A crowd of Robeks fans line up for smoothies and fresh juice at the Harbor Point store in Stamford, CT.

A lot of our customers are stunned when we tell them that our smoothies and juices contain no added sugar. How can Robeks smoothies and juices be so sweet without the added sugar? The answer: Our fruit and vegetables are allowed to ripen naturally — so we don’t need to add processed sugar to make up for a lack of natural sweetness.

It’s one of the key differences between the ingredients in a Robeks smoothie and what you can get elsewhere. Here’s why:

Most fruit doesn’t travel well.

To quote a report by professor Adel Kader of the University of California at Davis, most fruits “reach their best eating quality when allowed to ripen on the plant. However, some fruits are usually picked mature but unripe so that they can handle the postharvest handling system when shipped long-distance.”

Which basically means this: Most fruit is picked when it is best for a truck, not when it is best for your body. “Fresh produce” aisles and most fruit growers are forced to play a balancing act wherein they pick fruit that is sturdy enough to ship without being completely unappetizing. Even then, some fruit is ripened off the vine using chemicals.

Robeks emphatically rejects that compromise. Instead, we insist on using fruit that is allowed to ripen naturally, then frozen and sent to us. We do it this way for two reasons:

• Flavor: Fruit that ripens naturally builds up its own natural sugar. The body processes natural sugar more slowly and evenly, providing energy without a “sugar rush.” It’s much healthier than processed sugar and just as sweet. Since we use only naturally ripened fruit, Robeks doesn’t need to use processed sugar or any artificial sweeteners.

• Nutrition: As fruit ripens, it also becomes far richer in nutrients. The longer fruit remains on the vine, the more nutrient-rich it becomes — and the more it will boost the health of a Robeks customer. Flash freezing preserves almost all of a fruit’s nutrition and enzymes — and by waiting until the fruit is ripe, flash frozen fruit can deliver much more nutrition than the “fresh fruit” shipped to most grocery stores. Ripe, “flash frozen” is the next best thing to eating fruit plucked straight from your own tree.

Come taste the difference. Click here to find the Robeks location closest to you.

Josh Muenzenmayer likes that Robeks can help him eat healthy and manage Type 1 diabetes.

Josh Muenzenmayer watches his diet very carefully. He has to. The Brooklyn artist and designer has Type 1 diabetes, so he has to be aware of every morsel he consumes.

That’s why he was thrilled when a Robeks opened in the same building as his office in Stamford, CT.

“Robeks is a nice option to have,” he said. “It’s tough to find places I can eat because I have a limited diet, and having a place where I can have something healthy, nutritious and good — and being able to run down the elevator to get it — is great.”

Muenzenmayer, who works at modern furniture retailer, Design Within Reach, became a Robeks fan when the smoothie and juice shop opened at the Harbor Point development in Stamford.

His smoothie of choice is made with soy milk, blueberries, strawberries and peanut butter. All four ingredients rate low on the glycemic index, meaning that the body slowly and evenly convert them into blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association recommends eating fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables in order to regulate diabetes.

“Blueberries and strawberries are okay in natural sugars, and natural sugars don’t affect the body the same way as processed sugars,” Muenzenmayer said.

“I’m also a vegetarian, so having a non-meat option is fantastic for me,” he said. “My whole office was psyched when this place opened up because it’s so healthy, and quick and easy, too. I’m a pretty busy person, so being able to grab something in five minutes and be on my way is super helpful.”

Robeks smoothies and juices are made with naturally ripened fruits and vegetables. Robeks uses absolutely no processed sugar, no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial ingredients. When you taste a Robeks smoothie or juice, you’re tasting what nature put in the cup — and nothing else.

Our menu caters to customers with a range of nutritional needs — whether they need to control blood sugar, lose weight, build muscle or sharpen the mind. To learn more, visit www.Robeks.com or www.RobeksFranchise.com.

Juicing has become a major health trend as Americans look for ways to cleanse their bodies and pump them full of nutrients and beneficial enzymes. Robeks has embraced the trend by adding new vegetable juice and vegetable smoothie recipes to our already extensive menu.

