I might have just reused my littlest kid's cereal bowl for my eldest daughter's breakfast. Without washing it first. She didn't know any better but I did. I'm sharing this so you understand I am frugal and lazy at the same time. I juice fruits and vegetables for smoothies and I also use a blender and I get lots of questions about it so here we go: Which is better, juicing produce in a juicer or blending it up in a blender for a smoothie?
My husband and I watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead a year or two ago and really got a new appreciation for juicing our fruits and vegetables. As an admittedly lazy mama to two little girls I had to discover the truth for myself. The first juicing question to answer is not which is better: using a juicer or a blender (and does it have to be a $500 Vitamix blender?). The question to ask is what do YOU mean by "better"?
Do you mean which makes tastier concoctions? Which blends better consistency? Which is easier to use? Which is healthier for your body? What is your definition of "better"? For me I want the most bang for my organic produce buck. I also know whatever is easiest is what I am most likely to realistically do. Have you ever cleaned a juicer? Not on the fun list.
Plus when I just use my juicer there is a lot of leftover pulp, skin, and fiber that I just throw in the compost. I did try reusing the pulp for soups or baked goods, but it was tricky and icky and didn't work well for me. (Remember, I am lazy!)
For me, "better smoothies" meant Healthier, Easier and Frugal.
I coveted the Vitamix and the showmanship of the Costco demonstrated is breathtaking. Do you know that thing makes hot soup too? Alas I am not going to spend $500 on a blender, unless it washes itself too.
I have a perfectly lovely Oster glass blender and tried doing some fun things in it. There was a smoothie recipe for an Apple Cinnamon Smoothie and the author mentioned chopping apples and tossing them in a blender.
WAIT. WHAT?
Not a VITAMIX? A simple old blender? I did this. I loved this. Turns out, a blender is ok for most smoothies if you can enjoy a thicker smoothie. The plus is you get the satisfaction of a fuller feeling with the fiber staying in your drink and you do not waste all the skin and fiber of your organic produce by chucking it into the compost.
Here are some Beginner Green Smoothie tips to help you enjoy the healthier side of juicing or blender smoothies. Just jump in and experiment. I'd love to hear any tips you have for me!
Plus when I just use my juicer there is a lot of leftover pulp, skin, and fiber that I just throw in the compost. I did try reusing the pulp for soups or baked goods, but it was tricky and icky and didn't work well for me. (Remember, I am lazy!)
For me, "better smoothies" meant Healthier, Easier and Frugal.
I coveted the Vitamix and the showmanship of the Costco demonstrated is breathtaking. Do you know that thing makes hot soup too? Alas I am not going to spend $500 on a blender, unless it washes itself too.
I have a perfectly lovely Oster glass blender and tried doing some fun things in it. There was a smoothie recipe for an Apple Cinnamon Smoothie and the author mentioned chopping apples and tossing them in a blender.
WAIT. WHAT?
Not a VITAMIX? A simple old blender? I did this. I loved this. Turns out, a blender is ok for most smoothies if you can enjoy a thicker smoothie. The plus is you get the satisfaction of a fuller feeling with the fiber staying in your drink and you do not waste all the skin and fiber of your organic produce by chucking it into the compost.
Here are some Beginner Green Smoothie tips to help you enjoy the healthier side of juicing or blender smoothies. Just jump in and experiment. I'd love to hear any tips you have for me!
1) I have a jar I mixed up of pollen, chia seeds & ground flax seed I keep in fridge and always add 1-2 Tablespoons to my smoothies.
2) I often chop romaine lettuce, apples (with skin) and blend it with a small amount of water, then add frozen banana, maybe frozen berries etc.
3) Find a juice bar and try their concotions to learn what you want to make. I love juicing the "Green Sea" drink from ROOTS Juice Bar in Valparaiso, Indiana. I took a menu & copied the Green Sea which is juiced apple, parsley,kale, lemon then blendered with avocado and sea salt. It is worth getting my juicer and blender both dirty.
4) Make enough for two days. I always store leftovers juice & smoothie for the next day. Drinking yummy leftovers RIGHT NOW!
4) Make enough for two days. I always store leftovers juice & smoothie for the next day. Drinking yummy leftovers RIGHT NOW!
5) Glowing Green Smoothie is a favorite, and yes I just use my Oster Blender. The Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe by Kimberly Snyder | GGS Recipe
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The Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe by Kimberly Snyder ...
Kimberly Snyder, author of the Beauty Detox Solution & Beauty Detox Foods shares her famous Glowing Green Smoothie recipe, which helps to increase energy and gi...
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6) Watch the documentary Fat Sick and Nearly Dead | a Joe Cross Film
7) Pinterest is a perfect start....search and find a bunch of juicing recipes and start trying them out.
For me choosing to use a blender for most of my smoothies just works the best. I don't use a lot of recipes, I kind of just throw whatever is available into my blender and whir away. A good green smoothie and Dorito flavored popcorn make my life pretty swell. Now I'm on the hunt for smoothie recipe that tastes like doughnuts, then I won't have to wash a plate!
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