Juicing fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to get a concentrated dose of nutrients in an easy-to-digest form. Fresh juices made at home provide enzymes and phytonutrients that boost your health and vitality. When making vegetable and fruit juices, it’s important to choose the right combination of produce to create a juice that tastes great and provides maximum benefits.
Benefits of Juicing Fruits and Vegetables
There are many benefits to juicing fruits and vegetables. First, juicing allows you to consume more produce than you could if you were eating whole fruits and vegetables. One cup of kale contains about 1.5 grams of fiber. That amount of fiber can make you feel too full to consume an entire cup of kale. However, you can juice several cups of kale and drink it all down in one sitting. This allows you to flood your body with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and phytonutrients.
Juicing also breaks down fruits and vegetables into an easy-to-absorb form. When you eat whole produce, the nutrients remain locked in the plant’s cell walls. Juicing ruptures those cell walls, releasing the nutrients so your body can readily take them in. This makes the nutrients more bioavailable. Your digestive system has an easier time accessing and utilizing the vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds in fresh vegetable and fruit juices compared to whole produce.
Additionally, juicing is an ideal way for people who have trouble digesting raw fruits and vegetables to get their daily dose. Those with digestive problems may not be able to handle large amounts of fiber. Juicing removes most of the fiber while maintaining all the vital nutrients. Drinking vegetable and fruit juices can be soothing for the digestive tract.
Best Fruits for Juicing
All fruits can be juiced, but some varieties make better juice than others in terms of nutrients, flavor, and texture. The fruits with the most juice and highest concentrations of beneficial compounds include:
- Citrus fruits – Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines are juicing superstars. They are easy to juice and provide the added benefits of vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Apples – Apples have a high water content and supply pectin, a type of fiber. The pectin gives apple juice more body and makes it slightly sweeter.
- Grapes – Both red and green grapes are excellent fruits to juice. Resveratrol, the famous antioxidant found in red grape skins, survives the juicing process and ends up in your glass.
- Berries – Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries make nutrient-rich additions to juice blends. They supply anthocyanins and other polyphenols.
- Pineapple – This tropical fruit juices well thanks to its high water content. Pineapple supplies the enzyme bromelain, which aids digestion.
- Watermelon – Watermelon is one of the juiciest fruits out there. It provides hydration and also delivers lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
Other fruits that juice nicely include cantaloupe, honeydew melon, mango, papaya, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, and pomegranates. Try mixing and matching different fruit flavors to create tasty, nutritious juice combos.
Best Vegetables for Juicing
You can juice almost any vegetable. However, some veggies yield more juice and nutrients than others. The top choices for juicing include:
- Carrots – Carrots supply copious amounts of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. They also provide biotin, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants.
- Kale – This leafy green is arguably the most nutrient-dense vegetable on the planet. Kale provides vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and powerful antioxidants.
- Celery – Celery contains over a dozen kinds of antioxidants. It also provides vitamin K, potassium, folate, and pectin.
- Beets – Beets offer a wide range of nutrients, including iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, folate, and vitamin C. Their pigments, called betalains, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Cucumber – Cucumbers are made up mostly of water, making them ideal for juicing. They also supply vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidant polyphenols called lignans.
- Parsley – This vibrant herb is rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, and various antioxidants, including luteolin.
- Spinach – Spinach provides vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, potassium, and flavonoids like kaempferol that act as antioxidants.
Other nutrient-packed vegetables that are great for juicing include broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, pumpkin, mushrooms, garlic, and onions.
Best Fruit and Vegetable Combinations for Juicing
Making vegetable-only or fruit-only juices is fine, but combining the two can result in delicious, balanced juices. Fruits add sweetness and flavor diversity while vegetables supply nutrients and texture. Here are some tasty, nutritious fruit and vegetable pairings for juicing:
| Fruit | Vegetable | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | Carrots | Sweet and packed with vitamin A |
| Oranges | Kale | Citrus flavor and greens |
| Pineapple | Cucumber | Refreshing and hydrating |
| Grapes | Spinach | Antioxidant powerhouses |
| Berries | Beets | Super nutrient combo |
| Cherries | Carrots, celery | Anti-inflammatory trio |
| Pears | Parsley | Low-calorie hydration |
Get creative and come up with your own favorite fruit and vegetable juicing combinations. The key is to use produce you enjoy and aim for combinations that give you a balance of sweet and savory flavors.
