By now, you'll likely have seen Hailey Bieber's viral Erewhon smoothie on your social media feeds. The star's collaboration with the Los Angeles-based supermarket garnered global attention back in 2022 when it was first released and drummed up the most attention I've seen about a smoothie - well, ever.
There have been smoothie collaborations since - most recently from the likes of Katy Perry, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendall Jenner - yet none have achieved the level of virality Hailey's did. So much so, her recipe has now been made into a soft serve to be sold in-store, too.
While some LA nutrition trends are a bit woo woo wellness and err more on the side of diet fad, I've been curious about this one for some time. You see, at first glance, the Strawberry Glaze, as it's known, seems like a nutrient and vitamin-dense start to your day, thanks to the strawberries, avocado, dates, and almond milk that are blitzed to make it in-store.
There are a few ingredients you might not have in your kitchen cupboard at home - sea moss gel and hyaluronic acid, to name a few - plus, the smoothie is, of course, only available to those living in - or visiting - LA.
To get the verdict about whether it's worth trying once and for all, I spoke to qualified nutritionist Lauren Windas of Ardere. Below, she shares her take on the viral smoothie, plus her own version to make at home for a more affordable price point. Don't miss our guides to nutritionist-approved healthy breakfast ideas, healthy snack ideas, and healthy winter dinner recipes, plus an explainer on what to eat after a workout, while you're at it.
Hailey Bieber's smoothie has gone beyond viral - here's how to make it at home
What's in the Erewhon Hailey Bieber smoothie?
In Hailey's viral drink, they blitz fruits including strawberries, avocado, and dates with almond milk, vanilla collagen, coconut cream and maple syrup. To finish it off, they chuck in some hyaluronic acid and sea moss gel, before serving the drink with their housemade strawberry glaze.
How much does the Hailey Bieber smoothie cost?
Now, here's the clincher - the smoothie retails for a casual $19 per smoothie, making it a pretty pricey breakfast.
That said, below Windas has shared a more cost-effective recipe to make yourself at home.
What a nutritionist thinks of the Erewhon smoothie
So, what does a nutritionist think of the viral recipe? "When I looked at the original Hayley Bieber recipe, I could see that while all ingredients were of quality origin (denoted as organic), there is still definitely some room for improvement in terms of overall nutritional density," she shares.
What would she change if she were to make the smoothie? "To make it more balanced, I would omit the maple syrup, stevia, strawberry glaze and dates, as the fructose sugars found in the fruit such as banana and strawberries would be enough to sweeten this already," she continues. Being mindful of the amount of sugar in the smoothie is vital for supporting blood glucose control, avoiding blood sugar spikes in blood sugar and, in turn, energy crashes throughout the day.
On top of that, she'd also look to add some flax and chia seeds to enhance the healthy fat intake and boost fibre levels, as "the fibre will help to support the diversity of friendly gut bacteria and will promote healthy bowel movements."
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How to make the Erewhon smoothie at home:
Keen to make Windas' nutrient-packed version of the smoothie yourself at home? See below for the ingredients.
- 150g strawberries (preferably frozen)
- 1 banana (preferably frozen)
- 1 small handful of raspberries
- 1 scoop (20g) plant-based vanilla protein powder
- 250ml almond or coconut milk
- ¼ avocado
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (to serve, optional)
- 1 tbsp coconut yoghurt (for serving around the glass)
Got your ingredients ready? You're ready - just grab a blender and you're good to go.
- Place all of the ingredients (apart from the raspberries, coconut yoghurt and desiccated coconut) into a blender and blitz until smooth.
- With a fork, mash down the raspberries in a bowl and add a tiny splash of hot water, mixing/whisking to create a raspberry puree.
- Take your glass and a then spoonful of coconut yoghurt and swirl this across the inner sides of your glass, so that you get a spiral (helter-skelter) effect.
- Pour your raspberry puree at the bottom of the glass, then pour in your blended strawberry smoothie over the top. And... enjoy.
Can smoothies be beneficial for your health?
In short - yes, they can, confirms the nutritionist. "Smoothies can offer numerous health benefits when prepared using nutrient-dense ingredients such as fruits, vegetables and healthy fats," she explains.
Is there any evidence to back this up? There is, including this study in the Journal of Human Hypertension which found that higher fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and improved mental health, with those eating more than five servings per day having a 17% reduction in heart disease risk compared with those who didn't.
The nutritionist goes on: "It certainly makes sense that we get more of the good stuff - aka fruits and vegetables. Smoothies can offer an easy, timely way to achieve this by bumping up our plant intake."
She goes on to add that smoothies can also be beneficial for our health as a great way to up your intake of high-fibre foods, such as nuts and seeds. "The average adult doesn't get enough fibre in the UK," she shares. "The recommended daily intake is 30g a day, but most of us only average around 18g. Smoothies offer an easy way to up fibre intake without feeling like you are consuming too much food volume in the form of various fibre-rich snacks."
Of course, they're also great for promoting satiety, balancing blood sugar levels (when containing a mix of protein, fat, fibre, and carbs), hydrating you and boosting your gut health, too. The list goes on and on...
@2truefoodies ♬ Boy's a Liar - PinkPantheress
4 top tips for boosting the nutrient-density of your smoothie:
1. Add leafy greens
Windas always recommends adding leafy greens such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard, which are packed with energy-boosting nutrients such as folate, B vitamins, iron and magnesium, to your smoothies.
Why? "They blend in really easily and provide a nutritional boost without altering the taste too much," she explains. "Healthy fats are also a winner in my opinion, so a modest amount of avocado, nuts, nut butter, or seeds always go down well to help support healthy hormone production as well as cognitive and cellular health."
2. Be sure to include a source of protein
We all know that protein is key to satiety, muscle growth and balanced blood sugar spikes, so it's worth making sure you have a serving in your smoothie next time you make one to avoid any energy slumps.
"I like adding live yoghurt, a high-quality protein powder, or even some organic tofu," shares the nutritionist. "They can all be blend effortlessly into a smoothie and will balance blood sugar, warding away cravings throughout the day and supporting muscle synthesis and repair."
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3. Add some antioxidants
Again, it's no new news that antioxidant-rich foods are great for general wellbeing, and the expert advises making sure you've got a portion in your smoothie for a number of reasons.
"Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and blackcurrants will all support against free radical damage and promote healthy cell structure, keeping you healthy day-to-day," she explains.
4. Consider some spices
Last but by no means least, to make sure your smoothie is as nutritionally balanced as possible, Windas advises adding some spices to your morning drink.
"I'm a fan of cinnamon and turmeric, both of which rate very high on the ORAC (or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, which indicates the antioxidant capacity of a particular food. Turmeric is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and cinnamon is helpful for metabolic health and blood sugar," she concludes.
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