The day's fresh fruits and vegetables, on display at the Robeks store in Norwalk, CT.

But, as is generally the case, Robeks has been ahead of the curve, with several fresh fruit and vegetable juice recipes holding a spot on our menu for years. One of the granddaddies is ABC — a mix of apple, beet and carrot juice that squeezes huge doses or goodness into each cup.

Together, the ingredients offer big health benefits. Here’s a look at what goes into ABC juice:

Apples: Apples are rich in Vitamin A, which may help maintain healthy skin, body tissues and teeth; Vitamin C, which may help build and repair blood vessels and ligaments; and enzymes that fight inflammation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Apples may also help keep the mind sharp and ward off Alzheimer’s disease. A study by the Center for Cellular Neurobiology & Neurodegeneration Research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell found apple juice might prevent Alzheimer’s by stopping the decline of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

Beets: Beet juice is best known for helping cleanse the liver, eliminate toxins from the bloodstream and helping the body build red blood cells, according to the California Department of Health. Researchers at Wake Forest University have also shown that beet juice and other food high in nitric oxides can help increase blood flow to the brain, slowing dementia. Other studies have shown beets may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Carrots: Carrots are well known for helping vision — Vitamin A is essential for proper night vision, and the lutein in carrots may fight macular degeneration according to researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carrots are also rich in carotenoids — a photosynthesizing pigment that gives plants an orangish hue (such as sweet potatoes and autumn leaves). Carrots are rich in the carotenoid beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant.

ABC Juice is just one of several juices on the Robeks menu — all of which are fresh-squeezed right in front of you in order to deliver live enzymes and maximum nutrition. Check out the rest of the Robeks menu and click here to find the Robeks location closest to you.

Katrina Thompson was turned onto Robeks by a friend — Diana Nichols, also known as, “The Juicing Queen.” Nichols had seen the movie “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead,” and embarked on a 60-day juice fast.

Katrina Thompson with her dog Jasmine. "She's sticking out her tongue because she loves Robek's too," Thompson writes.

“She’d been encouraging me to watch it, and I wanted to support her in her weight loss, and after hearing about all of the benefits, I decided ‘Why not?’” said Thompson, who visited the Atlanta Robeks to get her fresh juice. “A whole group of us tried it. I started my first 10-day juice fast on March 21.”

She started noticing the health benefits of juicing within three days.

“The first thing was weight loss,” she said. “The weight came off really fast just by adding fruit and veggies and getting rid of processed foods. I work out several times a week and I go to dance class, so I have muscle tone — but you couldn’t see it. A lot of fat that had been hiding the muscle started to melt off in the 10 days I did the juicing. By the end of the juice fast, I could see my six-pack. And before the juice fast, I was never able to do a real pushup. Now I can do military-style pushups. Overall, I just feel better.”

Something else changed during those 10 days: She became a Robeks devotee.

“Ever since then, I’ve been going to Robeks five times a week,” she said.

When the juice fast was over, she started trying the smoothies. She’s still working her way through the menu.

“I plan to taste all of them. I’m into the berry ones. So far, my favorites are the Awesome Açaí, the Raspberry Romance, Berry Brilliance and the Strawnana Berry.”

She especially likes the açaí smoothies. Açaí is a Brazilian superfruit and has five times as many antioxidants as blueberries, with a delicious, unique flavor and is low calorie.

She says she likes wheatgrass, too.

“I was always a fan of smoothies, but not to the point where I thought I’d have one every day,” she said. “But Robeks is great.”

If the human body ran at peak performance on fat and salt, Americans would be the healthiest people on earth. As our nation’s obesity epidemic shows, that’s not the case.

Robeks smoothies are made with vine-ripened fruit and vegetables.

As Americans have gotten busier, and have leaned more heavily on fast food restaurants and convenience foods, it’s become obvious that our national diet needs a major overhaul.

