Juicing :: Healthy or Hype? {Plus 3 Delicious Recipes}

Juicing RecipesThink about the past few days. How many servings of fruits and vegetables did you consume? What about your kids?

If you’re like most people, chances are you’re falling short when in comes to recommended servings of fruits and vegetables (I’m guilty, too). That’s where juicing could help increase your intake! However, there is so much buzz surrounding juicing that it’s hard to know if it’s truly healthy or all hype. Let me sort out some of the confusion:

First, juicing is not better than eating whole fruits and vegetables. In fact, juicing strips some nutrients including fiber. Ideally, it’s best to consume fruits and vegetables in whole form, but that doesn’t always happen. And who says it needs to be one way or the other? There is nothing wrong with juicing in addition to eating whole fruits and vegetables. The more fruits and vegetables we consume the better!

Juicing is not just for fitness buffs and body builders; everyone in your family can benefit from juicing!

5 Reasons Why You And Your Family Should Juice:

  1. Juicing is an opportunity to be creative and experiment with different fruits and vegetables. You’ll discover new varieties and combinations that go well together. The possibilities are endless!
  2. Juicing is an easy way to consume essential vitamins and minerals, especially for picky eaters who avoid all things green and healthy. It’s a lot easier to get a picky eater to drink a glass of juice than eat a plate full of kale.
  3. Juicing may translate to another healthy habit. Consuming more fruits and vegetables will likely make you feel good about yourself and motivated to adopt another healthy habit such as walking more, drinking less soda, etc. Sometimes all it takes is one simple change to get the ball rolling.
  4. Juicing cuts down on food waste. If you have leftover produce that won’t get consumed before it goes bad, throw it in the juicer rather than the garbage can.
  5. Juicing is delicious and refreshing!

Juicing RecipesJuicing Is Healthy, But Don’t Believe All The Hype:

Consuming fruits and vegetables whether in whole or liquid form is good for you, but unfortunately some of the health claims surrounding juicing are far fetched. For example, juicing itself will not promote weight loss despite the many “Lose 7 pounds in 3 days” gimmicks. Contrary to what many people believe, juice is not necessarily low in calories. While juice is a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, it can also be a concentrated source of sugar and calories. Many people also feel less satisfied when consuming food in liquid form, so they actually end up taking in more calories.

Think about sitting down and eating 3 whole apples and 2 cups of baby carrots. Wouldn’t you be uncomfortably full by the end of the meal? Or at least tired of chewing? Now think about drinking the juice from 3 apples and 2 cups of carrots. You could probably do that without making a big dent in your hunger, and the amount of calories you consume would be similar. I’m not implying that you should avoid juice because it can be a concentrated source of calories. I’m simply letting you know that you shouldn’t expect the weight to fall off because you’ve decided to drink a concoction of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, weight loss is not that easy. If you are concerned about calories, make juices that contain more vegetables than fruit because vegetables are generally lower in sugar and calories. It’s also best to make your own juice rather than buy prepared juice so that you have control over the contents. Prepared juices are often high in sugar and calories.

Another tidbit worth mentioning is that juice doesn’t possess any magical powers and it won’t help your body “detox” or “cleanse” itself. These are mostly buzz words used to sell products and aren’t backed by evidence-based medical literature. People don’t need to consume another substance in order to get rid of toxins; that’s what your liver and kidneys are for. If you hear someone rattling off all the miraculous health benefits of a detox or cleanse, they are most likely trying to sell you something.

How To Get Started:

Now that you know more about juicing, hopefully you’re interested in giving it a try! You only need a few things to get started: a juicer, fruits and/or vegetables, and an imagination.

There are MANY different juicers on the market. When deciding which juicer is right for you, it’s important to consider cost, ease of use, and ease of cleaning. This is the juicer I purchased a few years ago and I’ve had no problems with it, but there are plenty of other great options on the market. Do some research and read reviews before deciding which one is best for you and your family.

Experimenting with different combinations of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices is part of the fun, but there are also countless recipe books available if you need inspiration or would rather follow instructions step by step. Or try one of my favorite juicing recipes listed below!

KaleWatermelonAppleLemon CarrotBeetPineappleGingerJuice PearCucumberLimeMint Happy Juicing!

Melanie Senn
Melanie grew up in Salina, KS and currently lives on the east side of Wichita with her husband of 5 years and their 1 year old son. They also have an energetic Pomeranian who is still adjusting to not being an only child. Melanie works full time as a Physician Assistant, but her background is in nutrition and she is also a Registered Dietitian. Even though she has degrees from KU, K-State, and Wichita State, she bleeds purple and cheers loudest for the K-State Wildcats. When she isn't working, she is usually making a huge mess in the kitchen trying new recipes or snuggled up on the couch with her boys.