’t something we particularly enjoyed as a household. It was incredibly thick and not as fruity as the others, a bit more sludgy. I gave it a rating of 2 out of 5 stars.

Sainsbury’s Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

The Sainsbury’s Strawberry and Banana Smoothie costs £1.95 for 750ml, which again works out to 26p per 100ml.

Made with strawberry puree (32%), apple juice, banana puree (21%), apple puree, blackcurrant juice, beetroot juice and lemon juice, it contained 29mg Vitamin C, which worked out to 36% of the NRV (nutritional reference value) but had none of the other minerals found in Innocent.

A 100ml delivered 46 calories, 0.1g of saturated fat, 9.5g of sugars and 0.01g of salt plus 0.7g of fibre and 0.5g of protein. It had an eight week shelf life, unopened.

This had a sharper, more tangy taste than some of the others, perhaps due to the lemon and blackcurrant juice, which I didn’t like so much. It was pinker in colour than some of the others and thick in texture, but not so creamy. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Morrisons Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Morrisons Strawberry and Banana Smoothie costs £1.95 for 750ml, which works out to 26p per 100ml.

Made from apple juice, strawberry purée (22%), banana purée (22%), apple purée, orange juice, fruit and vegetable extracts (sweet potato, apple, radish and cherry), I found this smoothie was much creamier than the Innocent one and I think this was due to the sweet potato.

It contains 50 calories, 0.1g of saturated fat, 10.6g of sugars and 0.01g of salt per 100ml and provides 0.7g of fibre and 0.5g of protein per 100ml. It had an eight week shelf life, unopened. This was thicker and paler in colour than the Innocent smoothie. It had a stronger banana flavour and fewer bits.

The label didn’t specify the amount of vitamin C it contained, but there would have been some due to the fruit content. I actually preferred it to the Innocent one and awarded it a full 5 out of 5 stars.

Tesco Strawberry Sensation Smoothie

Priced at £1.95 for 750ml, Tesco’s Strawberry Sensation Smoothie works out to be 26p per 100ml. It boasts a five-week shelf life when unopened.

Composed of strawberry purée (28%), apple juice, banana purée (25%), apple purée, blackcurrant purée and lemon juice, it contains 52 calories, 0.2g of saturated fat, 10g of sugars and 0.02g of salt per 100ml, plus 0.5g of fibre and 0.3g of protein.

The taste was more banana than strawberry. It was quite sweet, rich and creamy. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Morrisons one, giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

Aldi Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

Aldi’s Strawberry and Banana Smoothie is priced at £1.59 for 750ml, which equales to 21p per 100ml. It has a nine-week shelf life.

Made with strawberry puree (32%), apple juice (23%), banana puree (22%), apple puree (9%), blackcurrant puree (6%), orange cells (5%), beetroot juice (2%) and lemon juice (1%).

Per 100ml serving, it contained 54 calories, 0.2g of saturated fat, 9.8g of sugars and 0.03g of salt plus 0.5g of fibre and 0.5g of protein. The flavour of this drink was distinctly reminiscent of underripe strawberries, lending it a slight bitterness. Perhaps the inclusion of orange cells and lemon juice made it more citrusy than anticipated. I rated it 2 out of 5 stars.

Lidl Naturis Strawberries and Banana Smoothie

Priced at £1.59 for 750ml, Lidl’s Naturis Strawberries and Banana Smoothie equates to 21p per 100ml, matching Aldi’s pricing. However, the taste was significantly superior.

Composed of strawberry puree (31%), apple juice (23%), banana puree (22%), grape juice (15%), orange juice (6%) and blackcurrant puree (3%), this smoothie boasted the longest shelf life, remaining fresh for a full three months unopened.

Per 100ml, it contained 52 calories, 0g of saturated fat, 11.2g of sugars and 0.01g of salt, in addition to 0.6g of fibre and 0.4g of protein. The smoothie was rich in banana flavour, sweet and creamy. I found it enjoyable and awarded it 4 out of 5 stars.

Asda Strawberry and Banana Fruit Smoothie

Asda’s Strawberry and Banana Fruit Smoothie is priced at £1.80 for 750ml, working out to 24p per 100ml. Made from strawberry purée (35%), banana purée (22%), red grape juice, orange juice, apple juice and orange cells, it had a shelf life of five weeks.

Per 100ml, it contains 57 calories, 0.2g of saturated fat, 13g of sugars and 0.03g of salt, along with 0.6g of fibre and 0.7g of protein – making it the highest in both calorie and sugar content.

The smoothie was incredibly creamy and velvety, with a balanced blend of banana and strawberry flavours. However, it was quite rich and I couldn’t have consumed a large quantity. I rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Final verdict

There was an unexpected champion in this taste test, and it wasn’t the brand I had anticipated. I initially thought Innocent would be unbeatable, but there was another contender that I found far more appealing, perhaps due to its unique ingredients.

The Morrisons Strawberry and Banana Smoothie, which included additional vegetable extracts such as sweet potato, radish, and cherry, was the standout for me. It’s worth mentioning that my preference for this smoothie was established before I even read the label. It simply tasted distinctive.

The only advantage of purchasing the Innocent smoothie is that it is packed with extra minerals like folic acid, manganese, and potassium. However, the Morrisons smoothie was priced at just £1.95 per bottle, compared to £3.50 for the Innocent one, resulting in a substantial saving of £2.55. A definite bonus.