That’s why David Robertson started Robeks Premium Fruit Smoothies in 1996: Robertson was unwilling to fill his body with junk. He was an investment banker who used nutritious smoothies to stay fit despite a very busy schedule. Americans are incredibly busy — often too busy to prepare healthy meals — and they need allies like Robeks.

Smoothies and juices can change your life by making healthy eating convenient. By ditching the “meat and cheese” combo meal and opting for a smoothie or juice instead, people can preserve their health or undo years of bad habits.

When Robertson founded Robeks, he worked with Dr. Ed Lieskovan, a nutritionist and professor at the University of Southern California, to push smoothie nutrition to new levels by focusing on vine-ripened fruit; no added sugar, sweeteners or artificial flavors; reduced calories; and natural supplements.

Since 1996, Robeks has made it easy to get nutritious meals and snacks. Here’s how Robertson and Dr. Lieskovan set the course:

Dr. Lieskovan: Most people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables supply a ton of great nutrition, and smoothies are a wonderful way to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to your diet. That one little stop by the smoothie bar can have a dramatic effect on your daily nutrient intake.

Robertson: My wife and I are passionate about health and fitness and nutrition and had developed a lot of smoothie recipes and wanted to share them with others. At the time we started Robeks, most of the smoothies on the market were very mediocre. We really went after the high end, something that was truly healthy and delicious — not quite as sweet, and with lower calories.

Dr. Lieskovan: What we really tried to do was transform the smoothie from a fun and more natural drink option, which is how many people viewed smoothies – to a supercharged, nutrient rich and highly functional healthy beverage….. while preserving the great taste and fun.

Obviously, any smoothie is going to be a lot healthier than a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake, but we went a step further by reducing calories and sugar and by boosting health promoting protein, fiber, and natural nutrient levels.  We made smoothies healthier for people who were already drinking smoothies and were very committed to living a healthier lifestyle.

Look, smoothies are made almost entirely of natural fruits and vegetables, with a little non-fat yogurt added to boost protein and promote gastrointestinal health.  Every single ingredient is packed with nutrients and live enzymes. So a smoothie is naturally healthy. Robeks smoothies are unique because they contain more essential nutrients than ordinary smoothies and higher protein and fiber levels make Robeks smoothies both a more satisfying and more healthy choice
for health conscious adults and children.  Robeks smoothies can also be customized to meet specific nutritional and lifestyle preferences by adding all natural boosts like Powerbek, Trimbek
and Immunibek.

Robertson: I grew up eating healthy food, and I wasn’t willing to go to the fast food places that serve fattening, unhealthy junk. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your health for the sake of convenience, and I wasn’t going to do it. It was fun creating interesting recipes that help people eat healthier.

Dr. Lieskovan: Robeks has got a tremendous range of healthy smoothies so you never get bored. They taste great, and they offer tons of health benefits because they contain so many healthy varieties of fruits and vegetables. Each type of fruit contains its own special blend of natural nutrient compounds that enhance overall health — things that you can’t necessarily get by taking a multivitamin or other supplements. Scientists haven’t even identified all the nutrients in an ordinary orange! Variety is the key when it comes to nutrition, and Robeks smoothies contain a wide variety of natural ingredients so you get a wealth of phytonutrients and a huge range of other nutrients. That gives you more energy and helps promotes vitality and good health. I stop in three or four times a week.

Robeks Premium Fruit Smoothies has more than 120 stores in 15 states and Washington, D.C. Click here to find a Robeks location near you.

Benjamin Nieves stops into Robeks whenever he gets a chance during breaks from his job as an asphalt grader.

Benjamin Nieves wanted a meal that was healthy, robust, filling and absolutely packed with protein, so when he discovered Robeks and its 800-lb. Gorilla Protein Shake, he fell in love.

Nieves, who lives in Norwalk, CT, grades asphalt for a living — making sure that road surfaces are nice and even before concrete is poured. It’s heavy duty work performed under the hot sun — so his job is like an 8-hour workout, every single day. To help his muscles recover, he likes to drink the large 800 lb. Gorilla, which packs 80 grams of protein into a 32-oz. drink — the equivalent of 13 eggs worth of protein.

