Now before anyone starts jumping to conclusions about juicing or thinks “Geez, there is something wrong with everything” (I hate that feeling)—I want to make one thing clear: There is certainly nothing wrong with drinking vegetable juices. But there are a few reasons why I haven’t personally jumped on the juicing bandwagon myself —even after borrowing a friend's juicer and actually trying it out for a week—which is what I'd like to explain today.
Juice Is Not a Whole Food
Juice Is Not a Whole Food
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First and foremost, my main dietary goal is to eat whole foods or what I call “real food” (i.e. 5 or less whole ingredients). Did you know that when you drink juiced vegetables and fruits you are not eating the whole food?
The first time I saw a juicer in action I was actually a little surprised when I saw all this stuff being spit out the side. It turns out that stuff is the pulp (basically the fiber) and not included in the juice you are about to drink!
Now you could technically bake that pulp into a homemade baked good or something (and still consume it), but I am going to tell you right now I would never be "Betty Homemakerish" enough to keep up with something like that. Plus I felt like the kale, celery, cucumber, and other ingredients I purchased to make the juice could have nicely supplemented several meals for the whole family, when instead the juicer transformed these ingredients into 2 glasses (about 10 ounces each) of not very filling juice.
It's Expensive
If you aren't careful, juicing could seriously blow the roof off your budget. The first day I shopped for juicing ingredients I spent $13—on just 2 servings of organic juice! I suppose that wouldn't be so bad if it could actually constitute a meal, but after drinking our morning juice (my husband tried it with me) we were both still hungry enough for our regular breakfast of homemade granola. So during our week of juicing I found myself buying loads of extra veggies to juice in addition to all the groceries I would have normally purchased anyway. Cha-ching!
It Takes Time
When you drink a daily green juice in addition to eating your regular meals it ends up taking extra time out of your day. Imagine having to make a fresh juice and clean the machine on top of cooking and cleaning those three square real food meals each day.
I say that because a juicer is not just any regular appliance—there are 7 different parts that all need to be washed immediately. Which means unless you are about to start your dishwasher right at that very moment you need to stop what you are doing and wash each and every part of the juicer by hand. Have I ever mentioned that I am not a big fan of hand washing dishes? Well, some days I truly avoid it like the plague—so this is officially reason #3 that juicing is not personally for me.
My Takeaway
Like I said at the beginning there is certainly nothing wrong with juicing, and some say it makes them feel great (we didn't personally notice a difference). BUT—as with most food choices—I feel that variety is key. That means variety in both what you eat and how you eat it. If you find that you are getting so much more green in your body through juicing then that is fabulous, but I wouldn't suggest having that be the only way you get your veggies.
And that's because eating the whole food is pretty important as well. Nature actually does a great job of packaging up the perfect combination of vitamins and minerals in each and every whole food. When you start removing parts (like the fiber) it is just not the same. The takeaway I got from my juicing experiment is that —probably like most people—I have room for improvement and could stand to consume more vegetables. So I am glad to be given that reminder.
Now if I suddenly found myself with health issues or was just overall not feeling very well—I would definitely give juicing another chance. At first I wasn't quite sure what I thought about the taste of a green juice, but it actually grew on me fairly quickly, and I came to enjoy it (and drink it much faster) by the end of the week. But for the foreseeable future I can only see myself being a smoothie girl, and here's why.
Why I Like Smoothies Instead
Why I Like Smoothies InsteadI honestly never made (or probably even drank a smoothie) before our switch to real food, but now they make their way into our diet about once or twice a week.
And these are the reasons I like smoothies so much:
- No special expensive equipment needed —any old blender will do!
- When you blend fruits and vegetables together to make a smoothie you are consuming the whole food.
- As a result, I find smoothies to be much more filling than juice.
- My kids like smoothies (they gave the green juice a fair chance, but were not fans).
- A little bit of veggies can go a long way in a smoothie—when I juiced a bunch of kale it seemed that only a couple tablespoons of juice came out.
So what do you prefer...juicing or making smoothies? And why?
Jersey Girl says
I juice every morning for myself, husband and three girls. At first it was a grind due to the prep and washing the juicer parts afterward. As with anything, it has now become second nature and the work seems minimal compared with the benefits. Our green juice consists of celery, kale, cucumber, ginger, green apple and pear. It is a delicious, nutritious and refreshing way to start the day. The cost per day is roughly $8 for all 5 of us. It works for us! I am going to figure out a muffin recipe from the pulp soon so there will be no waste!
Beth says
We *used to* have a juicer, but I didn't like throwing away the pulp, or trying to figure out something useful to do with it. And I didn't like having so much clean-up work!
