Juicing is a great way to get massive antioxidant, fruit and veggie boosts in a glass. But the juicing journey doesn’t end when you squeeze your last drop.
Using your juicer’s pulp to make recipes is delicious and sustainable. Plus, it helps you reach your recommended daily servings of veggies without feeling overwhelmed by salads and soups.
1. Spinach and Kale
A true superfood, kale is packed with nutrients that support heart health, fight diabetes and more. Juicing it is the best way to reap all of its nourishing benefits, as it allows you to enjoy a healthy dose in one sip.
This nutrient-packed juice is made from spinach, kale and cucumber. Cucumber is hydrating, while ginger, citrus and parsley are anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting. This recipe makes for a delicious and refreshing drink that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
If you haven’t yet gotten into juicing, consider this recipe a great place to start. The berries add sweetness, while the greens offer a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. This recipe is easy to make and can be adjusted to fit your tastes.
Try this berry-infused detox juice to cleanse your body and boost energy levels. The combination of strawberries, kale and spinach provides antioxidants and essential nutrients for a healthier lifestyle.
Beets are another powerful nutrient that can help reduce inflammation and detoxify your body — something we learned at Juice Guru classes. Combine them with berries and apples to create this tasty drink that will leave you feeling refreshed.
This green juice is a great source of calcium, which helps strengthen bones and teeth. It is also rich in vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting and supports bone health. Try this recipe with a variety of other healthy ingredients such as cabbage, cucumber and lemon.
Dandelion greens are an underrated superfood that can add a unique flavor to juices. Its earthy and slightly bitter taste pairs well with sweet fruits or strong flavors like lemon or ginger. Since dandelion greens are often covered in harmful pesticides, be sure to look for organic ones when you shop.
The sour flavor of verjus might not be everyone’s favorite, but it can be a refreshing addition to juices when mixed with other fruity flavors. This is an excellent alternative to using regular vinegar as it contains no added sugar, but still packs a punch of acidity. This recipe is easy to make and a great way to get started with this ancient technique of making wine-like drinks.
2. Citrus
Citrus fruits are a popular and convenient source of vitamin C, as well as other essential vitamins and minerals. They also provide energy-giving carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and important phytochemicals. The most commonly consumed citrus juices in the US are orange (OJ) and grapefruit juice (GJ). OJ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and provides potassium, folate, vitamin A, and magnesium. Several studies have shown that OJ and GJ intake is associated with higher diet quality and lower obesity and other anthropometric measures.
Citrus juices are high in phenolic compounds, including flavanone glycosides and polymethoxylated flavones. The combination of these compounds is unique to each citrus fruit and provides patterns that can be used for verification of the identity of a particular citrus juice. They are also important to the juicing industry because they are an essential ingredient for extending the shelf life of juice.
The fresh flavor of citrus enhances and balances other basic flavors; helps to preserve color and prevent oxidation; provides a tart, sweet-tart or acidic flavor; adds brightness to beverages and desserts; heightens umami in roasted meats and vegetables; softens the earthiness of whole grains, pasta and rice; and acts as an alternative to vinegar or wine in some acid-based salad dressings and sauces.
Decent bars buy a lot of citrus — think gallons of lemons, limes and oranges — to serve cocktails. Even with the best intentions toward sustainability, this can lead to a lot of waste. The peels contain a potent mixture of essential oils that are lost in the juicing process, and even with a good compost bin, there is simply no way to keep up with the volume of spent shells.
Fortunately, there is now an excellent option for bartenders to eliminate the waste and create a high-quality beverage with minimal environmental impact. Finest Call’s new Premium Citrus Sour Mix is a blend of single-pressed lime and lemon juices, rounded out with premium orange juice for added sweetness and consistency. It’s the perfect addition to any top-shelf margarita, and is also ideal for a wide range of other cocktails.
3. Apples
You may think about apples as classic fruit bowl staples or a sweet, crunchy addition to desserts and granola, but you can also include them in juice recipes for a unique flavor combination. Apples (Malus domestica) provide a range of important nutrients, including vitamin C, dietary fiber and antioxidants. They have a firm texture and a taste that can range from sweet to tart.
The fruit is also a powerful source of phytonutrients, especially flavonoids and other polyphenols. These plant compounds offer anti-inflammatory benefits, which help to reduce inflammation in the body. Research has found that polyphenols may be linked to reduced risks for heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.
Edie Zumpano, RD, a nutrition coach and founder of the wellness coaching business, Wellness with Edie, says that apple-based beverages are good choices for anyone trying to lose weight or reduce high blood pressure. They can be an excellent source of soluble fiber and potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure. Apples are also rich in a variety of antioxidants, which can provide cancer-fighting nutrients and boost immunity.
Juicing is an effective and easy way to get a large number of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables. It can also be an effective way to meet recommended nutrient intakes for most adults. However, juicing strips away much of the fiber from whole fruits and veggies, so it is best used in conjunction with other methods of getting fiber into your diet, such as eating whole, unprocessed produce.
A medium-sized apple contains 4.8 grams of fiber, and it is also a good source of vitamin C. Adding a few slices of apple to a salad can provide an added crunch and a tasty, tangy flavor. They also make a healthy addition to tuna, chicken or vegetable-based salads.
4. Carrots
Adding carrots to your juice recipes adds a sweet, earthy flavor. The nutrient content of carrots includes beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and the stress-reducing mineral magnesium. Carrots also provide a good amount of vitamin C.
You can use carrots by themselves or combine them with other vegetables and fruits in your juicing recipes. For example, carrots pair well with ginger. Ginger’s zing and heat complement the sweetness of the carrots in this refreshing carrot ginger juice recipe. Carrots can also be combined with citrus. Pineapple’s sweetness and lemon’s tanginess pair beautifully with the carrot in this winning carrot orange juice recipe.
A unique vegetable that is not commonly used in juices, basil has a strong flavor with hints of mint and licorice. It’s best to limit the number of basil leaves you use, since it can overwhelm the other ingredients in the juice. However, when used sparingly, basil can make a delicious and healthy addition to fresh fruit and veggie juices. Basil is a great source of Vitamin A and contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that are helpful for the immune system.
Juicing makes it easy to get more greens and other veggies into your diet. The blending process condenses huge piles of produce into sippable drinks, and it eliminates the need to peel and chop ingredients. It’s important to choose the right kind of juicer for juicing to maximize nutrients and flavor. A slow juicer works slowly to crush and squeeze the ingredients, which minimizes heat generation and oxygen exposure. This produces a richer, fuller taste compared to the faster-processing centrifugal juicers.
You can also add a variety of herbs to your juices to boost the health benefits. Thyme is a natural decongestant and has anti-inflammatory properties, while parsley helps to cleanse the liver. It also has an antibacterial effect and is a source of vitamin A, calcium, iron and magnesium. You can also add turmeric root to your juices for an anti-inflammatory and digestion-boosting impact. It is also a powerful antioxidant with anti-bacterial properties.