“It’s quick and it’s convenient, and it tastes great,” Nieves says. “Every time I get a break I go to Robeks.”

Nieves has been a fan of Robeks for several years. He and friends used to take road trips down from Bridgeport to go to the first Connecticut Robeks location on Summer Street in Stamford.

He doesn’t have to drive far these days to enjoy Robeks. There are currently 12 Robeks locations in Connecticut, mostly clustered along the I-95 corridor between Bridgeport and Stamford.

“These places started popping up everywhere,” he said.

In addition to the 800-lb. Gorilla, Nieves is a fan of wheatgrass, which is an energy booster that packs the nutritional equivalent of 2½ pounds of garden vegetables into a 1-oz. shot of juice. He also sometimes gets the Açaí Especial Bowl, one of the Smoothie Bowls that are new to the Robeks menu.

“It’s a healthy place,” Nieves says, explaining why he stops by whenever he has time. “I’d rather get this than go to McDonald’s and get a milkshake or something. I’d rather get this than a burger.”

Robeks’ menu is carefully designed to provide a variety of healthy, nutritious choices that deliver the right fuel to customers — whether they are trying to power through a workout (or a day of road construction), lose weight, build up their immune system, sharpen their mind or just enjoy a meal or a treat that is good for their body. Robeks uses naturally ripened fruit and vegetables to make smoothies and juices — and we don’t add processed sugar to anything we serve. Click here to find the Robeks location closest to you.

Cupuaçu. (Photo courtesy of Spoladore, via Wikimedia Commons)

Superfruit cupuaçu has been called ‘the pharmacy in a fruit’

Unless you grew up in Brazil, you probably aren’t familiar with one of the items on the Robeks menu — an exotic superfruit called cupuaçu (koo-PWAH-sue).

Andrew Zimmern, host of The Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods,” has touted the benefits of cupuaçu to “The Today Show,” saying it is “known in the Amazonian rainforest as the pharmacy in a fruit.”

What is cupuaçu?

It’s a fruit that grows in the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. The brown, fuzzy fruit is about eight inches long and has a hard outer shell, which makes it look like an oblong coconut. Crack the shell open, though, and you’re in for a surprise.

Cupuaçu has an extremely fragrant, creamy, white pulp that smells like a mixture of chocolate and pineapple but tastes more like a mixture of cocoa and banana. The pulp is rich in phytochemicals, and has been credited as an energy booster that can fight signs of aging, strengthen the immune system and improve cardiovascular function.

Cupuaçu’s exotic flavor and health benefits make it a natural fit for Robeks.

Brazilians have been enjoying superfruits like açai, cupuaçu and caja for generations. They credit the fruits for giving them the energy and vitality that the country is famous for.

We added both cupuaçu and caja to our menu in 2010 — which made us a trailblazer, again, in the United States.

Robeks has already helped popularize pomegranate and açaí, spreading the word about their unique flavors and health benefits.

“Our customers are mindful of their bodies and adventurous, so we’re always searching for ways to give them something new, nutritious and delicious,” president and CEO Steve Davidson says.

Robeks knows that the best way to help people improve their diets is to make it easy to get a nutritious meal. Robeks smoothies are made to order and ready in minutes, so customers get fast food convenience without “Super Size Me” health side effects.

Cupuaçu is seasonal and available only at select locations. Click here to find your nearest Robeks location.

Strawberries are a treat that your body can both love. (Photo by Luigi Chiesa, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Strawberry smoothie packs the flavor of a bowl full of strawberries into a cup

Everybody has moments of dietary weakness, moments when you want to shove the salad aside and reach for a slice of cake.

For goodness sakes, chocolate-covered bacon exists for a reason.

We have a humble suggestion for the next time you feel that urge: Instead of satisfying it with a caramel-coated sugar bomb or a salty, fatty piece of processed meat, come see us.

While Robeks is focused on good nutrition, we realize you’re more likely to eat right when the healthy choice tastes great, too. We offer a wide range of premium fruit smoothies and juices that can meet your “treat craving” head-on while still delivering awesome nutritional benefits.