We used to have a regular blender and made smoothies...but it only lasted a couple of years till the motor burned out. We replaced it...got a "good brand" that lasted about 7 days. Replaced that with another that lasted about a year. Started getting tired of buying blenders!
So I researched a lot, and ended up buying a refurbished VitaMix with a 10-year-warranty. It's been going strong for about 6 years now. It makes wonderful smoothies, is a breeze to clean, and also can grind wheat berries, pulverize oat berries, and can make peanut butter and almond butter, no problem. It's strong as a horse, and I just feel happy about not having yet another disposable kitchen appliance in my kitchen. Refurbished turned out great for us...a money-saver. If you buy one, try to get the strongest motor you can afford.
Every summer we bring in gallons of organic home-grown grapes, and make a grape puree which we freeze in ice cube trays. Handy for adding a grape ice cube to a smoothie recipe!
With the exception of the VitaMix being noisy, we love it.
If I want actual juice without pulp, like for somebody who has a digestive sensitivity, or for a clear jelly, I can just pour the puree through a strainer.
Chrystal Gillespie says
SOO grateful for your honest opinion about juicing! I've been on the fence for several months now trying to decide if I should buy a juicer or not. I love the juice and I really loved how I felt after trying some a couple times with my friend at her house. (She made it in her machine.) I already own a Ninja system that I love, but wasn't sure I I should add to the counter space it takes up with a juicer as well. From my experience, seeing how the pulp is spit out, definitely the added expense of produce, the added calories in my appetite (I too do not fill up on juice or a smoothie 😕), and lastly, the clean up she had to do, made me question my desire to make the move to buy one. Also one day recently when I was making a smoothie in my Ninja, I realized that I was going to have an awfully thin smoothie due to my adding too much liquid. As I poured the drink up, it almost had a thicker like consistency than juice, but it was not that far off of pulpy like juice. I haven't tried actually making juice in there yet as I don't think it would be my taste in consistency. But, I did see it might be ok for some. I'm now satisfied that I don't need a juicer....I can just use what I have! Thanks!!!
Gina says
I bought a 15.00 personal blender at Walmart...makes the best smoothies! I'm in total agreement when it comes to juices over smoothies. With me, smoothies win hands down!
mary says
I have read that you can use a cheesecloth to extract straight juice from your smoothie. Just pour it through and squeeze.
Robin says
Thank you Thank you, your timing is perfec. I saw a late night infomercial about the benedits of juicing and was planning on getting a juicer and trying it but was concerned about the cost. I had heard it takes alot of fruit and vegetables to make a little juice but didnt realise there was an alternative. Instead of a juicer I will now be buying a good blender! Thank you!!!!
Elizabeth says
Thank you for this! I was going to ask for a juicer for Xmas but had some doubts. Your comments have changed my mind. I make green smoothies and drink the included fiber and they are very satisfying. Now I can save the $ and trouble (plus finding a place to keep another appliance).
Kelli says
I disagree-you are missing the entire point of juicing. You can drink a lot more than you can eat- therefore you take in more nutrients by juicing vs. attempting to eat all of that food. You can juice multiple times a day but you can only eat so much. Juicing isn't meant to replace a meal- it's a great supplement to a healthy diet.
Angela Severson says
Smoothies for me. I bought a juicer years ago, and haven't used it for the same reasons you stated, plus the clean up. I also like the fact that I am getting my servings of veggies in through the smoothies too, otherwise I do not get enough. I admit I would not eat beets, but I will drink them in a smoothie. I do have a nutri bullet and have been drinking 1 or 2 veggie w/fruit smoothies a day. Even the 2 yr old I nanny drinks them and has since she was about 8 mos.
Kay says
I bought a juicer.. didn't realize that it would take out the fiber.I thought it was like a Vitamix. Now I know there are people with diverticulitis who may need my machine (and its for sale).
We did use it when making and canning tomato juice from a heap of tomatoes and it successfully eliminated seeds and skin, but added air to the juice.
tess says
ALSO, Costco has GREAT prices on Organic Greens!!!
tess says
Someone else here said, "The basis of the juice is for your body to absorb it without your stomach working over time to break down the fiber. I have severe immune system problems and it has helped me tremendously. I do eat salads and fiber so everything balances out. I think juicing, smoothies, whatever way you can get your fruit and veggies is a great thing!"
Juicing gets you micro-nutrients you cant get in drinking a smoothie, rather as much.
