So you’ve decided to start juicing, that’s great! Juicing is the perfect way to up your intake of fruits and vegetables.Maybe you haven’t found the right juice recipes yet; I can’t wait for you to try myfavorite juice recipes for beginners.
When I started juicing many years ago, I hated vegetables. I rarely ate any. Now, I can’t imagine my day without them.
In the beginning, it’s going to take some time to experiment with different flavors and see what combinations you like best. Be patient, and you will get there.
Once you’ve experienced how delicious fresh juices can be, it will be easy to become obsessed with this healthy habit.
What Are the Benefits of Juicing?
Juicing is one of the best health habits you can cultivate. It flushes out toxins from your body, can help you with healing chronic diseases and leaves you with all-natural glowing skin. It’s an easy way to meet your daily requirements of veggies effortlessly.
One cup of vegetable juice contains around five cups of vegetables in it, which means you can get the nutrients of five cups of vegetables in a few sips. You’re getting all the nutrition value of fruits and vegetables in liquid form.
If you are not big into vegetables, juicing is perfect for you. It’s a fun way to add them to your diet. I juice so many types of greens, which I usually wouldn’t eat.Juicing makes it easy.
If you don’t like the taste of greens, you can easily disguise the taste by combining them with your favorite fruits.In the beginning, 50% fruits and 50% vegetables will help you to enjoy your juices. That’s how I started juicing. Now I usually only add one piece of fruit to my green juices, and my taste buds love it.
Energy-Boost
The vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll in your juices give you real, long-lasting energy. Forget about sugary energy drinks and useless supplements; you won’t need them anymore.
When I started juicing six years ago, I had a hard time staying awake during my days. I would take enough supplements to supply a pharmacy. I finally started to replace my morning coffee and expensive supplements with freshly made green juice, and the magic began to happen.
Juicing helps our bodies to absorb the nutrients from fruits and vegetables quicker. Itbreaks down the produce much like the first stage of digestion. It removes the fiber that is present in fruits and vegetables. The nutrients from the juice go straight into your bloodstream and give your body everything it needs. Learn more:6 Amazing Benefits of Juicing Vegetables
But Isn’t Fiber Good for You?
Yes, fiber is essential. It’s the indigestible component of plant-based foods, and you should get 25-30g of fiber daily. If you are doing a juice fast, not getting fiber for a short period is not likely to cause any concerns.
I do juice fasts from time to time to reset my system, but I like to keep them short. Sometimes I’ll do even a quick one day cleanse. Usually no longer than a week.
Juice fasts have their place for detoxification and cleansing, but for me juicing fresh fruits and vegetables is meant to supplement a balanced diet. If you eat a balanced diet, you will get the fiber anyway.
For me, my daily green juice is the perfect supplement. The most effective vitamin and energy supplement I know. And over the years I have tried them all.
Once I’ve experienced how good it feels to supply my body with all the nutrients it needs, why would I ever want to stop?
Can You Use a Blender for Juicing?
You could. But I don’t recommend it. Juicers are becoming less and less expensive. It’s not worth the struggle. Learn more: How Much Is a Good Juicer for Beginners?.
Juicing is very different from blending. Yes, they both process fruits and vegetables into a healthy, delicious drink but the result is not the same.
A blender does not separate the fiber and pulp from a juice as a juicer does. It simply chops up and blends the ingredients into a smoothie. A smoothie takes much longer to digest because the fiber is still present. You still get the nutrients, but it takes much longer to release them. A thick smoothie satisfies your appetite, and it’s not possible to get large amounts of nutrition this way.
A juicer only leaves the juice for you to drink by separating the fiber from the produce. It means that you can pack vast amounts of fruits or veggies into your juices. And you get all the energy, all the nutrients in an easily digestible form. Almost immediately after you drink your fresh juice, you receive a highly concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
Is Juicing Better Than Blending?
There are pros and cons to each one. I make smoothies and juices, and I don’t want to miss them in my life. Both of these methods are great ways to up your intake of fruits and veggies. But if I had to choose one and stick with it for the rest of my life, it would be juicing.
It has a fantastic effect on my body. For me, juicing really made a difference.
But is juicing better for your health than smoothies?
I think the truth is both are beneficial in different ways. The ability to prepare smoothies faster makes it an excellent option for breakfast. Smoothies can be a suitable meal replacement, if you add some protein and healthy fats, like nuts or seeds.