Consider one of our summer specials: the Strawberry Bliss smoothie.

Strawberries, of course, are delicious. No arm-twisting is required to get someone to dig into a plate of strawberries. They pass what Dr. Ed Lieskovan calls the “kid test.”

“Kids are hard to fool,” says the nutritionist and University of Southern California professor. “If kids don’t like it, kids won’t drink it. Offer a kid a smoothie and they’ll have one every day.”

When we’re in a mood for a treat, we’re all kids at heart.

The Strawberry Bliss smoothie packs the flavor of a bowl of strawberries into a cool, refreshing, intensely flavorful smoothie that’s ideal for summer — and, unlike chocolate-covered bacon, won’t make you feel guilty. Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, and they can raise your levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. They’re also loaded with potassium and magnesium, which can help lower blood pressure.

Robeks doesn’t add sugar to its smoothies. The sweetness comes from the strawberries’ natural fructose.

“Smoothies work as meals and as treats, and strawberry smoothies are a great way to introduce someone to the Robeks menu,” says president and CEO Steve Davidson. “Once people see how good a smoothie can taste, they’re eager to try more of what Robeks has to offer.”

Robeks Premium Fruit Smoothie stores offers smoothies and juices that meet a variety of nutritional needs — whether a customer is trying to lose weight, bulk up or deliver the right nutrition for post-workout recovery. Robeks has more than 120 stores in 15 states and recently opened its first store in Asia. Click here to find your nearest Robeks location.

The Tropi-KALE smoothie at Robeks combines kale, pineapple, papaya juice an non-fat yogurt to create a nutritious meal that tastes like a Granny Smith. It's one of three special summer smoothies that debut June 18th.

Robeks features a new kale smoothie this summer — and the flavor may come as a surprise

What do you get when you combine kale, papaya,pineapple, and 100% natural nonfat frozen yogurt?

A Granny Smith apple, of course!

Robeks customers are in for a surprise this summer when they try our Tropi-KALE Paradise smoothie, which will be available as a summer special starting June 18th. Thanks to some remarkable fruit and vegetable alchemy, the Tropi-KALE Paradise smoothie really does taste like a Granny Smith apple, even though there is no apple in it.

The green smoothie is part of our effort to get more people to try kale, a nutritional powerhouse that contains 180% of the daily recommended dose of Vitamin A, 200% of the dose of Vitamin C, and more than 1,000% of the dose of Vitamin K — at about 35 calories a cup.

You may have heard Ryan Seacrest or Dr.Oz touting the benefits of kale juice, as well as juice made from other leafy green vegetables. Seacrest, in particular, has been spreading the word on his radio program and by sharing his kale drinks with Jimmy Kimmel and Selena Gomez — and while Seacrest’s “Brazilian Thunder” recipe may not be for everyone, the mixologists at Robeks have been busy developing recipes that appeal to a wider range of palates.

The Tropi-KALE Paradise smoothie is ideal for people looking for a nutritious meal, and it adds yet another vegetable offering to Robeks menu. The company began offering an expanded line of vegetable juices and smoothies at select stores this spring.

Lisette Henry’s store in Sacramento added the vegetable line in April.

“Vegetables are bringing in a whole new set of people who didn’t come to Robeks before, and we’re the only one offering a lot of variety,” Henry says. “Cucumbers and cayenne pepper, kale, garlic, ginger — no other smoothie store offers what we do.”

Robeks has led the smoothie industry since 1996 by focusing on nutrition. Unlike other smoothie stores, we use only ripe fruits and vegetables to make our juices and smoothies. That means no added sugar, great taste and maximum nutritional benefit, since fruits and vegetables achieve their peak nutrition when they ripen.

“We want to make it easier for people to eat well,” Robeks President and CEO Steve Davidson says. “Americans are waking up to the fact that we need to take better care of our bodies. Robeks makes it convenient and delicious to do what’s best for your body.”

Click here to find your nearest Robeks location.

