Does anybody do any juicing as a part of their diet?

Hi everyone....

I was thinking of adding "juicing" on my daily food plan. Since it is hard for myself to add in enough servings of fruits and vegetables, I thought this should be a good idea. I don't want any huge blender, nor something too basic either. I was thinking of the "Magic Bullet" which is affordable and small enough for a single person. But the whole time I was thinking that the magic bullet is special and unique because it does not need any liquid to blend and make into juice when making any green veggie smoothies which now I know that is not true and it does need liquid in order to make a drink. So does anybody have any other suggestions, please ???

Replies

  • Synapze
    Synapze Posts: 499
    Ive been researching the same question today. I also have a Bullet but it only really copes with fruit for smoothies.

    I think it would have a heart attack if i threw a carrot in there.

    Ive been looking into Vitamix's but after a bit of Googlen' i came to the conclusion a Juicer is what i will need to get the juice, and a Vitamix for everything else.

    Still, i think im going to just go the Vitamix.

    Edit: I only use 1/2 - 1 Cup of juice when making a smoothie. I also add black and blue berries to cover the 'Green Effect' Put the right amount in there and it turns a wonderful Purple.
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
    I use an omega 8004 juicer - which I love! Its easy to clean and i can juice with it and food process. I grind my coffee with it too. For blending I have a Tribest personal blender that works with mason jars. I had a bigger blender but I hated cleaning it so it never got used.
  • purplegoboom
    purplegoboom Posts: 400 Member
    I used to, but it's just to much work to prep. I just eat the fruit and veg now, much simpler and I get all that fiber.
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
    I quit a few times but I just "feel" much better when I'm juicing and I just don't get those dark leafy greens any other way. My skin looks amazing when I'm juicing and I always get compliments after I've been doing it regularly for a few weeks.
  • QueenBeenita
    QueenBeenita Posts: 14 Member
    I make a green smoothie every morning for breakfast using a Bella Bullet. I use spinach, grapes, almonds, almond milk, hemp protein, banana. many different recipes. I can get in more greens this way than i would ever eat.

    I also make a green lemonade it has Kale, apples, parsley, cucumbers and lemon. very refreshing and low cal, I use a breville juicer
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I don't "Juice", but after every one of my workouts I make my super protein smoothie. Has plenty of fruit and veggies as well as dairy. Plus I get my protein in scoop.

    1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
    2 scoops protein (strawberry or vanilla flavored)
    1 cup trop 50 OJ
    2 cups strawberries
    2 cups spinach
  • mkookies
    mkookies Posts: 67 Member
    I juiced a bit for awhile, but it was ridiculously expensive. Unless you live in a place that has fruits and veggies all year long, lots of famers markets or CSA's or Co-Op, it can be expensive if you do it everyday. Unfortunately where I live, fruits and vegetables are plentiful for only a few months out of the year, and you can get lots at the Farmers Market for a decent price - the rest of the year it's all expensive imported stuff at the grocery store. I love fresh juice, though.
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
    Ryry62685. That looks like an amazing smoothie. Sometimes I make lots of juice put it in a quart mason jar and throw that in my smoothies too. I love prepping my veggies it's sort if like my special meditation time with music, peeling and chopping. Sometimes I throw cooked sweet potato, beets or cooked winter squash in my smoothies too to add some slow release carbs.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
    When I need a boost I do a mean green juice from the movie Fat sick and nearly dead. I don’t add it to my food log since it would through the fiber count way off.

    1 cucumber
    6 kale leaves
    2 green apples
    4 celery stokes
    1/2 lemon
    chunk of ginger.

    I make a big batch of it up and keep it in the fridge had 8 oz of it every morning. Do not use the bullet juicer it dose nto work well. I have one form Hampton beach. That works ok but feel I lose a lot of juice. I was htinking of getting this one has good reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BJE200XL-Fountain-700-Watt-Extractor/dp/B000MDHH06/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358734290&sr=1-1&keywords=juicers+best+sellers
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I'm planning on getting a nice juicer and having juice as a breakfast or snack replacement. It will be expensive but I'm willing to pay for something good quality.
  • Crystal_Pistol
    Crystal_Pistol Posts: 750 Member
    Why not just buy some juice?
  • danibu98
    danibu98 Posts: 281 Member
    I just bought a juicer so I'm replying to bookmark this for the recipes
  • XtyAnn17
    XtyAnn17 Posts: 632 Member
    Love lemon ginger blast! Google it youll find a video or recipe.
  • Hikerchick
    Hikerchick Posts: 4 Member
    I have a juicer and a Vitamix. Much prefer the Vitamix but juicing is nice too. I throw spinach and kale in my post workout smoothie:

    1/2 banana
    1 cup coconut or almond milk
    1.5 scoops chocolate whey (I use Dymatize all natural)
    fill to the top with spinach and kale (I use more spinach than kale)

    Blend and enjoy!

    I also like

    1 cup coconut milk
    1/2 banana
    1/2 cup frozen cherries
    1/2 cup pineapple
    1.5 scoops vanilla whey

    When I juice it is not everyday like my smoothies are. More like 1-3 x a week. I prefer to get all the fiber and stuff in the smoothies.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
    Why not just buy some juice?

