Green Juice without a Juicer

LadyElby

Hey Green Juicers out there! Has anyone tried making it with a Magic Bullet or a blender? Financially I'm not ready to buy the juicer right now, but I really really really want to get going on the green juicing. Any thoughts?

Also, if you have any favorite combinations, I'd love to hear them! Thanks in advance!

AbsoluteNG

Just become a vegan and omit all dairy products. It's the same diet as juicing. You'd probably want to add some tofu and nuts for protein though.

LadyElby

Bump? Anyone?

LadyElby

Hmmmm no one out there makes green juice without a juicer?

soulfulsally

I've been making my green juice drink almost daily for months with a Magic Bullet blender. It works!

marilou0511

Hey Green Juicers out there! Has anyone tried making it with a Magic Bullet or a blender? ...Also, if you have any favorite combinations, I'd love to hear them! Thanks in advance!

Hello from Chicago!
I too have the new "Magic Bullet" which includes the mini-blender. Concoction with green leafy veggies is called GREEN SMOOTHIES. I've been making GREEN SMOOTHIES with my Magic Bullet since I got it in August this summer.

i have a Breville Juicer which is now collecting dust. SAVE YOUR MONEY because making GREEN SMOOTHIES is healthier than JUICING. Why? With Green Smoothies you keep the skin of your veggies & fruits which has all the nutrients! With Juicing, you throw out all the fiber and the nutrients that's in the skin.

Been making Green Smoothies with the blender of my Magic Bullet 5 mornings a week. IT IS NOW A HABIT!

Been experimenting with different green leafy veggies & fruits. Suggest you first try using fresh raw spinach & romaine lettuce. I've now tried kale, parsley, and will be using swiss chards this week.

SPINACH,raw, fresh (2 cups tightly packed); BANANA(1 small/medium) for creaminess; BERRIES (any on sale like strawberries or blueberries - 1 to 2 cups); ICE WATER

ROMAINE LETTUCE (2 cups chopped tightly packed); BANANA or AVOCADO for creaminess; APPLE sweet variety (1 small/medium); BLACK GRAPES SEEDLESS (15-20 large)'; NAVEL ORANGE (1); ICE WATER

PARSLEY (2 cups tightly packed); BANANA (1): RED PEARS (1-2); ICE WATER

TIPS: PRECUT & FREEZE. Cut your fruits, layer on wax-paper-covered cookie sheet and freeze. Then measure in cup and place in plastic bags. I've also just started chopping and freezing my veggies.

http://greensmoothiesblog.com/guidelines-green-smoothies/
http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/tag/weight-loss-recipe/

MPF has a GREEN SMOOTHIES CHALLENGE GROUP.

LadyElby

Fantastic!!! Thank you both so much!! You just made my day... and life, actually. I heard the same thing about the fact that with juicers you lose a lot of the nutrients. I am super excited to try it with my Magic Bullet!

Thanks again! You guys rock!!

JohnnyBLean

Great response. I purchased a very expensive juicer with Service Award points I received from the company I work for. Otherwise I would not have paid $400+ for one. I purchased it after watching the "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" video. I liked it af first but it seemed odd to just throw away all the healthy fiber that was ejected as refuse after making the juice. Fortunately, it came with a 30-day no questions asked guarantee and I was able to return it. I will be getting a super blender instead and going the green smoothie route, which I am convinced is much better.

Illona88

If you make it with a blender it's a smoothie, not a juice.

The difference is that a juicer presses the juice out (leaving the pulp from the fiber) and with a blender you still have all the fibers in your drink as well.
If you ask me, with the fiber would actually be better, because you are full longer, but it really depends on your own preference.

LadyElby

I'm going to re-word/re-focus my question. The term I'm going with now is Green Smoothie. I will be trying out some different smoothie combinations with my Magic Bullet. Any favorites out there?

My dad used to have a JuiceMan back in the day so he still has the booklet that comes with it with a list of different "recipes" along with what each fruit and vegetable is specifically good for, nutrient-wise. We'll see how it goes!

itgeekwoman

I make a kale smoothie with my ninja.. a bit less juice than I would like, but it tastes good and I enjoy it.

SpiritRockBernie

bump for green drinks in general. I make smoothies. Thinking about getting a juicer for Xmas, but just dreading cleaning.

ixap

I just use my blender. It's definitely a smoothie, not juice, but I can just add water to make it "juicier" if I want to.

Favorite recipe - makes 2 huge servings-
several cups of water, ice to taste
5 oz baby kale or mixed dark green leafies
1 large cucumber
1 banana
1 cup berries
1" lemon or orange or lime peel
fresh ginger to taste OR fresh mint leaves to taste

bfridey

What a great post with lots of good advice!
Have you lost weight with the green smoothies? Do you need to freeze all the fruit/veg? or just the fruit?