I drink my juice first thing every morning, before eating anything else! Tons of vitamins and nutrients packed being absorbed! Then I eat normal the rest of the day. (Large salads and yummy real food) The problem I see with smoothies as its easy to add lots of sugary fruit and milks and fruit juices, though natural fruit sugar is great, I feel like people expect a sweet smoothie and over do it. More veg than fruit should be key in both smoothies and juice. ALSO the speed of the blenders are super fast, heating up whatever your blending breaking down the nutrients resulting in loosing some. Deal breaker no... but something to think about.
There are so many different types of juicers, and blenders out there. Mine is a single ogger, squeezes the juice out, no blades, never 'heating', and fairly simple to clean.
Im both pro juicing and smoothies. I think both are great, both healthy and great choices. I do both.
There are different juicers for different needs.
Dawn says
Unfortunatly you've been mis-informed about fibre as unfortunatly most people are, ther are 2 types of fibre Soluble and Insoluble, the Soluble is what you will get in your juice and is perfectly sufficient to live on if that's what you want to do, however the insoluble is also important to keep your digestive anx waste system moving as Soluble is used by the body in its entirety there is no waste, basically see a juicer as an external stomach which separates all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients from your fruit and veggies(soluble fibre), from what is generally waste with little nutritional value (insoluble fibre), this gives the bodies internal organs a rest from needing to process the insoluble and means it can spend time putting all this great nutrition to good use and where it needs to go. I would say it takes a good couple of weeks to get into a juicing routine with recipes and experimenting and also finding what works for you time wise and i often stick tona handful of juices
Dina says
Lisa, I couldn't agree with you more!! Organic vegetables are pricey enough and quite honestly I have a family of four to feed and can't afford to throw all that waste away. However, I did buy myself a NutriBullet and I have come to REALLY LOVE my green drinks in the morning. Through experimenting, I have found that if you add a little extra water, your drink becomes less thicker than a smoothie and goes down more like a juice drink! P.S. I love your honesty & practicality and I love your website (as do my husband & children). It has been my "go to" for quite some time now ~ Don't know what I'd do without you!!
Eileen says
First I would like to preface the statement I am about to make with.... to each their own. I totally can see why people do not juice, I do not judge people for not juicing nor do I think anyone who eats all whole foods and doesn't happen to juice will be less healthy in any way, shape, or form. First... it is STUPID expensive which is why we do not do it all the time.... that being said. We do juice. Juicing isn't suppose to be filling or provide fiber. Juicing's goal is to provide micronutrients in amounts that would be impossible if you tried to eat all of those veggies. Some others also use the juice as a way to allow their stomach to get a rest and heal the lining and their gut during juice-fasts. Not sure if any of you have seen Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, or Crazy Sexy Cancer (I think they are both on Netflix... maybe not the Crazy Sexy Cancer but there are a ton for the Gersen Therapy and such which is based on healing via green juice) but that could probably give a better theory behind it than this comment ever could. And I love smoothies too so win, win.
Lori says
Juicing is expensive....that is why I added Juice Plus (whole food supplement)to my diet...to help get more fruits & veggies (phytonutrients)in me. They juice it for me in bulk so it is very affordable. I also eats lots of "real" food. I don't think we can get enough!
Judy says
I have tried both and agree with Lisa on every point. It's expensive and time-consuming. If I were in need of special health considerations I would probably to a juice fast to kick start some healing. Yes, any blender will do a decent job, but I am grateful to my dad for sending me a Bullet for Christmas last year. It really pulverizes the food to a very drinkable consistency, and still retain the whole food.
Real foodie says
Finally someone agrees with me!Yay! I prefer blenders and smoothies as well. Nice post.
http://www.junkfoodjournal
Pamela says
The basis of the juice is for your body to absorb it without your stomach working over time to break down the fiber. I have severe immune system problems and it has helped me tremendously. I do eat salads and fiber so everything balances out. I think juicing, smoothies, whatever way you can get your fruit and veggies is a great thing!
Nekeisha Brown says
totally agree
Renae says
I think blenderized veggies and fruits are much better for you because of the fiber, vitamins in the skin, etc. I use a Blendtec, similar to Vitamix and it will even grind an avocado seed. I do grapefruit smoothies for immune boosting and can grind the seeds too with the pith. (always add a little cinnamon or ginger to balance out the cooling effect). I'm a little concerned over the sugar rush with just juicing since it has no fiber. I believe God intended us to use the whole food. I also use the pineapple stem for boosting my immune system per my natural doctor. I had a lot of health problems resulting in cancer and feel like this has helped a lot. Also, neurologist Russell Blaylock recommends blenderized smoothies in his book "Health and Nutrition Secrets that Can Save your Life". Great Book!
Sara says
Renae…I'd like to hear more about immune boosting smoothies.