Juices are great to supplement your diet. I haven’t had a smoothie yet, that gives me the same energetic feeling I get from a green juice. And I have tried many green smoothies over the years, some of them with very little fruit in it.
The Best Vegetables to Juice for Beginners
Vegetables give our juices the nutrients. Here is a list of the best-tasting vegetables for juicing:Best Juicer for Leafy Greens.
➀ Carrots
Carrotsare rich in beta-carotene, which is good for your eye health. Juicing carrots regularly can prevent various eye disorders. Carrot juice is also good for reducing skin inflammation.
Carrots taste great in almost every juice. They add some color and sweetness to your juices. They help mask stronger-tasting vegetables like Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
➁ Cucumber
I know it’s technically not a vegetable, but it sure looks like one. The fruit has high water content. It’s 95% water, which makes it the perfect juicing ingredient.
Cucumbers are what I call a base item. You should aim to use at least one base item in every juice. Cucumbers have a mild taste. They won’t change the flavor of your juices much.
Although 95% water, cucumbers are rich in nutrients. Onecup contains 1/4 of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. They also contain silica, which is good for your nails, skin, and hair.
➂ Celery
I love celery. It’s one of my favorite things to juice.With its 95% water content, it’s another base item. Unfortunately, it’s on the Dirty Dozen list, which means it’s more likely to be contaminated with pesticides. So I would recommend only to buy organic celery.
Celery aids in digestion purifies your bloodstream and can clear up skin problems. Please make sure to juice the greens, they taste delicious and are high in nutrients.
➃ Zucchini
Zucchini is the same as cucumbers; they can be used in any juice. You won’t notice the mild flavor. If you are working out, it’s great to add them to your pre-workout juices as they contain energizing B vitamins.
➄ Beets
If you’re struggling with stamina, try some beet juice. The nitrates in beets help to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery in your body, making exercise less tiring.
The taste of beets will surprise you. They taste delicious. The small beets are usually a bit sweeter than the big ones. You can also juice the beet greens. They are evenhigher in nutrients than the beet.
If you juice the greens, please make sure your beets are organic. Most of the pesticides sit right around the greens.
Best-Tasting Juice Recipes for Beginners
Simple Fruit Juice Recipes
Let’s start with pure fruit juices.
If you are a beginner, you might want to ease into juicing. Make your first few juices fruit juices and then add more and more vegetables later on. Over time your taste buds will get used to greens. You will not only enjoy but crave your green juices.
I know many people fear that adding too many fruits can cause blood sugar to soar. Don’t worry about it. It’s likely you will keep your new habit if you like the taste of your juices from the beginning. Once you get used to drinking fresh juices, you can reduce the number of fruits and add more vegetables.
➀ Pear Kiwi Juice
Choose kiwis and pears that are firm. Try to avoid pears that have different patches of colors. Kiwi fruits are rich in vitamin C, which helps to repair and regenerate tissues.
Pear Kiwi Juice
Prep Time 2 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 184 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Pears
- 3Kiwifruits
Instructions
Peel the kiwis, wash the pears. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 4 oz
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 3g
➁ Orange & Carrot Juice
Okay, I’m cheating on this one. It’s not 100% fruit juice, but carrots are sweet. It makes it the perfect juice ingredient for beginners.
Orange & Carrot Juice
Prep Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 281 kcal
Ingredients
- 5Carrots
- 1Apple
- 1Orange
- 1Pear
- 2Peaches
- ½Lemon
Instructions
Peel carrots and lemon, if they're not organic. Peel orange. Core the apple. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 12 oz
- Carbohydrates: 87g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 6g
➂ Apple Ginger Juice
Ginger gives you clean feeling energy throughout your day by improving your blood circulation.
Apple Ginger Juice
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 175 kcal
Ingredients
- 3Apples
- ½inchGinger
Instructions
Core the apples, peel ginger. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 8oz
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 1g
➃ Peach & Watermelon Juice
With this juice, it’s summertime, all the time.
Peach & Watermelon Juice
Prep Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 158 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Peaches
- 1cupStrawberries
- 2cup Watermelondiced
- ½Lime
Instructions
Peel lime, if it's not organic. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 9 oz
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 4g
➄ Watermelon & Apple Juice
You can juice the watermelon rind if you want to. The rind is high in the amino acid citrulline, which is said to be a natural libido booster.
