Difference between Shake and Smoothie

Shake and smoothie both are refreshing drinks commonly available at a variety of shops, restaurants and food joints. People often confuse shakes with smoothies as both use fruits and vegetables as the main ingredients and look alike. Let us see how these refreshing drinks differ from each other!

Shake:

Shakes are more common than smoothies. They are mostly made from fruits, sugar and a dairy base that can be milk, ice cream, etc. Fruits are blended with milk and sugar and the finished product is topped with nuts, cherries, whipped cream etc. Some of the commonly consumed shakes are Banana Shake, Mango Shake, and Chocolate Shake.

As milk is one the main ingredients of shakes, they are rich in calcium and protein. They cannot be taken as a substitute for a meal and generally consumed with or after the meal. They contain more saturated fats and calories than smoothies.

Smoothie:

It is a thick, blended beverage that is usually made from pureed fruits or vegetables. It may not contain milk, yogurt or ice cream. The most commonly used ingredients for smoothies include kiwi, pineapple, strawberry or green vegetables. All the ingredients are mixed in a blender, i.e. it is made by blending fruits or vegetables with a liquid that can be dairy/non-dairy milk, yogurt, coconut water, water or ice. It is a thick version of juice as it also retains the pulp. However, the thickness varies greatly depending on the proportions of liquid and solid ingredients.

Smoothies are easy to digest and can be consumed before a workout session. They are usually thick and filling so can be taken as a substitute for a meal or as a nutritional requirement. They have low fat-content, unless you have added ingredients with high-fat content like peanut butter, cream etc. Smoothies generally have the natural sugar of fruits. Furthermore, honey, oatmeal, protein powder can be added for taste and extra nutrition. They also help you lose weight as you feel full and tend to eat less.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between shake and smoothie are as follows:

Shake	Smoothie
It is less thick than smoothies and made by blending fruits, sugar and a dairy base.	It is a thick, blended beverage that is usually made from pureed fruits, vegetables.
It is topped with nuts, cherries, whipped cream etc.	It is not topped with nuts, cherries and whipped cream or any other ingredient.
Milk is the main ingredient.	Milk may not be used to make smoothies.
It cannot be taken as a substitute for a meal. It is generally consumed with or after a meal.	It can be taken as a meal substitute and thus it helps lose weight.
Being milk based, it has more fat content.	It has low fat-content.
It has more saturated fats and calories than smoothies.	It has less saturated fats and calories than shake.
It is rich in proteins and calcium as milk is the main ingredient.	It has a low protein and calcium-content than shake.
Examples include banana shake, mango shake, chocolate shake etc.	Examples include banana peach green smoothie, blueberry and spinach smoothie, etc.