We considered two types of customers -- ones who drink them as a meal and those who buy them as an indulgence, like they would a frappucino or a candy-bar. (Many of us are somewhere in between and use smoothies as occasional meal supplements or snacks). The former tend to care less about taste and more about the nutritional qualities and convenience of a smoothie. The latter want instant gratification. Our aim is to attract both types of customers by meeting the needs of those who are primarily concerned about the health benefits of a smoothie and introducing smoothies as satisfying meals to those who don't consider them as such.
Up until recently, we used smoothies as meal supplements (morning juice, evening desert), not as meals in themselves. A fruit smoothie never seemed to keep us satiated for more than an hour or two, especially after engaging in strenuous activity (which boosts metabolism). While the strong-willed ignore their hunger pangs, others, like us, don't like to feel hungry. Based on research, we began to include nutrition dense vegetables such as sweet potato, yam, and azuki beans in our smoothies. Compared to fruits, these vegetables provide more fiber and protein and are (thus?) processed more slowly in the stomach. We feel full for 3-4 hours after drinking a potato or bean smoothie. Drinking a sweet potato/yam/bean smoothie feels like having a meal.
The problem with potato/yam/beam smoothies is that they contain more calories than that of our fruit smoothies. But because they're more satisfying, they can ultimately reduce daily caloric intake. We assume people snack more when they're hungry than when they're not. We try to develop a menu that meets different nutritional, psychological, and physical needs.
We expect some to be reluctant to try potato and bean based smoothies. We hope some free samples and effective salesmanship will change their minds.
Our favored pre-workout drink is the Jalapeno-Yam/Sweet Potato Smoothie. The jalapeno functions as a caffeine alternative and boosts metabolism; the yam/sweet potato keeps our blood sugar levels steady for up to 4 hours. There's enough carbs and protein to support a rigorous workout. The sweetness of the yam/sweet potato makes the jalapeno spice more palatable, less shocking.
We'll continue to explain the menu and include nutritional data in another post.
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This is a good post, much better than your other explanation. Your explanation here is something most fitness trainers can understand.
ReplyDeleteThe other menu explanation isn't necessary. People don't need to know about your risk management tactics. They don't care. They only care about the price, taste, and nutrition of your smoothies.
Focus on price, taste, and nutrition. Your thought process is dirty laundry.