Judy says
Completely agree! I have a pretty basic blender, and it makes awesome smoothies! :)
Tracy says
Love the smoothie~ get your fiber!! YUM!!
Amy says
Vitamix may be good but it is too $$$ for my budget. I bought a car once for the same price! NO JOKE.
Julie says
Juicing isn't for everyone but one of the biggest pluses for juicing is that, because the fiber is eliminated, it gives your digestive system a break. It works VERY hard and takes a lot of your energy to function. There are scads of things you can do with the fiber. My sister tosses hers into homemade stock. You can make raw crackers in the dehydrator. It is a great addition to compost. Sometimes I toss it in my (very spoiled) dogs' food at meal time. The list goes on. I don't do juice fasts but shoot for 5 mornings a week. It's an energy burst for me and gets me through until lunch time.
Desiree says
I ADORE my juicer, BUT I do not use it like most people do. We grow a lot of our own veggies and supplement the rest with CSA boxes. Because of where we live, we can grow food year round. I'm not huge into canning or freezing massive amounts of things because we are VERY limited in regard to space. My garden is a terraced container garden that utilizes maximum space efficiency. For the above reasons, when our veggies and fruits start to get a little too soft for regular consumption, rather then throw them out I run them through the juicer and we all enjoy a fresh round of something we would otherwise have thrown away. An apple that is going soft makes a sweet delicious juice.
I put everything in our juice. This morning it was 1 Zucchini Squash, 2 pomegranates, few handfuls of Swiss Chard, a garlic clove, an apple, and some carrots. It sounds grosser then two day old baby poo, but it was sincerely delicious. The pulp does not get thrown away. I mix it into cookies and a few other baking recipes for my daughter and she loves them. I even add it to the 100 Days of Real Food Carrot Applesauce muffins that I love so much. So we still use it all, and the fiber doesn't go to waste.
That being said. I really feel like it boils down to everyone's personal style. If we had more room in our abode I would probably be canning and freezing more, especially if I didn't live in Southern California where we can grow food year round. However, we do, so a juicer rocks my socks. If I had space for a freezer, though, and room to store more canned goods, I would certainly utilize that option more.
I actually appreciate that your Real Food blog does not require the use of a juicer. You're very correct that if the pulp isn't utilized in other recipes in some way, you are losing out on a lot of valuable nutrition. It's a valuable tool, but one that can be misused easily. You're better off just using what you have in traditional cooking recipes, and then if your produce is starting to look under the weather utilize it however works best for you. Whether that's baking, canning, freezing, juicing, whatever works for you!
P.S. My daughter and husband are not of this world. They abhor smoothies. I personally love them (I sometimes wonder how we get along so well when our food preferences differ so dramatically haha)! Unfortunately when you're the only one that loves something in your household, it doesn't get made often.
Amanda says
It Works Greens are amazing and they are the answer to all your above issues. All the benefits of juicing without the high price, inconvenience, thick texture and bad taste! $33 for a month's supply and the new berry flavor tastes incredible. Two tiny scoops of the very fine powder in water is all you need, and within 3 days you feel brand new, no joke. You can google the It Works greens and see the reviews and ingredient list for yourself. Feel free to contact me with questions or to place an order.
[email protected]
Amanda :)
Happiness at Mid Life says
I have been having a green smoothie almost daily for over a year now. I love them and feel so full after I have it. I do recommend having a higher quality blender so that it saves time in chopping the veggies and it blends so well. I love my Blendtec!!
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Lauren says
I appreciate your insight, as everyone has their own opinions on juicing vs. blending. However, it seems to me that you were expecting results from juicing like the ones you get from blending and that just will rarely ever be the case. Juicing is not suppose to fill you, it is meant for healing aspects. You blend to feel full, you juice to heal. Because, when juicing you allow your digestive system to take a break from breaking down any of "that pulp stuff" aka fiber from the fruits and veggies and therefore all those beautiful phito-nutrients go straight to your blood stream, more oxygen to your brain, and it also helps fight off free radicals. See what you did in this article, although very insightful, was compare apples and oranges. I think that if you went into the juicing experience with no expectations you would have had a much different article to write.
Micah says
What kind of juicer were you using? It doesn't sound like a very good one if you only got 2oz of juice from a bunch of kale. Personally, it's a lovely way to consume more veggies than is possible in a smoothie or salad. And there are times when I don't need any more fiber.
