Posted on January 18, 2018 by Healthy Living

Nina’s Tips and Techniques: Juicing!

I really want to start drinking a fresh fruit/vegetable juice every day. What should I juice? How do I know what will taste good together?

Oh wow, there are so many things you can juice and so many amazing combos! When I’m putting a juice together I try to picture the ingredients combined in a salad or cooked dish. If it seems like a good pair I give it a shot. If it sounds weird, it might be just that! For example, I would happily eat a shredded carrot, apple, beet salad with a ginger dressing. So It’s a natural juice combo. Here are some great combos I’ve tried and love:

    • Carrot, apple, beet, ginger, lemon – can add kale!
    • Cucumber, spinach, apple or melon – can add ginger!
    • Apple, celery, parsley, lemon
    • Spinach, strawberries, lemon
    • Kale, carrot, apple
    • Carrot, beet, ginger
    • Carrot, turmeric, ginger, apple, lemon
    • Pear, blueberry, kale
    • Pear, ginger, spinach
    • Cucumber, kale, ginger and a splash of kombucha

How many veggies do I need to get one serving of juice?

Different foods contain different amounts of water, so it will vary based on what you are juicing. For example, a cucumber has a high water content, a piece of ginger root is low. So whereas a whole cucumber might get you 6 oz of water, a large piece of ginger will get you about 1. I generally use a rough 4:1 food:juice ratio. It usually works out, but it’s not perfect. If you get in a groove with juicing you will start to know how much your veggies and fruits will yield. Try juicing into a graduated glass measuring cup and pay attention to how much liquid each item produces as you put it through the juicer. This will help you learn how to gauge for next time!

Can I juice ahead of time or do I need to consume fresh juice right away?

Fruits and veggies do start to lose their nutrients slowly after they are juiced, but not rapidly enough to justify having to juice-to-order every time. Juicing in the morning for the day is perfectly acceptable. Don’t stress… this is still way healthier than a cheeseburger!

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