We tested fruit smoothies from five different fast food chains to see which one is best. To keep things simple, we ordered all strawberry banana smoothies. The versions we sampled were from:
Keep scrolling to read our thoughts and see the final ranking.
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Jamba Juices Strawberries Wild Smoothie was sweet and had a unique ingredient.
Jasmin Suknanan
First on our smoothie tour was Jamba Juice. The chain is known for its freshly blended smoothies and juices, so we already had high hopes for this drink. But in addition to the apple and banana slices, Jamba Juice's smoothie contained apple juice. It was a surprising take on the classic strawberry banana combo. We ordered a small, which cost $6.68.
With just one sip, we got a strong hit of the banana and apple flavor. The strawberry taste was overpowered by the apple juice, but the overall taste was so fresh and full of natural sweetness. The texture was super smooth and the smoothie was a bit on the thick side but it was still easily drinkable through a straw.
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Auntie Annes Strawberry Banana Smoothie was super sweet.
Jasmin Suknanan
Auntie Anne's is a chain most known for its assortment of pretzel treats, so it kind of makes sense that their menu would include a refreshing smoothie to wash it all down. Still, this stop isn't known for its smoothies so we kept our expectations low but were open to being pleasantly surprised. The small cost $5.32, but the cup was a little bigger than the one from Jamba Juice.
The first sip was overwhelmingly sweet for our taste but the balance between the strawberry and banana flavors was more even and the texture was super smooth. Even though we felt it was too sweet, if you're looking for a sweet treat that's more like a dessert than a smoothie or if you have a major sweet tooth, you might enjoy this smoothie.
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Panera Breads Strawberry Banana Smoothie was creamy and fresh.
Jasmin Suknanan
Our next stop was Panera Bread, which is a chain primarily known for serving sandwiches and soups. As with Jamba Juice, we expected this smoothie to have a refreshing, real-fruit taste. We ordered a small, which cost $6.30.
The consistency was noticeably thinner than that of the smoothies from Jamba Juice and Auntie Anne's. The first sip was equally refreshing, but this one was different it had a much creamier taste and texture, probably because of the Greek yogurt they use in the smoothie. That extra protein is always a plus. And every sip was full of the perfect balance between fresh strawberries and bananas. We were pleasantly surprised at how tasty this smoothie was.
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McDonalds Strawberry Banana Smoothie was thick and sweet.
Jasmin Suknanan
Our next smoothie came from McDonald's. This smoothie was by far the cheapest; a small cost just $2.18. Notably, although the price was low, this cup was considerably smaller than all of the others.
The first thing we noticed was how much harder it was for us to drink this smoothie. It was a lot thicker than all the others, so it got stuck inside the straw. It's possible our particular smoothie just wasn't blended enough. The taste of the banana outweighed the taste of the strawberry and although this smoothie was a little on the sweeter side, it wasn't overpowering.
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Although the smoothie was a great value, in our opinion it had a noticeable aftertaste that we couldn't quite place.
Planet Smoothies Spazz Smoothie was tasty and a great value.
Jasmin Suknanan
Planet Smoothie is one of the biggest smoothie chains in the US and, aside from having fun, quirky names for all of its menu items, the chain says it serves up the "best-tasting smoothies on the planet." Considering their claim and that the chain specializes in smoothies, we kind of expected to be blown away.
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Interestingly, the shop indicated on its menu that, in addition to strawberry and banana slices, this smoothie is made with non-fat milk, an ingredient that the other smoothies lacked. We paid $6.48 for a small smoothie. Although we paid almost the same price for most of the other smoothies, Planet Smoothie gave us the largest portion by far.
After just one sip, it was clear that the sweet strawberries really carried the flavor of the drink. It was a much-appreciated natural sweetness that paired really well with the non-fat milk.
The verdict? Panera Bread and Planet Smoothie proved a little bit of added dairy goes a long way.
Jasmin Suknanan
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After our fruit smoothie taste test, we decided that Panera Bread and Planet Smoothie were the first and second place winners, respectively. They tasted the least artificial and had the smoothest, creamiest textures. Turns out, a little Greek yogurt or a splash of milk can really go a long way in producing the best flavors and textures. Although both were tasty, in the end, Panera Bread's smoothie won because it had a slightly better balance of flavors.
The McDonald's smoothie wasn't our favorite because of the hard-to-pinpoint aftertaste. We actually expected Jamba Juice to be our winner, but those looking for an exclusive blend of strawberries and bananas might be a little caught off guard by the slight apple taste. Auntie Anne's smoothie was just a bit too sweet for our liking.
All in all, for a truly satisfying, refreshing strawberry banana smoothie, any of these purveyors is a great choice, it just depends on exactly what you're looking for and how much sweetness you personally prefer.
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