Deb, of SmoothieGirlEatsToo.com, lost more than 90 pounds by working out and making smoothies a regular part of her diet.

A yo-yo dieter who once weighed 233 pounds credits smoothies with helping her take off more than 90 pounds. Deb, who writes at smoothiegirleatstoo.com, says she uses smoothies as a healthy between-meal snack that keeps her appetite under control.

Robeks recently spoke with Deb about her weight loss and the glory of smoothie bowls and other healthy treats.

You mentioned that you were a yo-yo dieter. What changed?
I cannot tell you exactly what changed. I think after trying repeatedly to lose weight, it finally stuck. I read a statistic somewhere about smokers, saying that smokers who try to quit usually fail a huge number of times — six, eight, 10 times — but eventually they are able to do it. I think that overeating and having a weight problem is much the same.

In 1997, I took part in a very well-structured program offered by Health Management Resources, a company that sells diet products. I had heard about it from a friend of a friend who had always been heavy and lost weight while on the program. Why this one worked for me, in my opinion, is the fact that they used smoothies. That’s how I was introduced to smoothies. They taught you how to weigh and measure food and count calories, and they would require you to do a certain amount of physical activity. They had a really strict food program that consisted of all smoothies and shakes, but I told them that it wouldn’t work for me at all. They gave a basic formula: You must have three shakes a day, which were only 100 calories each. And then you have X number of carbs and X amount of protein, X number of fruits, X number of vegetables. It was so much easier to stick to the program because of all the smoothies.

I lost 90 pounds, but then I started getting lazy about my drinking my shakes and smoothies. When you don’t have smoothies in your life, that leads to a lot of extra hunger, which leads to extra eating, and you put your weight back on. I gained back 20 pounds. I maintained that steady weight for about eight years or so. Then a teeny little smoothie shop opened across the street from my gym and I started going there. It reminded me of how great smoothies are for filling you up, and they’re delicious, too. That’s when I got back into my smoothie routine and lost 20 pounds again.

It was very geared to the Gold’s Gym crowd — you could do shot of wheatgrass, which was very surprising when I tried it. I was like, “You put sugar in here!” — but, of course, they didn’t.

I see that you enjoy smoothie bowls. Robeks recently added smoothie bowls to our menu. Why do you like eating smoothies that way?
I think it makes it much more of an event — something to be celebrated rather than something to be sucked down. If I have time, I will always eat my smoothie out of a bowl. It feels more festive that way. You can dress it up. You can sprinkle some cereal on if you feel like having some crunch. You can put some nut butter on top of it, or have it on a spoon and eat the smoothie with the nut butter on the spoon and you get a tiny bit every time. You can doctor it up with berries. It feels so much more indulgent that way. If I’m on the fly, I’ll take it in a to-go cup, but if I have time, it’s so much nicer to sit down with a cup of coffee and a nice big bowl of deliciousness.

The food blog world has gone ape about having smoothies in a bowl. There was an oatmeal craze in the food blog world, with people encouraging one another to top their oatmeal with everything but the kitchen sink, and it’s much the same way with smoothies right now. It depends on your mood how you dress it up. I always have a sprinkle of something. Especially for people who are watching their weight, why not make yourself feel better about your meal and have it appeal to all your senses? It should be enjoyable.

Why do you recommend smoothies to other people?
They are extremely filling, and oftentimes smoothies can get you over that 3 p.m. moment when you’re reaching for a Snickers bar. It helps you get to dinner and be ready for a sensible meal, so you’re not incredibly hungry. In Los Angeles, sometimes it can take an hour just to get to the restaurant. If my day has been light on calories and I’m starved — that’s a dangerous situation to be in when you’re hungry. Your body will take over and you’ll dive into the bread basket and you may not order right when you get there. So I whip up a smoothie and have it on the way to dinner. That’s a strategy that I have used more times than I can remember. I’ve also used smoothies as breakfast for years now. I have not sat down and had eggs for years now. A smoothie for breakfast satisfies me. Strangely, if I have a regular breakfast, I find myself hungrier all day. Smoothies tame my appetite and give me good nutrition.