These three colorful vegetable juices are an easy way to make juicing a habit this year.
The aftermath of the holiday season hit me hard; I have just started to rouse from the post-holiday haze.
December is certainly a month of activity; a frenzy of feasts, festivities and family that flies by in a flash. The next thing I knew 2013 had arrived and I was overcome by a desire to hole up, hibernate and recharge.
Frankly, the closest couch and a good nap were in order. Well, that and something fresh and liquid; a respite from the excesses of December.
Whether you are new to juicing, or an old pro, the start of the New Year is certainly the season for it. When you’re feeling a strong urge to eat clean and re-energize, no supplement is a match for the vitamins, minerals and nutrients found in whole foods like vegetables.
One of the most frequently asked questions about juicing is “why not eat your vegetables instead of juicing them?" The problem is that most of us just don’t eat enough of them and juicing is an easy way to increase your intake. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat them, it means you should do both if you can.
Store bought juices are not the same thing; most are laden with added sugars and preservatives, those that aren’t have most likely been pasteurized. Manufacturers pasteurize juices to prevent spoilage, but the process of heating the juice can destroy the availability of some of the vitamins and enzymes so fresh, raw juices are best.
Drinking freshly pressed vegetable juices along with eating a variety of vegetables provides our bodies with an abundance of raw materials and nutrients from which to thrive.
Green juices are king when it comes to juicing as they are both nutrient rich and low in sugar, but if you are hesitant to plunge into green drinks, root based juices are a naturally sweeter alternative that still pack a nutritional punch. Start with carrot juice and gently ease your way over to spinach juice and other leafy greens.
These three colorful juices are an easy way to make juicing a habit this year.
Spinach and Pea Shoot Green Juice
Pea shoots offer vitamins A, C and folate. Spinach is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese and folate as well. The apple and lemon add a little tartness to the fresh flavors of the spinach and pea shoots.
Ingredients
- 2 oz/56g pea shoots
- 3 oz/85g of baby spinach
- 1 small handful of parsley leaves
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 large lemon, peeled and seeds removed
- ¼ of a large tart green apple, seeds removed
Instructions
- Chop everything into chunks that fit into the juicer chute.
- Pass all the ingredients through the juicer, alternating hard and soft ingredients.
- Strain juice to remove foam if desired.
- Pour juice into ice-filled glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan, Raw
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 6gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Beet and Sweet Potato "Roots" Juice
Sweet potatoes and carrots are high in beta-carotene, vitamin C and anti-oxidants. Beets are rich in phytonutrients and have blood pressure lowering properties.
Ingredients
- 1 small beet scrubbed, peeled
- ½ a large sweet potato scrubbed, peeled
- 4 carrots, scrubbed
Instructions
- Chop everything into chunks that fit into the juicer chute.
- Pass all the ingredients through the juicer, alternating ingredients.
- Strain to remove foam if desired.
- Pour juice into ice-filled glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan, Raw
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
Serves 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 167Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 9gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Carrot Kohlrabi Juice
A unique twist on carrot juice.
Ingredients
- 6 carrots, scrubbed
- 2 small or 1 large kohlrabi, scrubbed and peeled
Instructions
- Chop everything into chunks that fit into the juicer chute.
- Pass all the ingredients through the juicer, alternating ingredients.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove foam if desired.
- Pour juice into ice-filled glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan, Raw
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 13gSugar: 13gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Amanda Marie says
Sylvie - I've never eaten raw sweet potato - or any other raw potato. Somehow, I thought raw potato was not good for you. Is it best not to "overdose" on them? Thanks.
Sylvie says
I was surprised too when I first heard that you could eat sweet potatoes raw but you can indeed, you shouldn't eat the peels however. Sweet potatoes belong to an entirely different food family than regular potatoes. Regular potatoes contain a toxin called solanine, and should not be eaten raw.
Green Juice Recipes says
I love all your juice recipes. You've given me a reason to try out kohlrabi 🙂
What camera do you use, beautiful quality.
cakewhiz says
i like juicing. i don't do it every day but i do it quite often. now, i have a few new recipes to try 😉
LOVING the colors of these drinks!
Natalie says
Love these healthy juice recipes! So many veggies out there to experiment with! One of my faves is beets, carrot, kale and green apple!
Jodye @ Chocolate and Chou Fleur says
These juices all look wonderful, and you've used such different ingredients! I've never thought to juice kohlrabi or pea shoots, but it sounds lovely.
Hannah says
Such stunningly beautiful drinks! Just those colors are making me feel better already. I love your unique combinations too, so much more interesting than the standard sort of options. I've never tried juicing kohlrabi before, that's for sure!
Nina says
Wow...such colorful ones:).I wudnt have imagined to use kohlrabi in a juice...this sounds like a great idea. loving it...and as always Sylvie stunning pictures:)
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
I used to make hundreds of juices a day when I worked for Whole Foods and some of the combos were very interesting! There's nothing quite like a fresh pressed juice..
Kristen says
I need to try these, Sylvie... they'd all be 0 points, which appeals to me big time 🙂
kale says
i never thought about how a lot of juices are likely pasteurized and how that adversely affects our vitamin intake! i think i need to be more careful of that...