May 6, 2019

The Co-op Natural Foods has added made-to-order fruit smoothies to its deli offerings.

The 16-ounce Power Smoothies come in six flavors. The drinks are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, said Andrew Elgersma, the prepared foods manager for the health food grocery store at 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue.

“They’re inspired by the Power Rangers,” Elgersma said. “They were one of my favorite things when I was a kid. They’re all different colors like the Rangers, and they’re named after them.”

The addition is in response to customer demand. “Last summer, we had a lot of requests for smoothies,” he said. “We decided to get ahead of the game, and we’re offering them now.”

The fruit smoothies are available when the deli is open, which is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The Co-op recently expanded its hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.