Watermelon & Apple Juice
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 222 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Apples
- 2slicesWatermelon
Instructions
Core the apples. You can juice the watermelon rind if you want to. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 8 oz
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Best-Tasting Vegetable Juice Recipes
➀ Cleansing Cucumber & Carrot
Perfect juice for anyone who isn’t accustomed to the strong taste of leafy greens yet. To get the most out of your greens, consider getting a good juicer for greens. Check out: Best Juicer for Greens.
Cleansing Cucumber & Carrot
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 207 kcal
Ingredients
- 5Carrots
- 1Cucumber
- 1Pear
- 1Apple
- ½Lemon
Instructions
Peel carrots, cucumber, and lemon, if they are not organic. Core Apples. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 15 oz
- Carbohydrates: 66g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 4g
➁ Orange, Carrot & Celery Juice
Sour citrus with sweet carrots and savory celery is a delicious combination. Carrots contain high amounts of beta-carotene, which is good for your eye health.
Orange, Carrot & Celery Juice
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 82 kcal
Ingredients
- 1Orange
- 2Carrots
- 2stalksCelery
- ½Lemon
- ½inchGinter
- 3leavesMint
Instructions
Peel the orange. Peel carrots and lemon, if they're not organic. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 6 oz
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 3g
➂ Sweet Potato?
I never considered juicing sweet potatoes until a few months ago, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Sweet potato juice has a mild flavor that combines well with the other ingredients in this juice. They offer a slight creaminess since they are a part of the starch family.
Sweet Potato?
Prep Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 256 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Apples
- 2Carrots
- ½Beet
- 1Orange
- 1smallSweet Potato
Instructions
Peel the orange. Peel beet and carrots, if they're not organic. Core the apples. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 12 oz
- Carbohydrates: 77g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 5g
➃ Carrot Spinach Juice
Spinach is pretty much flavorless when juiced with other fruits and vegetables, but it’s incredibly good for you. It’s rich in iron, magnesium, and potassium and full of antioxidants that help you achieve an all-natural glow.
Carrot Spinach Juice
Prep Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 119 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Carrots
- 1Cucumber
- 3handfulsSpinach
- 1Apple
- ½smallLemon
Instructions
Peel carrots, lemon, and cucumber, if they're not organic. Core the apple. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 11 oz
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 4g
➄ Sweet Beet
One of my favorite juicing ingredients is beetroot. They are sweeter and more delicious than you might expect them to be. The nitrates in the beet juice help to improve blood flow delivery throughout the body, making exercise less tiring. You can also juice the beet greens. The greens are higher in nutrients than the actual beet. But if you juice them, please make sure they are organic. Most of the pesticides sit right around the greens of the beets.
Sweet Beet
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 159 kcal
Ingredients
- 1Beet
- 1Pear
- 1cupPineapple
- ½inch Ginger
Instructions
Peel Ginger. Peel Beet, if it's not organic. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 5 oz
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 3g
➅ Carrot, Apple & Zucchini Juice
You won’t even taste the zucchini in this juice. The flavor is mild and pleasant, much like a cucumber.
Carrot, Apple & Zucchini Juice
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 279 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Apples
- 3Carrots
- 2Pears
- 1Zucchini
- ½inchGinger Root
- ½Lemon
Instructions
Peel carrots and lemon, if they're not organic. Peel ginger. Core apples. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 14 oz
- Carbohydrates: 89g
- Fat: 2g
- Protein: 5g
➆ Let’s Kale!
It’s time for some kale. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. It’s packed with iron, which is essential for producing red blood cells. It’s also filled with potent antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory.
Let's Kale!
Prep Time 4 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 195 kcal
Ingredients
- 1Apple
- 4leavesKale
- 3roundsPineapple
- 1handfulParsley
- ½Cucumber
Instructions
Peel cucumber, if it's not organic. Core the apple. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 9 oz
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 7g
➇ Citrus Love
Lemons are my favorite fruit to fix a juice recipe. If yourgreen juice tastes like swamp water, adding half a lemon can work wonders.
Citrus Love
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 232 kcal
Ingredients
- 1headRomaine Lettuce
- 2Mandarins
- 1Lemon
- 1Lime
- 2Apple
- 1Cucumber
Instructions
Peel lemon, cucumber, and lime, if they're not organic. Peel mandarins. Core the apple. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 19 oz
- Carbohydrates: 78g
- Fat: 2g
- Protein: 9g
➈ Green Grapefruit
I love this combination of grapefruit and cucumber. It’s hydrating and great for your skin.
