A Smooth Start

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but few people have time to sit down and eat something nutritious.

Smoothies, however, can be a healthy alternative. You just have to know which ones are the best.

Liz Vaccariello, the executive editor at Fitness magazine, gave some advice on The Saturday Early Show on choosing the right drink for you.

Vaccariello says many people use smoothies as meal replacements, which is fine as long as you make sure you have the right ingredients. She advises that when drinking a smoothie to replace a meal, make sure it has more calories than a smoothie you may drink before or after working out.

You need to make sure that the smoothies you buy don't have too much sugar because some are no better than candy bars, according to Vaccariello. You also want to look at the label to make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. Vaccariello also advises to check the calorie count because some smoothies can have a lot. At the same time, you want to be sure you aren't getting too many calories from fat.

The following are popular brands of smoothies:

The Frulatte: This product contains no preservatives or artificial flavors, however, Vaccariello says the taste leaves something to be desired. She says you may opt for the other flavors that Frulatte offers. The smoothie, however, is very nutritious. It has 50 percent of the vitamin E that you need and it also has a lot of calcium. It contains 3 grams of fiber, which is good. It is a little high on the calorie side, so this is one that you would use to replace a meal.

Dannon Frusion Smoothie: This product contains 25 percent of daily calcium plus active yogurt cultures. It has a great taste and it contains a lot of protein, which should keep your appetite at bay. But, it has a high calorie count.

Stonyfield Farm Organic Smoothie: Vaccariello says you are doing yourself a favor anytime you eat an organic product instead of a processed one. Stonyfield Farm Organic Smoothie also contains inulin, which is a type of fiber that boosts calcium absorption. It has 10 grams of protein. Fitness magazine says it loved the taste of this smoothie. On the downside, it has too much sugar. And, it has a lot of calories. It is a smoothie that you would use to replace a meal.

Tropicana Smoothie: This product has 5 grams of fiber, which is the most of all the products that Fitness magazine tasted. It fulfills all the vitamin E requirements, which is hard to do with a low-fat diet. But, it has too much sugar and may taste too medicinal for some.

Naked Smoothie: Vaccariello says this is a delicious product. It provides 300 percent of the vitamin E you need, but it does have 18 grams of sugar, which is a little high. Vaccariello says it is a good product with relatively low calories - just 120 for an 8 ounce serving, which is half a bottle. She explains this is good to drink either before or after you work out. Another plus of the smoothie, according to Vaccariello, is that it's low in sodium and calories for 8 servings (8 ounce bottle).

V8 Splash Smoothie: This is a non-dairy smoothie – a good product for those people who are lactose intolerant. It is made with soy, which wards off heart disease. It contains 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A. On the downside, it contains only 10 percent fruit juice, so it's like drinking sugar water with vitamins. And, Vaccariello says, the taste is not very appealing.