Students are enjoying new smoothie machines around campus. PHOTO CREDIT: Eddie Melfi | Staff Photographer
The University of Rhode Island’s Dining Services has installed smoothie machines through a six-week beta test on campus, giving them the opportunity to test the program and refine it for next year, according to Karen E. Orbona, a dietitian nutrition specialist at URI.
Orbona said the student body has been asking for smoothies made with real fruit since she came here in 2017. She, with Jo-Anne Stephens, the associate administrator for Ram’s Den and Pierre St-Germain, the director of Dining Services at URI, worked with Austin Whewell and Sarah Ogawa, who are two graduate student interns studying nutrition, to make this happen.
Orbona added that Smoodi, the company that installed the smoothie machines here, is the only company that is made up of 100% fresh fruits and vegetables with no added sugars. The machines can be found in the Ram’s Den and Corner Store.
“Essentially, the whole machine is self-contained so it not only blends, it also washes and sanitizes by itself,” Orbona said.
According to the machine, there are three steps to making the smoothie. First, you choose a cup, peel the seal on top, scan it on the machine and set the cup into the machine. After, you choose how much water to put in: thin, regular or thick and the machine blends it. Then, you can get a bamboo straw, which is reusable, from the Corner Store’s register or next to the smoothie machine in the Ram’s Den.
Orbona also said the three flavors in the machine are Berry Boost which is strawberry, banana, raspberry and blackberry, Green Energizer which has spinach, banana, mango and matcha and Tropical Vibes which has mango, pineapple and coconut.
Stephens added that Smoodi will add two new flavors next year, which will be peanut butter with banana and coffee both with protein powder. They will also have a booster bar with chia seeds, honey and vanilla, etc.
“Smoodi is also pursuing other flavors and making smoothies more of a meal replacement than just a snack,” Stephens said.
According to St-Germain, Dining Services offer their own smoothies but they were more like ice cream because of the sugar content. Their smoothies had twice the sugar content than the machine, which uses sugar. St-Germain added that the machine also helps with the dining staff shortage.
“Dining Services have been understaffed so we like the idea that students have something they can take care of themselves,” St-Germain said. “The machine is easy and seamless to use.”
Whewell said an aspect of nutrition is the cups are all fresh fruit, so it’s all-natural sugar and there’s no fruit from concentrate.
According to Ogawa, the fresh fruit is frozen at its peak ripeness so there is more nutritional value than if it was sitting in a grocery store for a couple of weeks.
“It’s also 100% vegan so there’s many different options for students on campus,” Ogawa said.
Bella DeVivo, a first-year student studying kinesiology, said she chooses the thick option to make a smoothie bowl.
“I like that it’s easy and healthy,” DeVivo said.
When you get a chance, try the smoothie machines which are $7 with only dining dollars and give your feedback on the survey next to the machine.