Green Grapefruit
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 117 kcal
Ingredients
- 2Grapefruits
- 1Cucumber
- 1handfulDandelion Greens
- 1handfulParsley
Instructions
Peel grapefruits. Peel cucumber, if it's not organic. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 9 oz
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 4g
➉ GreenGreen
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the recipes. Let’s celebrate with a more advanced green juice recipe.
Green Green
Prep Time 3 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 83 kcal
Ingredients
- 1Cucumber
- 2Bok Choy
- 2leavesKale
- 3handfulSpinach
- 1handfulParsley
- 1Lemon
Instructions
Peel cucumber and lemon, if they're not organic. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Total Juice Yield: 9 oz
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fat: 1g
- Protein: 9g
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Why You Should Chew Your Juice
It might sound strange, but try to chew your juices before you swallow them. Chewing juices prepares our gut. In doing that it releases enzymes and gastric secretions into the stomach, which helps to digest the food that’s coming. Think of it as preheating your oven, before you put something in.
Juicing and Weight Loss
Quite some people turn to juicing to help them lose weight. Juice cleanses become popular as supposed “quick fix” regimes promising rapid weight loss within a short time. It involves drinking only fresh juices and mostly lacks solid food.
I was never a big fan of juice cleanses as a permanent solution to weight loss.
Yes, you may start losing weight due to the large calorie deficit at first. However, once your calorie intake goes back to normal, you will regain most of the pounds. A cleanse is a great jump-start to a healthier lifestyle, but it’s not a long-term solution.
Don’t get me wrong. I do think green juice is a great tool to lose weight. But a 3-day juice cleanse is the wrong method. Being healthy is not a 3-day event. It’s a lifestyle.
Green juice made with green vegetables, such as celery, kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, are all very low in calories and give your body the nutrients it needs. If you give your body the micronutrients it needs, you crave less food.
Fresh juices are a great addition to a balanced diet that includes minimally processed foods, lean andplant-based proteins, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Can You Juice the Night Before You Drink It?
It’s always best to drink your juices right away. Ideally, freshly made juices are best consumed within 20 minutes, from both a flavor and nutrition standpoint.
Juicing breaks the cell walls of fruits and vegetables and exposes them to oxygen. Oxidation slowly destroys the nutritional value of your fresh juices. The longer they are exposed to air, the less nutritional value they have.
Having said that, it’s still possible to store your juice for up to 72 hours in the fridge, if you use a masticating juicer. By using a masticating juicer, you will slow down oxidation, and your juice will keep its nutritional value for longer. Learn more: How Long Does Fresh Juice Last
If you are using a centrifugal juicer, you can store your juices for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. I recommend using glass containers to store your juices. Plastic containers will speed up the oxidation process. Make sure that your container is very well sealed. Fill it up to the top, so it doesn’t have any extra air in it.
Don’t Panic If It’s Not Organic
We all know that it’s preferred to juice organic fruits and veggies. But what about those of us who can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars each month to buy organic produce? Simply start shopping smarter!
Some fruits and vegetables are less likely to be contaminated with pesticides residues. The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Listshow you which fruits and vegetables are safe to buy conventional and which to avoid. In general, juicing conventional fruits and vegetables is way better than not juicing at all.
Another thing you can do is to wash all your fruits and vegetables using baking soda. It effectively removes remaining pesticide residues:
- Fill a bowl with water
- Add a teaspoon of baking soda
- Add the fruits and veggies
- Soak for at least 5 minutes
- Occasionally scrub with a vegetable brush
- Rinse off
What to Do With the Pulp?
You don’t want to waste the fiber from the juice pulp? Here are my favorite ways to put that pulp to good use:
➀Add It to Your Smoothies
You can add additional fiber to your favorite smoothie recipes. You won’t be able to taste it.
➁Add to a Soup
Add to soups to instantly thicken and boost fiber and nutrient density.
➂Make a Veggie Broth
Boil pulp with several quarts of water, salt, and desired herbs and spices. Simmer for 30 minutes and strain.
➃Try Leftover Pulp Recipes
Try one of these 21 Leftover Juice Pulp Recipes.
➄Mix It into Dog Food
Just mix it into your dog’s food or make dog treats.
If all fails, compost it.
If you are a beginner, start slow. Ease into juicing by adding more fruits in the beginning. Once you get used to juicing, it’s easy to add more and more vegetables. Once you have made juicing a new habit, an 80/20 ratio is perfect. By 80/20 I mean juices that are made of 80% vegetables and 20% fruit.