Juicing vs. Blending

Juices and smoothies are a great way to add more fruits and veggies into your life. But they can be expensive, and it can be hard to know if these magical drinks are all they're cracked up to be.

I've experimented with both smoothies and juices and found what is a healthy compromise between the two - a focus on low-sugar juices and delicious, filling smoothies. I'm also prefacing this by saying that this is what feels good for my body and everyone is different! But I have fact-checked this from reputable resources because there's lots of crazy claims about the benefits of smoothies and juices on the internet.

Juice

There's a lot of polarizing opinions about juicing. The biggest "con" - which some also think is a "pro" - is that juicing fruits and veggies removes fiber.

Fiber can be hard to digest for some people, so juicing can be a way to pack a lot of nutrients in without the fiber punch. On the flip side, a high-fiber diet has a ton of benefits for your overall gut health, controlling blood sugar levels, and maintaining a health weight because fiber leaves you feeling full. Personally, I'm still hungry after drinking a juice, but will already consumed a good amount of calories. I'm not crazy about this because I don't count calories, so I like to eat or drink something that leaves me full.

Fruit juice can also be high in natural sugars. Without the fiber, your body absorbs the energy from a fruit juice super quickly - I usually feel a "sugar-high" with a crash afterward I drink a fruit juice. Although these sugars are natural, I find the quantity of sugar to be concerning because of the amount of fruits needed to make a cup or two of juice. For this reason, I usually select vegetable-based juices that are low in sugar (10g or less for a 16oz bottle). Or if I want a fruit juice I'll dilute it by mixing it with water (or sparkling water!).

Another myth of juicing is that it detoxifies your body. However, science has debunked this claim (the Science Vs. podcast did a great episode about it!). The proven way to "detox" is simply to take care of your body - sleep, drinking plenty of water, and eat fruits and veggies. My conclusion is that juicing gets a lot of credit that fruits and veggies deserve. There's a ton of evidence that eating a plant-based diet can reduce disease, and juicing can be a way for people that don't eat fruits and veggies to get the benefits. But if you're vegan, you probably don't have to worry about that. :)

Lastly, juices at the store can be pricey. You can make your own with a juicer, but these can be costly and clunky. I live in an apartment with minimal counter space and use a ninja / magic bullet type of blender (you can find them starting around $30) for all juicing / smoothie needs (and for making things like curry paste, hummus, and homemade pasta sauce!). Using a blender to make juices creates a hybrid of a juice/smoothie which I love because it does not remove the fiber bit still tastes like a juice. But head's up - your juice will taste "pulpy."

My favorite juice recipe is to combine celery, cucumber, lemon, a little bit of kale, and mint leaves in the blender with water to make a refreshing green juice.

Smoothies

Unlike juices, smoothies contain fiber - a great health benefit! Another great thing about smoothies, is that you can add in parts of fruits and veggies that most of us don't eat - like the skins of peaches and stems of broccoli - without noticing a taste change. Just make sure you've washed the fruits and veggies with soapy water!

Over the past year I've gotten really into smoothies. I prefer thick, ice-cream-like smoothies, so I use ice and frozen fruits or veggies as a base. Omit this or use fresh fruits or veggies if you like a thinner consistency!

I start with an unsweetened plant-based milk and a couple of ice cubes. I always add liquid first, because then any powders, nut butters, or seeds you add after won't stick to the blender. Then I add vegan protein. Vega vanilla is my favorite because its mild and mutes the flavor of strong veggies, but there's a ton of brands and flavors out there like Orgain, Evolve, Sun Warrior, Bob's, Garden of Life, and more!

After that I'll add some fresh or frozen fruit or veggies (berries, pineapple, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, and kale are my favs). Then comes the healthy fats and other random stuff like nut butters, coconut shreds, chia or hemp seeds (two of my favorite superfoods!), chlorophyll, oats, or cinnamon.

Recipes

Want to try it out? Here are some ideas to get started.

• Nutty Berry: Almond milk, ice, frozen berries, peanut or almond butter, vanilla protein

• Greenana: Almond milk, ice, frozen banana, 1/4 avocado, vanilla protein, 15 drops chlorophyll. Stir in chia seeds after blending. This tastes like a shamrock shake!

• Oatmeal Cookie: Almond milk, ice, zucchini, oats, cinnamon, vanilla protein, hemp seeds

• Pina Colada: Coconut, ice, frozen pineapple, coconut shreds, vanilla protein

• Strawberry Milkshake: Coconut milk, ice, frozen strawberries, cauliflower, vanilla extract, vanilla protein

Thirsty?

Check out Atlanta juice and smoothie spots like Ardens Garden, Kale Me Crazy, Rawesome Juicery, Upbeet, Juiceheads ATL, Veda Juice, DTox, and Lucky Lotus.