"Jamba Juice was on the cutting edge of wellness culture in the early aughts, bringing the idea of healthy juice and smoothies mainstream (even though its smoothies are mostly sugar since a lot of the bases are straight-up sherbert). Still, the juice train has tried to evolve with the times, adding plant milks and spirulina as ingredients, and of course offering smoothie and acai bowls. Which, let’s be clear, is just a smoothie in a bowl. The shape makes it an easier vessel for granola and fruit toppings, but it’s fruit soup, and according to some reviews, a half-assed fruit soup. It’s a difficult comparison because there are no savory options here; bowl ingredients may include kale, pumpkin seeds and greek yogurt, but they’re all blended with frozen fruit and concentrated juice. Health is a slippery and problematic concept, and some people may honestly prefer a sweet lunch, but by many metrics Jamba’s smoothie bowls are more dessert than square meal. There’s also naming to consider. As much as it’s embarrassing to order Sweetgreen’s “Shroomami” out loud, it is somehow better than asking someone for a “Chunky Strawberry.” Winner: Sweetgreen — JS" - Madeleine Davies