Sheri says
I too love my Vitamix. About 2 years ago I really, really, really wanted a juicer. I used my hard earned Air Miles to get one and waited axiously for it to arrived. I was so excited when it did. The kids and I immedicately started juicing fruit and veggies that we had. Although it tasted I great, I HATED the waste, I am not a baker of anything and would never use the pulp. The clean up was another aspect I did not like. Also the expense that was mentioned, my budget was blown away by how much I had to buy to get just one glass of juice. Sadly, we only used the juicer about 5 more times, before I sold it on Kijiji. Now I have a Vitamix that I used almost everyday and there is not waste. I swish it under the tap with some soap, ta da, clean. Sweet!
Gina Smith says
I love green smoothies and have one most every day! I was checking into purchasing a juicer (for the occasion that I'm just in the mood for juice rather than smoothie) but then discovered I could juice with my blender just as well! You have to work for it a little and it takes a little time, but just pour the smoothie mixture into a mesh strainer over a large cup and press with the back of a spoon until the juice is out. I give my dog the pulp mixed in with her regular food and she loves it plus my pet get a little organic veggies!
Temple says
I absolutely LOVE my Nutri Bullet ... it breaks down the whole fruit and/or veggies and can be as thick or thin as you want depending on what you add. We use it every morning and am out the door in minutes!Love!
Ashley says
I'm a big fan of smoothies too and I give them to my daughter whenever possible. It's a great way for me to get leafy greens into her since she can't chew them properly yet to eat them whole. I just feel a little better about the fact that she's eating the whole fruit/vegetable, fiber and all.
Kara says
Do you have any favorite green smoothie recipes you could share?
Karen says
I drink green smoothies regularly, and here's what I do: I fill the blender to the top with kale and then pour in about 1/4 cup of coconut milk and about 1/4 cup of unsweetened organic cranberry juice. I blend all that together and then throw in some frozen berries (any kind), frozen or fresh pineapple, 1/2 a frozen banana, and a handful of frozen peach slices. I also use fresh fruit when I can, but I usually eat fresh fruit on its own later in the day, so I don't like to put it in the smoothie. I blend all of this together and sometimes add a tablespoon of hemp protein powder. If the smoothie looks too slick, I pour in a bit more coconut milk or cranberry juice (any juice with no sugar added will do). That's it. These smoothies are cold and thick and sweet--you can't taste the kale at all. It's best not to use all-fruit smoothies because of the high sugar content, but when they're mixed with greens the sugar is released more slowly. I never add a dairy product such as yogurt or ice cream (ew!) to my smoothies, and they are delicious.
Karen says
Up there I mean if the smoothie looks too thick, not slick.
Harbinger says
I totally agree with your points about juicing. That is why I use a Vitamix, which enables me to utilize the entire fruit and/or vegetable, so I benefit from all of the nutrients and fiber. I have been making "green" drinks for the past 6 months. Tonight I mixed kale, cucumber, broccoli and apple.
Practical Parsimony says
I don't juice for exactly the same reasons you don't. I cannot bear losing that much of the whole fruit or vegetable. The expense is more than I can afford. I don't have a juicer and have never used one, but I have seen how much there is to wash.
While I do make smoothies, I don't put water or ice or sugar in them. Most people say they need sugar in fruit smoothies. ??? I use frozen strawberries as the "ice" or frozen blueberries. Every smoothie has about a half cup of yogurt and maybe 1/3 cup of orange juice. The rest is pure fruit, making about 10 to 12 ounces of smoothie. My favorite smoothie consists of oj, plain yogurt, banana, strawberry, blueberries. For my bf I substitute cantaloupe for banana.
Jennifer says
I tried juicing. And I do like it. But it is definitely expensive, and I was getting my produce very cheap from a co-op. Right now, our food budget just can't afford regular juicing. My husband and I (and our kids) really enjoy the juice, but as far as an everyday, multiple times a day thing, it just isn't for us. I have a Hamilton Beach juicer and a few parts have to be cleaned immediately. It's bulky though and takes up a lot of counter space or cabinet space. I think juicing in moderation is great, but I can't see the benefits of cutting out whole foods. I have an auto-immune disease I'm trying to get under control with diet, and whole veggies and fruits are vital. My opinion- juicing is great but not as a meal replacement or means of total nutrition. (I can see detoxing with it though, if needed).
Leslie says
I must be weird because i sit there and eat the "trash" while drinking my juice. I don't juice very often, but yea, i'm a weirdo who eats the stuff in the bucket.
Anne says
I felt the same way but now that I have a Vitamix, it's fantastic!
Anthony says
I started out with smoothies then worked my way up to juicing. I do a combination of both and usually vary the times in which I consume them. Morning breakfast smoothie capped off with an afternoon juice. The problem with this article is it doesn't explain the major difference between juice and smoothies. I did my research and that is why I do both... every day. :)