What fruits and vegetables can you mix with juicing?
Juicing is an easy and delicious way to get more nutrients into your diet. By extracting the juice from fruits and vegetables, you can consume a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Combining different produce creates flavorful and nutritious juice blends.
Benefits of Juicing
There are several benefits that make juicing worth including in your routine:
- Increases intake of nutrients – Juicing makes it easier to consume more fruits and veggies. This means more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Easy absorption – Your body can easily absorb the nutrients from juice since the fiber has been removed.
- Supports weight loss – Juices are low in calories and drinking them can help you feel full.
- Boosts energy – The natural sugars and nutrients in juice give you an energy boost.
- Hydrates – Juices made from water-rich fruits and veggies can help keep you hydrated.
- Supports immunity – The nutrients in juice support your immune system.
- Aids digestion – Drinking juice can improve digestion and regularity.
- Detoxifies – Juice helps flush out toxins from your kidneys and liver.
Choosing Fruits and Vegetables for Juicing
Nearly all fruits and vegetables can be juiced, but some produce contains more nutrients and juice than others. Here are some top choices:
Fruits
- Apples – A classic base for juices. Apples provide sweetness and are high in vitamin C.
- Citrus fruits – Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes add flavor and vitamin C.
- Berries – Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. have antioxidants and sweetness.
- Melons – Watermelon and cantaloupe have high water content.
- Mangoes – Mangoes are sweet and contain vitamins A, C and B6.
- Pineapple – Pineapple gives juice a tropical taste and bromelain enzyme.
- Pears – Pears mix well with other flavors and provide fiber.
- Grapes – Grapes, especially dark varieties, contain antioxidants.
Vegetables
- Carrots – Carrots sweeten juice and provide vitamin A.
- Celery – Celery is mostly water and gives juice a fresh taste.
- Cucumber – Cucumbers also have a high water content and mild flavor.
- Tomatoes – Use cherry or grape tomatoes for sweeter juice.
- Leafy greens – Kale, spinach, chard, etc. pack nutrients.
- Beets – Beets have an earthy flavor and antioxidant benefits.
- Ginger – Ginger adds a little spice and aids digestion.
- Garlic – Garlic is cleansing and adds tons of flavor.
When getting started, choose milder produce like cucumbers and apples. Then try adding small amounts of veggies like celery, spinach or kale to make the juice more nutrient-dense without overpowering the flavor.
Mix and Match for Delicious Combos
One of the best things about juicing is that you can mix up lots of ingredients to create tasty and unique flavor combinations. Certain fruits and veggies pair especially well together.
Fruit Juice Blends
- Apples, oranges, pineapples
- Berries, apples, lime
- Grapes, pineapple, lemon
- Watermelon, strawberries, mint
- Cherries, oranges, carrots
Veggie Juice Blends
- Celery, cucumber, carrots
- Tomatoes, spinach, garlic
- Beets, carrots, lemon
- Kale, parsley, broccoli, ginger
- Cucumber, celery, lettuce
Mixed Fruit and Veggie Blends
- Apples, carrots, beets
- Pineapple, cucumber, mint
- Grapes, kale, lemon
- Berries, spinach, apple
- Mango, carrot, ginger
Get creative and try out juice combos with your favorite produce. Fruity juices are naturally sweeter, while veggie juices have more savory flavors. Mix and match to find balances you enjoy.
Top 10 Juice Blends to Try
If you need some juice inspiration, here are 10 nutritious and delicious juice recipes to try:
Juice Name | Fruit and Vegetable Ingredients |
---|---|
Apple Pie Juice | Apples, carrots, cinnamon |
Tropical Green Juice | Pineapple, spinach, cucumber, ginger |
Berry Beet Blend | Strawberries, blueberries, beets, lemon |
Citrus Carrot Mix | Oranges, carrots, ginger |
Green Grapefruit Juice | Grapefruit, spinach, kale, cucumber, ginger |
Watermelon Limeade | Watermelon, lime, mint |
Orange Power Juice | Oranges, carrots, sweet potato, ginger |
Lean Green Juice | Kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger |
Purple Pear Juice | Pears, purple cabbage, blackberries |
Apple Beet Ginger Juice | Apples, beets, lemon, ginger |
Tips for Making Tasty Mixed Juices
Here are some helpful tips for crafting delicious mixed fruit and vegetable juices:
- Use apples, carrots or beets as a base – They provide natural sweetness to balance strong flavors.
- Add lemons or limes – Citrus brightens other produce and adds vitamin C.
- Include ginger or garlic – These provide cleansing benefits and bold flavor.
- Mix sweet and savory – Balance fruits with veggies to create complex flavor profiles.
- Add fresh herbs – Mint, parsley, basil and cilantro complement juices.
- Don’t overload on veggies – Start with mostly mild produce then increase veggies.
- Drink immediately – To get the most nutrients, drink juice right after making it.
- Wash produce – Thoroughly clean all fruits and vegetables before juicing.
- Rotate produce – Switch up ingredients to get a variety of nutrients.
- Try new combos – Experiment to find unique pairings you enjoy.
Choosing a Juicer
Investing in a good juicer will make it much easier to whip up fresh, homemade juices. Here are some juicer buying considerations:
- Type – The main types are centrifugal, masticating, triturating, and citrus juicers.
- Speed – Faster juicers are quicker but produce less yield and nutrients.
- Power – More watts mean it can juice denser produce like beets or apples.
- Feed chute – A larger chute fits bigger pieces of fruits and veggies.
- Pulp separation – Some juicers automatically separate pulp into a container.
- Ease of use – Look for dishwasher-safe parts and intuitive controls.
- Noise – Make sure the juicer doesn’t create excessive noise.
- Price – Juicers range from $50 to $400, choose based on your budget.
Do some research to find the best juicer for your needs. Talk to other juicing fans, read reviews of different brands, and watch demos of juicers in action.
Making Juicing Part of Your Routine
Here are some final tips for making juicing a sustainable habit:
- Schedule time to juice – Block out time 1-2 times a week to make a batch.
- Prep ingredients – Chop and organize fruits and veggies in advance.
- Make enough for a few days – Store extra juice in air-tight containers.
- Add to smoothies – Use leftover juice as a base for smoothies.
- Drink juice with meals – Enjoy it for breakfast or with snacks and lunches.
- Track benefits – Notice positive impacts like more energy.
- Clean as you go – Keep up with juicer dishware to avoid big messes.
- Experiment with combos – Finding fun flavor combos will keep you motivated.
- Use produce before it spoils – Juice overripe fruits and wilting veggies.
Conclusion
Juicing is a fresh, fun way to get in power-packed nutrition from fruits and veggies. The possibilities are endless when it comes to mixing and matching produce into nutrient-rich and great-tasting juice blends. Drink them for better health, energy, and weight loss support. With so many flavorful combinations to try, you’ll look forward to juicing! Using a wide variety of ingredients will provide your body with a diversity of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.