Tropical Smoothie Review (Giveaway)

The dawning of a new year is a time when most people take stock of their health habits and refocus on how to make the new year happier and healthier. 

As 2016 was coming to a close, Tropical Smoothie Cafe reached out to me and offered to team up for a fun giveaway to kick off 2017. I needed no persuasion to accept the offer, as Tropical Smoothie Cafe is my favorite of the "chain" smoothie places around, and I had yet to write a review of their smoothies.

What I love about smoothies is that they are perfectly capable of filling in as a meal (breakfast or lunch) or can be a mid-day snack to tide you over between meals. They're endlessly versatile, and pretty gluten and dairy-safe, as long as you make sure to ask about hidden ingredients. 

Tropical Smoothie's food options are limited for those with allergies, but their smoothies are very accommodating. With protein-packed, superfood, and decadent dessert varieties, their smoothies satisfy any time of day and the many safe options mean that you can taste around the menu on every visit.

In partnering with me, Tropical Smoothie Cafe wanted to showcase their special New Year's blends that each provide a health boost to help you start the year eating right. From detoxing to boosting your immune system, each one has all natural ingredients to give your smoothie super powers.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe marks their menu to indicate gluten-free options as well as vegetarian options. Note that vegetarian options can contain dairy, so double check with the staff to make sure your smoothie is free from dairy products. Most of the smoothies are marked gluten-free, but a few are not, so do pay attention to the key. The only food item marked gluten-free is the loaded spinach salad. 

Any smoothie can be given a boost, ranging from plant proteins to vitamins. All of the below add-ins are gluten-free except for fat burner, vitamin c, whole grain oats, and energizer. The rest are marked gluten-free and vegetarian on the menu.

I don't like that they labeled the oats as "naturally gluten-free" when they don't mark them on the menu, which lets me know Tropical Smoothie does not have purity protocol oats on hand. As the legitimacy and safety of gluten-free oats has been debated in recent years, I try to minimize my intake to be safe.

For my smoothie, I ordered the chia blueberry max powerpacked smoothie. To make it safe, I omitted oats and whey protein from my order. Because I arrived as the cafe was opening, I asked if the blenders were freshly cleaned, and the staff member helping me confirmed they were. Without the ingredients I omitted, the chia blueberry max smoothie features banana, chia seeds, blueberries, peanut butter, almonds, dates, cinnamon, and coconut. 

What I liked about the smoothie is that it does not contain the turbinado sugar, it's naturally sweetened with the fruits and dates. I liked the complexity of the flavor, which featured notes of sweetness, cinnamon, and hearty peanut butter. It made for an excellent breakfast smoothie, and the blend was absolutely perfect, smooth and thick. 

Tropical Smoothie is definitely my favorite of the chain smoothie companies, because they have reliably delicious blends and recipes that ensure each smoothie has nutritional value. With a cool vibe and many gluten-free options, I know I'll be back again soon when I need a midday pick-me-up or breakfast on the go.

To help share my excitement for Tropical Smoothie, they sent me an additional gift card to giveaway on the blog to celebrate the new year. Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update 1/12/17: On a subsequent visit, I ordered the pomegranate plunge smoothie with the spinach/kale greens boost added in. The normally robust pink smoothie resulted in a brown color, but don't let the shade change deter you because the bright flavors of pomegranate and cranberry remained the main flavors of the smoothie. I don't think the flavor was altered at all by the greens, and liked the added vegetable dose in my breakfast to start the day.

Update 3/17/17: The four featured smoothies in the promotion are no longer on store menus. 

The Basics

Address: 851 S. State Road 434, Suite 1000, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

Website: www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com

Cuisine: Smoothies

Ideal For: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack

Price: See menu prices in picture above

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Special Features: Download their app to earn a $5 credit for every $55 spent.

Disclaimer: This review is current to the original publication date. Updates will be noted. Ingredients and manufacturing processes can change without notice. Each product should be reviewed for individual nutritional needs. Feel free to to contact me with any questions or comments. Tropical Smoothie Cafe sent me a gift card for review purposes, but the review is a reflection of my personal opinion.