    Processed store bought juices are not as healthy for you. Preservatives & added sugars YUCK.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    I also have an Omega 8004 and love it. Would like to have a Vitamix, too, since it serves a different juicing purpose, but saving my pennies. Juicing is a great way to get those veggie nutrients in.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    The problem with juicers, you don't get all the fiber. I'll stick with smoothies. You can precook carrots if you want to add them. They have more vitamin A if they are cooked.
  • I used to juice a lot but it's expensive and a lot of cleaning and you are basically taking a whole food and removing all the fiber and just eating the vitamins and sugars. Now I feel like it's better to just eat that fruit or vegetable whole or to make a smoothie, either way, you keep it whole and because you keep the fiber, it's actually filling.
  • I used to juice a lot but it's expensive and a lot of cleaning and you are basically taking a whole food and removing all the fiber and just eating the vitamins and sugars. Now I feel like it's better to just eat that fruit or vegetable whole or to make a smoothie, either way, you keep it whole and because you keep the fiber, it's actually filling.

    I still enjoy a glass of carrot, beet or apple/ginger juice once in a while, though. YUMMY!!!
  • One more thing though, is that if you do want to juice a lot you can use the leftover pulp for baking. I found a rad recipe online for carrot raisin muffins using carrot juice pulp.
  • Another_Dude
    Another_Dude Posts: 5 Member
    I love my Nutribullet. $100 from Bed, Bath & Beyond and I waste so much less food than using a traditional juicer. Get a great green smoothie every morning with spinach, kale, strawberries, half a banana, ground flax seed, chia seed, protein powder, and spring water.
  • xojessieannexo
    xojessieannexo Posts: 95 Member
    i prefer my vitamix! :)
  • I bought that one 2 weeks ago and have used it every single day! the breville,I meant !
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
    I chose a juicer because I didn't want to add more fibre. I wanted all the amazing nutrients because i don't take vitamin supplements. i could never drink a smoothee of 2 apples, 2-3 cups of kale, wheatgrass, or whatever else I want to add plus a lemon. Usually this is my "coffee" substitute in the morning. If I make more than 1.5 cups I can't drink it all. Sometimes I throw 4 carrots in there or other things. Maybe we should start a juicing recipes thread.

    Also to make it cheaper I will buy things when they are discounted. For example after Christmas the stores were trying to get rid of all there mandarins that were going bad. I spent a few minutes picking through the boxes and left with 2 nine pound boxes for 3 dollars. I spent approximately 45 minutes peeling them all and 20 minutes juicing them. I got 6 litres of mandarin juice and gifted 3 litres to other people. We drank the rest or I sweetened smoothies with it.

    I've done the same with pomegranates and other fruits. There are only a few fruits that are better for smoothies like pears and strawberries. I do think our grocery bill is higher than a person who eats processed food. Sometimes I can't believe how cheap a bag of cookies or crackers is. There are a lot of documentaries out there that explain it but if we don't "vote" for our choices by what we purchase things won't change.

    I accidentally found the liferegenerator channel on YouTube last year while looking for how to prepare nettles for juicing. In the spring I picked a bunch of wild stinging nettles and juiced those for my green lemonade. Dan gives a lot of interesting info about juicing and what to include in your juices.

    I do both juicing and smoothies but I definately get the biggest energy boosts from my juice plus it's easier to down all those nutrients in a compact way.

    The thing about purchasing a juicer is to select one that wastes the least so that you aren't throwing away your money on the fruits.
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
    Here is a great article explains the differences between juicing and making green smoothies in a blender.
    http://www.ukjuicers.com/articles/juicer-vs-blender-a11
  • Hi there...
    thanks for your postings....
    Now I know I do not want a juicer and get some type of a blender so I can keep all the nutrients and fibre.
  • Hi everyone ....

    I am looking for a small and affordable blender, that can make smooth shakes not only using fruits and powder but actual green vegetables (kale, spinach, celery, etc). Any suggestion... anybody uses the magic bullet?

    Thanks for all the tips and ideas and recipes.....
  • Ive been researching the same question today. I also have a Bullet but it only really copes with fruit for smoothies.

    I think it would have a heart attack if i threw a carrot in there.

    Ive been looking into Vitamix's but after a bit of Googlen' i came to the conclusion a Juicer is what i will need to get the juice, and a Vitamix for everything else.

    Still, i think im going to just go the Vitamix.

    Edit: I only use 1/2 - 1 Cup of juice when making a smoothie. I also add black and blue berries to cover the 'Green Effect' Put the right amount in there and it turns a wonderful Purple.





    Hmm nice...
    I noticed guys are more into the protein shake smoothies just seeing my brothers.:)

    I was looking for a blender that is small and affordable because when I spend so much on something I tend to not use it anymore and all the cleaning lol.

    When I said juicing I meant to juice mostly the green vegetables and other veggies along with some fruits because those are hard to eat lol.

    Your bullet that you have can I ask which one and the price range? Is it good to blend leafy veggies in that and make a smooth shake?
  • Another_Dude
    Another_Dude Posts: 5 Member
    Nutribullet, $100 at B,B & B. slightly more at Amazon. Blends green veggies with fruit.
  • I started today, LOL, after watching "Hungry for Change" this weekend.

    I have a regular cheap blender, so right now I'm just blending for a REALLY long time and then suffering the chunks. You can see on my diary what I put in there today. I did have to add a little liquid so I opted for water.

    If it's something I continue I'll get a good juicer. For now though I want to make sure it's not a passing trend (for me).

    This is a great thread, though, so I know where to begin.