McDonald's Real Fruit Smoothies

McDonald's has once again stolen my heart. First the invention of my favorite breakfast food ever (oh yes, I am talking to you canadian bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddle), then the world's best deal on ice cream cones ($.49! How could you NOT get one??), and now a delicious and refreshing summertime treat.

McDonald's Real Fruit Smoothies - Strawberry Banana

Where purchased: McDonald's (duh)
Price: $2.29 for 12 oz smoothie
Overall rating: 4.5/5

Every day I drive past McDonald's on my way to work and check out the latest promotion. When I saw the one for their new fruit smoothies, I knew I could not rest until I had one. So, on the way home from Milwaukee last weekend, I took advantage of the "I'm on the road so I have to have McDonalds" mentality and got myself a hamburger and smoothie.

I'll admit I had my doubts. McDonald's and "real fruit" never really meshed in my mind. But I was actually quite pleased at how fresh tasting the smoothie was. I read later that McDonald's "...put a lot of effort into the procurement of the fruit. We sourced strawberries directly from strawberry farmers, and selected particular varieties that will offer a specific flavor profile."

Made with fruit, fruit juice, low fat yogurt, and ice, these smoothies contain only 210 calories and .5 grams of fat for the 12 oz size (which is plenty big, I think). A much healthier alternative to their strawberry shake - did you know a small shake has 570 calories and 17 grams of fat?! Yikes! Yes, I do love them, but that is a definite splurge. I feel much better about these smoothies, and really don't feel cheated. They are tasty, refreshing, and very satisfying.

At $2.29 for a small these aren't quite the deal of the $.49 cone, but it seems like a fair price. I imagine the ones they sell at coffee shops and the like are almost twice that, and likely not any better. So I'm giving these a 4.5 out of 5 rating. Well done McDonald's, you've done it again.

Next I will have to try the triple berry flavor...