Juicing seems to be my family's new favorite 'project' lately. We like to try different combinations of fruits and veggies and even though some look like pond scum, many taste pretty darn good for being healthy!
Getting started with this great trend can seem quite daunting, but don't over think it... and keep it simple. You do not have to purchase and entire produce isle at the grocery store to try this. We usually juice greens but this weekend we tried a new combination that ended up being named our 'favorite' RED JUICE!
YUM YUM YUM!
One thing to point out is the difference between JUICES and SMOOTHIES:
JUICE is- extracting the actual juice from fruits and vegetables (not all fruits and veggies can be put through a juicer- i.e. bananas do not work- there is no juice extracted)
SMOOTHIE is- a thick smooth, drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt or ice
Think of smoothies as in a blender. Pretty much anything can be blended.
The most popular advantage to Juice over a Smoothie has to do with the air created in the process. If you make a smoothie and have tummy discomfort, then juice might be your better option. If you don't skim the frothy part on the top of smoothies (especially when using spinach and kale) it could leave you feeling... well, a little gassy and uncomfortable. Hence the reason juice is gaining popularity.
I have a very basic Juicer- it was no more than $60 and purchased on Groupon but I have also seen in the in Target as well for similar pricing. I went basic to make sure we were going to use it enough to make purchasing a more expensive, fancier one worth it. This one has been great so far and comes apart easily to make clean up easy- which is one of the biggest complaints I hear about this... the time it takes to clean after making your scrumptious juice. Remember- keep it simple! (and cost-effective too)
So, see the black 'trash can' looking attachment on the left of the juicer- it collects all of your pulp and left over material once the juice has been extracted. It's pretty gross, not gonna lie. BUT, if you line that with a produce bag or even a shopping bag beforehand, when you are finished you simply pull the bag out and voila, no need to spend time scrubbing that clean!
The red juice we make has all items shown above:
- a handful of kale
- a handful of spinach
- 2 apples (I do not core or anything- you can throw the whole thing in)
- a half of a beet (I cut it in half so you can see how 'blood' red it is. I also add the leaves that come with it
- 3 little slices of ginger
- 4 strawberries
- a broccoli stem
- lemon wedge with skin/peeling left on
Put all of that through the juicer and I usually finish with just a small amount of water to rinse everything through. Then be pure to stir well (this particular juicer has a part on the inside of the pitcher that detaches and you stir with that, but a spoon works too.
Also if you prefer you can add an ice cube or two and a straw- that's it!
(my kids request the ice cube as it tend to be somewhat warmer than the smoothies we make with frozen fruit)
There are so many health benefits to juicing- especially when using organic fruits and vegetables. Don't overwhelm yourself- just try it... and keep trying it. We make plenty that are not so good, but you come across some really good ones too! It's a great activity to get everyone involved in!
Stay tuned for more recipes, especially the green juice you see me post all the time!
I would love to hear from you when you try this one... comment below or find me on twitter, instagram and follow my pinterest boards!
Post a picture of you with your juice and use the hashtag #RockstarMomLifeJuice