Which Vegetables Should Be Limited When Juicing
Most vegetables are fair game when it comes to juicing. However, there are a couple that are best consumed in moderation:
- Spinach – Spinach contains oxalic acid that can accumulate in the body over time. Keep spinach to about one cup per day in juices.
- Beets – Beet juice is potent stuff. More than about one medium beet worth of juice per day may cause kidneys stones in susceptible individuals.
- Carrots – Carrots are high in vitamin A, which is good, but consuming extremely high amounts via juicing can cause liver toxicity. Stick to approximately one large carrot per day.
As long as you pay attention to the amounts, you can juice spinach, beets, and carrots as part of a vegetable juice regimen. But it’s wise not to overdo it on the high-oxalate veggies or go overboard on vitamin A.
Preparation Tips for Juicing Fruits and Vegetables
Proper preparation of produce before juicing is just as important as choosing the right ingredients. Follow these tips:
- Wash all produce thoroughly before juicing, including organic varieties.
- Cut veggies like beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, and fennel into pieces that will fit through your juicer’s feed tube.
- Remove peels from oranges, tangerines, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples for easier juicing.
- De-core apples, pears, and stone fruits like peaches and plums.
- Juice softer fruits first, followed by harder items. Finish with greens.
- Alternate ingredients for a smooth extraction. Don’t overload with lots of greens or hard vegetables all at once.
- Store juices in airtight containers and drink within 24 hours for best flavor and nutritional quality.
Following proper juicing techniques helps maximize the nutrient content of your juices. Taking the time to wash, peel, cut, and alternate produce pays off in the long run.
The Best Juicers for Fruits and Vegetables
Having the right juicing equipment makes all the difference when it comes to efficiency and juice yield. These are the top juicer models for fruit- and vegetable-based juices:
- Tribest Slowstar – This powerful vertical masticating juicer efficiently juices leafy greens, fruits, and root vegetables. It operates at 47 RPM to minimize oxidation.
- Omega NC900HDC – The Omega NC900HDC is a horizontal masticating juicer with a large feed tube and powerful motor. It juices wheatgrass, leafy greens, and hard vegetables easily.
- Tribest Greenstar Pro – The Greenstar Pro is a twin gear masticating juicer ideal for juicing greens and vegetables. It’s gentle and helps retain nutrients.
- Hurom H200 – A vertical slow juicer, the Hurom H200 creates juices packed with enzymes and minerals. It handles fruits, greens, and veggies with ease.
- Breville Juice Fountain Plus – This budget-friendly centrifugal model juices whole fruits and chopped vegetables quickly. It has a large feed tube.
Investing in a high-quality juicer designed for fruits and vegetables allows you to create nutrient-rich juices at home with minimal hassle. Look for key features like powerful motors, slow speeds, and wide feed tubes.
Top Tips for Juicing Fruits and Vegetables
Follow these tips to get the most out of juicing:
- Pick produce at peak freshness and juice as soon as possible.
- Clean veggies well and remove peel and seeds from fruit when appropriate to minimize mess in the juicer.
- Juice softer produce first, then harder items. Alternate ingredients.
- Aim for dark leafy greens like kale and spinach. Add apples, celery, or cucumber for sweetness.
- If juice tastes too strong, dilute with purified water.
- Drink juice as soon as possible after making for maximum freshness and nutrients.
- Store unused juice in the fridge in an airtight container and drink within 24 hours.
- Combine fruits and vegetables to make juices more palatable.
Juicing is simple with a bit of know-how. Choose the best produce, prep it for juicing, make balanced blends, and drink the juices promptly. Follow these guidelines to get all the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables.
Conclusion
Juicing is an easy and delicious way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. When choosing produce for juicing, go for items that are naturally high in water like citrus fruits, melons, cucumbers, celery, carrots, and leafy greens. Combine fruits and veggies to make flavorful juices that provide a powerhouse of nutrients.
Aim to include green superfoods like kale, spinach, parsley, celery, cucumber, and leaf lettuce as the base of your juices. Then add sweeter produce like apples, grapes, oranges, and pineapple to improve the flavor. Drink your juices fresh to get the most out of the vital enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Invest in a high-quality juicer and take a little time to prep your fruits and vegetables properly for efficient juicing. When you make juicing a daily habit, you’ll quickly notice benefits like improved energy, better digestion, clearer skin, and an overall sense of well-being.
