Dunkin Donuts Reduced Calorie Smoothie versus Starbucks Vivanno

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | Aug 1, 2008
3 stars

Call this Battle of the Reduced Calorie Coffee Shop Smoothies. The contenders: the new Starbucks Vivanno Orange Mango Banana Smoothie versus Dunkin Donuts Reduced Calorie Berry Smoothie. We talked about Starbucks Vivanno over at Food-Notes.com when it was introduced as Starbucks latest menu addition in the "lower calorie" options. Dunkin Donuts is doing something similar with their DDSmart Menu, which features this reduced calorie smoothies in addition to other "healthier" options.

Nutrition Facts: Both are 250 calories with similar amount of fat as shown below. What separates the two is that Starbucks Vivanno has less sugar, more fiber and more protein, while Dunkin Donuts has more Vitamin C and Calcium. Looks like Starbucks comes out slightly ahead on this one.

Nutrition Facts	Dunkin Donuts Reduced Calorie Berry Smoothie	Starbucks Vivanno
Calories	250	250
Total Fat (g)	2 (3%)	2 (3%)
Saturated Fat (g)	1 (5%)	1 (5%)
Trans Fat (g)	0	0
Cholesterol (mg)	10 (3%)	5 (2%)
Sodium (mg)	160 (7%)	120 (5%)
Total Carbohydrates (g)	49	47
Fiber (g)	1 (4%)	6 (25%)
Sugar (g)	41	32
Protein (g)	6	16
Vitamin C	100%	25%
Calcium	20%	10%

Taste: Starbucks Vivanno isade with a whole banana blended with all natural Naked Juice and a proprietary whey protein & fiber powder, 2% milk and ice. The barista that made mine (corner of 48th and 8th in Hells Kitchen), said he is the champ at making them. And mine was pretty good. I thought it was thick enough for a smoothie and although the mango flavor was intense, I quite liked it. More reviews from Serious Eats, who found it watery.

Dunkin Donuts Reduced Calorie Berry Smoothie is made with yogurt and real fruit (blackberry puree, blackberry concentrate and blueberry concentrate [ingredients list can be found at their website]). The taste was much more creamy than Starbucks and the berry flavor was also prominent. I think I give Dunkin Donuts the edge in terms of taste, but not by much.

Price: They both cost around $4.00, although Dunkin Donuts is a little cheaper at around $3.75.

Overall: I think it's a tie. I would probably go for Dunkin Donuts because it's cheaper and has the same calories as Starbucks Vivanno. But just remember, although 250 calories is not a lot by itself - if you're on a diet, this is where you could be/ should be cutting calories. The rating below is for both products.

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Comments

Fri: August 1, 2008
Fit Bottomed Girl said:

Did the Starbucks oen keep you full for awhile? I've heard good things about it.

Fri: August 1, 2008
Tanya said:

Actually they both did. 16 ounces is quite a lot and they were "full bodied" so I did have a full feeling for a while.

Fri: August 1, 2008
Emily said:

I thought that, unlike most Starbucks beverages, the Vivanno was nothing special....tasted like I had just made it myself.....good, but nothing to write home about!

Fri: August 1, 2008
Mansi said:

I think I'll go with the Starbucks one, just 'coz I love the flavor combo:) and it has way more fiber, so is sure to keep you full longer!

Fri: August 1, 2008
Mansi said:

I think I'll go with the Starbucks one, just 'coz I love the flavor combo:) and it has way more fiber, so is sure to keep you full longer!

Fri: August 1, 2008
Tina said:

What perfect timing for this review! I am equal walking distance from both a Starbucks and D&D, and debated where to go. The Vivanno sounds really interesting, but maybe D&D is the better value.

Sat: August 2, 2008
Diane said:

But you don't consider all the artificial ingredients in the D&D smoothie. It's all syrup whereas you can get a much more natural Vivanno. All of these reviews on iateapie don't seem to consider the problems with high fructose corn syrup, and certain artificial sweeteners...

Mon: August 4, 2008
Tanya said:

@Dianne The more natural ingredients in Vivanno might lead me to spend the extra and get it instead of DD - but like I said, it's rare for me to buy a smoothie at any location - too many calories.

I do take into account artificial sweeteners in the nutrition rating. I also take into account the amount of sugar - too much sugar - be it sucrose or HFCS, gets a lower rating. I am yet to be convinced of a health problem due to having HFCS in a product. Too much - maybe.

Tue: August 5, 2008
Laura said:

Tanya, I think you should definitely add a note in the review about the sucralose in the DD smoothie vs regular sugar in the Starbucks one. I know some people don't mind artificial sweeteners, but for those that do, it's a HUGE distinction between the two smoothies! Even if it's in the rating, it would be nice to have it called out just to be clear.

Tue: August 19, 2008
Colby said:

I am sitting in Starbucks now drinking a Vivanno - the banana chocolate, two of them in fact because they left out the shot of espresso in the first. I must say that i am not impressed with either. Bland taste with not really even a hint of banana flavor which is why i chose this one. I do not watch how many calories i eat because honestly i do not care. On that note, I would like to see a better tasting smoothie from Starbucks, maybe more sugar, less bland protein powder and more flavor! Why not use a sweet milk chocolate instead of bittersweet? I'm either going to chunk the smoothie in the trash or ask for a refund.

Tue: August 19, 2008
Colby said:

Tue: August 19, 2008
Pat said:

The 250 calories for the starbucks is worth it - I'm watching my weight and I'm full for about 2-3 hours after just a vivanno. Add a granola bar and I'm good for most of the day! I haven't tried the DD but I don't like berry drinks and my daughter (another vivanno lover) avoids artificial sweetener like a maniac!

Tue: August 19, 2008
Pat said: