You hear it everywhere – green “super” smoothies and other juices are the latest way to pack in your daily servings of fruits and veggies. Drinking your meals has become all the rage – let’s break it down and see the true pros and cons of “juicing.”
Pros:
• Convenience: Juicing provides an easy, fast, and portable way to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables.
• Good for you: It’s also a great way for you to pack in nutrition that you wouldn’t normally add to your main meals (think chia seeds and kale). Just sip on a delicious and healthy glass of juice instead.
• Tasty: Combining all ingredients is generally tastier than eating a giant bowl of broccoli, carrots, kale, apples, or spinach.
Essentially, juicing is an easy way for you to drink what you should be eating. Sure beats that quick candy bar (and that crash in energy an hour later)!
Cons:
• Fiber: One of the best things about eating whole fruits and vegetables is that they are chock-full of fiber. Most methods of juicing your fruits and veggies extracts the juice but leaves most of the nutritious fiber behind. Add some of the pulp back in (when blending), or use it for cooking to make sure you don’t waste this big-time benefit.• Calories & sugar: It’s also important to watch how many calories you squish into your glass of juice. Fruit juice will generally have more calories than vegetable juice – so use more vegetables than fruit.
• Avoid a sugar rush from a fruity smoothie by spreading out small servings over time. On the other hand, it only takes one apple to overpower the less-sweet taste of most veggies, so you can easily hide them in there with only a small amount of fruit.
• You can also balance your juice into a complete meal by adding a protein source. Greek yogurt, flaxseed, or protein powder all make delicious smoothie additions.
I drink super smoothies almost every day for breakfast. Here’s my “unofficial” recipe:
Super Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 handful greens (I buy the spinach, kale, chard blend)
1 banana (the banana gives it a more smooth/creamy texture) – you could also use an avocado for the same effect
1 handful fresh fruit (I use fresh pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, mango or whatever is in season)
1 scoop of protein powder (vanilla or strawberry are the best). You could also use an individual container of Greek or plain low-fat yogurt as a great protein source as well. NOTE: A protein source is very important as it will help keep you feeling full longer.
1 handful frozen fruit (the mixed fruit with pineapple, strawberries, mango and peaches is really good as well as frozen blueberries). The frozen fruit helps keep it cold.
Add-ins: Hemp hearts, chia seeds, goji berries, or almonds are great add-ins and also additional protein sources. Visit your local health food store for these items.
6-7 oz. water or coconut water (the amount of water added will depend on the size of your juicing container and your ingredients. If you use yogurt instead of protein powder, I would add a little more liquid). Avoid using fruit juice as your liquid as this will add more sugar and calories.
Blend or extract for 30-45 seconds or until all ingredients are blended and you have a smooth and creamy texture. Enjoy!!
Don’t be discouraged if your first juice is a flop – it takes time and practice to create a yummy “super” smoothie! Keep experimenting and you’ll discover the perfect balance of ingredients. Hopefully, my “unofficial” recipe will get you started in the right direction.
For more information, please contact Kim Miles, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.
