What fruits and vegetables Cannot be juiced together?

Juicing has become an incredibly popular 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. However, there are some important guidelines to follow when making juice combinations. Certain fruits and vegetables don’t blend well together and can cause digestive issues. In this article, we’ll explore which produce pairings should be avoided when juicing.

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Juice Combinations

At first glance, it may seem that any fruit or vegetable can be juiced together. But this isn’t the case. Juicing extracts the fluid content from produce, leaving behind the insoluble fiber. This fiber is what helps slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes when eating whole fruits and veggies. Without it, the natural sugars and acids in juice combinations can cause trouble if they’re not properly balanced.

Drinking juice combinations that don’t agree with you can lead to gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. Certain fruits and veggies contain specific enzymes and acids that impact digestion. Putting too many of them together in one juice can overwhelm your digestive system. Paying attention to juice combinations helps avoid these unwanted side effects.

Fruits and Vegetables to Avoid Juicing Together

When deciding which fruits and veggies to juice together, there are some basic guidelines to follow:

• Don’t combine sweet fruits with starchy vegetables
• Don’t mix fruits high in acid with fruits low in acid
• Limit fruits high in sugar
• Combine vegetables with fruits sparingly

With these rules in mind, here are some specific fruits and vegetables you’ll want to avoid juicing together:

Melons and Other Produce

Melons like honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon have very high water content. When juiced with other fruits and veggies, their juice can become significantly diluted. It’s best to juice melons on their own.

Citrus Fruits and Starchy Vegetables

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes contain high amounts of citric acid. This acid can interact with starchy vegetables like potatoes, parsnips and carrots, causing digestive issues. It’s best to avoid combining citrus fruits with starchy veggies.

Pineapple and Other Fruits

Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which helps break down protein. When combined with other fruits high in vitamins and minerals, the bromelain can degrade those nutrients. It’s recommended to juice pineapple by itself.

Apples and Carrots

Apples contain malic acid, which can interact with the calcium in carrots. This can lead to carrot juice that tastes unpleasantly bitter. It’s better to juice apples and carrots separately.

Cucumber and Melons

Cucumber and melons are both high water content foods. Juicing them together significantly dilutes the nutritional value of the juice. It’s best to avoid combining cucumber with melon juices.

Fruit Combinations to Avoid

Certain fruits simply don’t blend well together when juicing due to their acid content:

• Grapes and berries
• Pineapple and berries
• Citrus fruits and berries
• Mango and berries

Berries like strawberries and raspberries mix better with low acid fruits like pears and apples.

Best and Worst Juice Combinations

Now that you know which fruits and veggies to avoid juicing together, let’s look at some of the best and worst juice combinations.

Best Juice Combinations

Here are some of the most nutritious and digestion-friendly juice combinations:

Juice	Benefits
Apples, carrots, ginger	Anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting
Oranges, kale, lemon, ginger	High in vitamin C, iron, antioxidants
Pineapple, cucumber, mint	Hydrating, nutrients, fresh flavor
Beets, carrots, celery, lemon	Rich source of vitamins and minerals
Tomatoes, carrots, spinach	Immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory

Worst Juice Combinations

Here are some juice combinations that can cause digestive upset:

Juice	Potential Issues
Oranges, carrots, beets	High acidity, nutrient degradation
Pineapple, strawberries, mango	Enzyme interactions, high sugar
Watermelon, banana, coconut water	Extremely high water content
Cucumber, melon, apple	Very diluted, low nutrition
Grapefruit, kale, broccoli	High acidity, gassy veggies

Tips for Juicing Fruits and Vegetables Together

Follow these tips to get the most nutrition and flavor from your homemade juices without unpleasant side effects:

• Use lemons and limes sparingly to add a touch of tartness
• Include herbs like mint, basil, cilantro for fresh flavor
• Add ginger to combat inflammation and settle the stomach
• Drink juice immediately after making for best nutrition
• If juice tastes unpleasantly bitter, add more sweet fruits
• Dilute high sugar juices with cucumber or celery
• Limit high water content fruits and veggies
• Aim for 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 fruits in juices

The Best Juicer for Fruit and Vegetable Combinations

Having the right juicer makes all the difference when juicing combinations of fruits and vegetables. The best juicers for handling diverse produce are masticating or “cold press” juicers. Here’s why they work so well:

• Gently crush produce to extract juice without heat buildup
• Higher juice yields from fruits and vegetables
• Minimal oxidation for longer lasting juice
• Juice can be stored up to 72 hours
• More nutrients and enzymes retained
• Quiet operation

Some of the top-rated masticating juicers include the Omega J8006, the Tribest Slowstar, and the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer. Investing in a high quality masticating juicer will make juicing diverse fruits and vegetables easy and efficient.

Sample Juice Recipes with Fruit/Vegetable Combinations

Here are a few tasty juice recipes that combine fruits and veggies using the guidelines provided:

Green Morning Juice

• 1 cucumber
• 5 stalks celery
• 1 green apple
• 1⁄2 lemon
• Handful spinach
• 2 inches ginger

Carrot Apple Ginger Juice

• 5 carrots
• 2 green apples
• 1 inch ginger

Tropical Delight Juice

• 1⁄2 pineapple
• 1 orange
• 1⁄2 cucumber
• Handful mint

Beet Red Juice

• 2 beets
• 3 carrots
• 1 apple
• 1⁄2 lemon

Get creative with your own juice recipes using complementary fruits and vegetables. Pay attention to how different combinations make you feel. Over time you’ll learn which juices provide the best nutrition and energy for your body.

Conclusion

Juicing can pack a nutritional punch, but combining the wrong fruits and vegetables can spell disaster for your digestion. Pay attention to juice combinations and avoid mixing fruits and veggies that are contradictory. Follow the guidelines provided to make healthy, balanced juices that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and enzymes without unpleasant side effects. With a high quality masticating juicer and a little planning, you can make delicious fruit and vegetable juices part of your regular routine.