If there’s one beverage that almost everyone loves, it’s juice. Kids and adults alike drink the stuff, and when it’s made right, juice can be packed with nutrients.
That’s why juicing can be so beneficial.
While orange, apple, and grape juices are most common, there’s much more to juice.
There have been many juicing crazes that make people rush out and buy the newest brand name juicer to hop on the bandwagon.
However, juicing isn’t just a fad. If you add juicing to your arsenal of culinary skills, you’ll be able to drink new, exciting and healthy beverages.
You might find yourself loving juices from foods you’ve never even heard of, and maybe you’ll even find your new favorite drink!
This guide will help you understand what you need to juice and which foods are good for juicing. Get ready to step into the wonderful world of juice.
Juicers
If you’re new to juicers, you might only be familiar with the models available at your nearest big box store. However, choosing the right juicer is a little more complicated than you may think.
To start with, you have to consider the pros and cons of the two different types of juicers: centrifugal and masticating.
Centrifugal Juicers
As you may have guessed, these juicers use centrifugal force to get the job done. This is the more common type of juicer, consisting of a metal blade that spins rapidly against a filter.
Basically, these work similarly to blenders.
These are good all-around juicers, they’re simple to use, and many of them are available at an affordable price.
They aren’t ideal for juicing leafy greens, however, and it won’t give you the most juice.
The Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor is one of the best juicers of this type available on the market.
It can get up to 13,000 revolutions per minute, which means it can juice the heck out of most foods.
Housed in die-cast steel and boasting a titanium-reinforced blade, this is a serious juicer.
Breville does say that it can handle greens, but you’ll need to roll them into a bundle or place them in the middle of a combination of other foods.
Masticating Juicers
You might remember the term “masticating” from a science class, and it has to do with the movement of chewing.
That’s exactly what a masticating juicer does. It chews and crushes foods in order to get the juice out.
Masticating juicers produce much more juice, and they extract more of the nutrients present in foods. The downside? They can be a bit pricey.
But if you’re looking for a buy-it-for-life juicer, consider the masticating type.
The Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Juicer is a top masticating juicer that has countless rave reviews.
This dual-stage model produces a high juice yield, which means it’s incredibly efficient.
With a 15 year warranty, you can count on the Omega to last. You can even make nut butter and pasta (yes, pasta) with it!
This is a jack of all trades that will open up new possibilities.
The Best Vegetables to Juice
First, let’s talk veggies.
Vegetable juice often gets a bad reputation for being a bit hard to stomach, but with the right juicer, you can unlock the nutritive powers of vegetables and make tasty juices.
Vegetable juices contain less sugar than fruit juices, making them much better for regular consumption. And you might be surprised at how good some of these can be!
Broccoli
If you never ate your broccoli as a kid, it’s high time to start! Broccoli is resplendent with vitamins E and K, which serve as antioxidants.
It can also help make your bones stronger, and it’s a great source of fiber.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a vegetable most people forget about, but it’s one of the best vegetables to juice because of its many health benefits.
It contains vitamin K, reduces inflammation, and may help protect you from cancer.
Carrots
Carrots are some of the absolute best vegetables to juice.
They’re vitamin rich, containing vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B8, which help with everything from keeping your eyes healthy to relieving stress.
Celery
Celery has a high water level, which means it’s good for both juicing and hydration!
It also has lots of nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and folate.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers may not seem like much, but since they’re 95% water, they’re great for juicing.
Vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and minerals (like magnesium and potassium) are all found in cucumbers.
Kale
Kale is one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables, with tons of vitamin K, iron, vitamin C, calcium, and antioxidants.
A little bit of kale goes a long way, and it’s arguably the single best green to juice.
The Best Fruits to Juice
Because some fruits are naturally high in sugar, you’ll want to find the best fruits to juice, and you’ll also want to make sure you’re juicing both fruits and veggies.
With that said, here are some good fruits to start with.
Apples
No surprise here––apples are one of the most powerful fruits.
There’s little sugar and a lot of antioxidants, which makes apples a must-have for juicing.
Berries
Whether you choose blueberries, raspberries, or lingonberries, you can’t go wrong with juicing some berries.
They don’t have a lot of sugar, so you can make them a staple in your juicing routine.
Grapefruits
The humble grapefruit is so healthy that there’s even an entire diet based around it!
While the diet doesn’t work like magic, the grapefruit is still a fantastic choice, as it has tons of vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene.
Pineapples
Want to add a more tropical twist to your juicing? Pineapples are perfect!
The pineapple is great for an immune system boost and can also aid in digestion.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is one of the best antioxidants for preventing free radicals. (Yes, tomatoes are fruits.)
Final Word
If you want to start incorporating healthy foods into your diet, juicing is a great way to dive in. Making the small investment of a juicer can transform how you eat in the long run.
Juice is more than the processed stuff you pass by at the supermarket. It’s a bona fide health booster, and for that reason, we recommend giving juicing a try.
image: Flickr