By Elisha Aispuro, UC Davis Nutrition Peer Counselor
Living in California will have you hearing the most absurd arguments as many of you know. One of those repeated arguments always discusses the age old question, is it better to juice or blend?
While it may be tempting to watch the Goop Lab starring Gwenyth Paltro on Netflix to answer the question, I’ll save you the trouble and answer the question in this post!
Juicing vs. Blending
Using a juicer entails separating juice from fiber leading to delicious creations such as carrot juice without any pulp or fiber. I know what you’re thinking…. why would you want to exclude the fiber when it’s good for you? Removing the fiber allows you to pack more vegetables/fruits in a juice thus increasing your servings of vegetables/fruits in an easy and hydrating way. Additionally, juices carry several benefits including being an instant infusion of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to your bloodstream. Choosing a juice over a smoothie also gives your digestive system somewhat of a break allowing cells to focus on resting and repairing when needed.
On the other hand, blending entails blending all ingredients together into a filling smoothie. Smoothies carry many benefits such as supporting digestive health by aiding in regular digestion and elimination of toxins. Smoothies also help satisfy hunger, sustain energy levels over time, and balance blood sugar. Choosing to blend over juicing will lead to having a delicious fiber-filled drink that will not be digested as quickly.
Do both!
You may be thinking that you don’t want to choose just one or the other. Well I’m here to reassure you that you don’t have to. Both juicing and blending carry their own awesome benefits. Listed below are two similar recipes using both techniques so feel free to try both and decide for yourself what you like best!
Green Juice Recipe
The base ingredients include 2 cups of spinach and 2 peeled oranges with potential add-ins such as ginger root or broccoli stems for a quick energy boosting juice.
Green Smoothie Recipe
The base ingredients include 2 cups of spinach, 1 peeled orange, 1 cup of water or milk, 1 tablespoon of nut butter with potential add-ins such as protein powder or hemp seeds for a filling smoothie.
Do you have any life-changingly delicious smoothie or juice recipes you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comments!
Healthy Aggies at UC Davis 