Effy826

bump

huyardygyal

I think I'm always experimenting and adding new things. I always use Kale, baby spinach and celery for the green part, and add a handful of frozen berries and nuts for taste and protein and fat. Sometimes I also add carrots, banana, ginger, oats or a pea protein powder.

trey4cubs

ok i have to clear up some things here.

A. You don't lose nutrients with a juicer. At least not with an auger style juicer.

Juicers that have a blade spinning at a super high speed (centrifugal style juicers) generate heat which in turn destabilizes the juice and thus some nutrition is lost but that will also happen with a magic bullet since its a similar concept.

B. An auger style juicer (like an omega 8003 or Lexen healthy juicer) will extract the juice from fruit and veggies and separate the nutrients from the fiber.

Overall, a magic bullet will do what you want but if you're going to juice long term i would definitely invest in a auger style juicer. (I have been using the Lexen Healthy Juicer for over a year and would highly recommend it. I also have their "manual" juicer and it is awesome too and only $35)

LovePBandJ

I have never used a juicer and only make my drinks using a 3 hp blender. I found that keeping all of the roughage made my green drink not very palatable. I took my smoothie and strained it out through cheese cloth to get the juice. I did want some of the filling and nutritious fiber, so I added back the amount that gave it a pleasing consistency.

Gimpdogg

bump

nicjcox

I use my "Magic Bullet" and it's a little thick like a smoothie.

1 cup-spinach, 1/2 cup-frozen mango, 1/2 cup-frozen mixed berries, 3 tbsp-flaxseed meal(for fibre and protein), 100g-yogurt and use almond milk if I need more liquid.

I got the idea from Montel WIlliams who was advertising a blender and I did not have the funds to buy a blender or juicer so I tried my "Magic Bullet' and I was so happy it worked the way I wanted it to. I now drink one a day and have lost 9lbs in 7 weeks. I think because it filled me and it lessened my cravings and 4 weeks into it I realized I wasn't eating any carbs/gluten.

LadyElby

Thank you all so much for your responses! This is all so helpful. I'm finally able to go to the grocery store tomorrow to pick up ingredients for my smoothies. I can't wait to start!

bass2be1

I just purchased a Magic Bullet two weeks ago and am loving it.
I have no cans in the house and everything is fresh or frozen.
I use kale as my main veggie, sometimes spinach.
like the frozen blue berries and strawberries.
let me know how your juicing came out.

M______

I was blending for 8 months until I bought juicers. Now I have 2 juicers (centrifugal + masticated) and my blender, I still use all 3.

With the blender my go to smoothie was

1/2 cucumber
2 large stalks of celery
1+1/2 good handfuls of curly kale leaves
1 large apple (or pear, not both)
ginger root (roughly the size of a thumb)

Great drink, it doesn't taste amazing but its a difference maker. It gave me great mental clarity, especially in the morning. And it made my skin amazing, anytime I met new people I received compliments about it. If there is any way you can fit Kale and Ginger in to your smoothie, I absolutely recommend it.

Guamybear

I make all my juice in my vitamix..love it..

kaseymei

I've been using the ninja blender. I combine whatever I have ready to just throw in there. For example, this morning I blended: beets, carrot, pear, kale, and celery. I normally do just one fruit and the rest veggies.

ammadove

Paid a small fortune for a vita mixer and do really love it. That said.... my friend bought a ninja and her's makes smoothies just as good as mine does and it cost a whole lot less.

ammadove

Bump

ackeebee

i am into smoothies, not juices so a few years ago i bought a kenwood smoothie maker in the after christmas sales. at the time it was reduced from £99 to £29. it is still going strong!

tiffanyarowell

I make green smoothies with a regular blender. I put about 3-4 cupsish of spinach in with a little bit of water and then turn it on to the liquify setting. Once you have a nice smooth green liquid, I add a banana and a couple handfuls of various frozen fruits. They turn out awesome!

reddi2roll

bump

Trilby16

I have never used a juicer and only make my drinks using a 3 hp blender. I found that keeping all of the roughage made my green drink not very palatable. I took my smoothie and strained it out through cheese cloth to get the juice. I did want some of the filling and nutritious fiber, so I added back the amount that gave it a pleasing consistency.

I used to do juice fasts like the guy in "Fat, Sick, and Almost Dead" and used a blender for that like you do. But to strain the juice I used a nylon bag I got at an aquarium store that ia meant to be filled with charcoal and put in your fish tank filter. I later bought a nut bag and it's exactly the same material but costs more and is more square shaped, so a wider opening. The reason I strained the juice was because, for fasting, you want all the good nutrients but you want your digestive system to rest (and leave you alone-- no hunger after the first couple of days).

But anyway, I don't feel like doing that now. I'm happy eating good food and logging my calories, keeping within an amount that helps me lose weight.