5 Smoothie King Hacks to Try During Your Next Visit

As a smoothie lover, getting a Smoothie King in my area was one of the highlights of my life. The high prices tempered my excitement, but over the past few years, I've discovered a handful of ways to save money, reduce sugar and customize my drinks at no extra charge. Here's how to get the most out of your order.

1. Download the App

The Smoothie King app gives you points every time you make a purchase. Once you've racked up enough points, you'll get a discount on your next order. The app also comes with exclusive deals, such as coupons and free size upgrades.

Periodically, the app hosts "challenges" that give you extra points when you make certain purchases. If you're a regular Smoothie King visitor, this is a good way to mix up your routine while earning more discounts.

When you log in, hit the "Rewards" tab to see what you've earned. I've found coupons that I didn't know I had, which was a pleasant surprise. You can also upload promo codes and apply them to your next purchase.

2. Swap Ingredients

Virtually every smoothie on the menu is customizable. When you open the app and select a menu item, you'll see the option to add fruit, vegetables, protein powder, energy boosters, seasonal features and extras. Adding ingredients costs money, but substituting ingredients--like swapping mangoes with raspberries--is completely free.

To change your blend, scroll down to "Modify Your Smoothie" and tap the ingredient that you want to swap. You'll see a list of fruits, vegetables and juices that you can try instead. Some ingredients have limitations; for example, you can only swap protein powder with milk or another type of powder. If you don't want a replacement at all, hit "No Substitution" at the bottom.

This is an easy way to mix up your routine without venturing too far from your favorite blends. For example, when I order the Peanut Powder Plus, I'll occasionally replace the dates with apple juice, mangoes or wild blueberries. The new ingredient makes the drink sweeter, fruitier or tangier without a higher price tag.

Smoothie bowls are customizable, too. Scroll down and tap "Modify Your Smoothie Bowl," and you can replace almost every topping with a new ingredient, such as cocoa nibs, sliced banana, goji berries, coconut flakes or peanut butter drizzle. The base will remain the same.

If you don't have the app, try asking the cashier about customizing your order. Just make sure you're substituting ingredients, not adding them, so that you don't end up with additional fees.

3. Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Despite their "healthy" marketing, some of Smoothie King's drinks are fairly high in sugar. Turbinado is an ingredient that appears in several blends, including Peanut Power Plus Strawberry, Yogurt D-Lite and Angel Food. The name makes it sound like some kind of protein powder, but it's actually semi-refined brown sugar.

Fortunately, as we discussed earlier, it's easy to remove turbinado from your drink. The app gives you the option to replace it with a plant-based sweetener or remove it altogether. Many smoothies also contain fruit with added sugar, which you can substitute with a lighter ingredient, such as ginger or organic spinach.

4. Customize a Kids' Smoothie

Full-size blends can be a little pricey, so if you want to save a few dollars, try ordering one of the kids' smoothies and customizing it until it's close to your regular order. You'll get a smaller serving size, but it's a good way to try new combinations. With a banana and strawberry base, Lil' Angel is particularly easy to modify.

5. Order a Customizable Blend

Most drinks on the menu allow substitutions, but a few blends actually require you to choose one or two ingredients before you can order. This is a great way to experiment and create your own signature recipe.

If you're craving a thick, creamy smoothie, the Yogurt D-Lite starts with a base of milk, turbinado, protein powder and vanilla frozen yogurt. You'll choose one fruit, vegetable or juice to flavor the drink.

Likewise, the Gladiator GLP-1 Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla blends offer a Gladiator Protein base. You'll select two ingredients from a limited menu of fruits, vegetables and nuts that are suitable for GLP-1 patients.

No dietary restrictions? The classic Gladiator flavors in the Get Fit category allow you to choose two ingredients from a broader menu that includes fruits, vegetables, juices, nut butters, yogurt and coffee. If you're not sure what to get, try thinking about flavors that complement each other.

What's your usual Smoothie King order? How do you save money when you place an order? Sound off in the comments.