blender, breakfast, Holidays, juicer, Nutrition

Beetle-‘juice’ or ‘Pulp’-fiction?

The final month of the year is officially here!  Have you started in on the buzz of creating a New Year resolution?  I’ve always believed that when the thought of being healthy crosses your mind, you should act on that challenge right then, not wait until Monday, or the first of the month, and especially not the first of the year.  However, for some, starting on dates that are “firsts” are easier for them to keep tract of their progress.  In becoming a healthier you, I’m sure you’ve thought about quitting tobacco products and alcohol.  Maybe you’ve thought out a new workout routine to fit in after visualizing your hectic schedule.  Maybe you want to get a jump-start on that book you’ve always dreamed of writing, or even new ways you can cut costs.  One topic I was interested in starting years ago was creating a cleaner, healthier me on the inside and by doing this, I wanted to expand my knowledge on the difference between “juicing” and “blending”.

Juicing and blending are fantastic ways to get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet.  It’s pretty clear by now that ingesting fruits and vegetables can lead to a longer healthier life.  Receiving your daily servings is also proven to reduce the risk of heart disease including strokes. If you’re on the go and rushing the kids out the door before they miss their bus ride to school and helping your husband/wife find their most comfortable work shoes before they head out the door, there’s not much time left for you to get a bite in and get a good kick-start to your day.  In this case, I always suggest to my clients to try a shake for breakfast.  It’s fast to prepare, it’s refreshing, and can keep you full to power through your morning and eliminate snacking or morning drive-thru’s.  It’s both time and money conserving.  Now that we’ve padded out the importance of receiving your daily nutrients, how should we go about it?  I mean, what really is the difference between juicing and blending?

Have you heard of the term “smoothie”?  When blending, your final product is typically referred to as a smoothie.  It’s a thicker drink that includes the whole food you put in.  In quantity, you will receive more end product by choosing to blend.  This meaning, you won’t have to input as much food, hence, lower grocery bill.  img_3674
Another great benefit to blending is in addition to your fruits and vegetables, you can also spruce up your drink by adding nuts, oats, and yogurt.  By adding all of the above, you will have a deliciously, nutritious, filling drink full of your daily doses of vitamins and minerals along with fats, proteins, and fiber!  The only downside to blending is the smoothie consistency may take some getting used to.  If it seems a little too thick for you, try adding some coconut water.  I like it because it sits heavier on my stomach and keeps me fuller longer until I punch out for lunch.

When Juicing, you add in the entire food, but the pulp (fiber) is eliminated.  Juicing has more of a thin, liquid consistency.  You won’t have as much fiber in this drink as opposed to blending, but the other nutrients and minerals are still there.   With juicing, you don’t need to add water because the vegetables added such as cucumbers and celery, already have a high water content.  Since juicing is the disposal of part of the food, you will have a lesser amount of drink than you would blending.  Not only meaning lesser quantity, but more product needed, equaling higher grocery bill.  The final product can be as great as a 1:3 ratio when comparing juicing quantity to blending.  I like juicing when including more vegetables than fruits because the consistency.  img_3675I’m not a pulpy, chunky, “chew your drink” type of person all of the time.  I like juicing if I want a quick snack to hold me over until dinner or lunch, depending on what I had for breakfast.  When consuming, juices seem a little more natural than the smoothie.  It really all depends on what you want more of when juicing or blending, fruits or vegetables.

In both juicing and blending, limit your fruits added to keep the sugar level down.  Also try adding a citrus fruit to cut the bitterness of vegetables (always eliminate the peel before adding).  When trying to decide on what green veggies to add like spinach or kale, load them up because the taste isn’t too intense.  Now that you know the jest of blending vs juicing, here comes the important part.  In any aspect of life, you always get what you paid for.  Since Christmas is a few weeks away, maybe you can add one of the machines to your wish list.  The Vitamix is most known for a better quality and higher end blender.  When juicing, I had a client suggest the Breville juicer that he and his RD wife use daily.  If you have a friend or family member who owns a juicer or blender of different brands, try them out and develop your own opinion.

Let me know in the comments which works best for you and why or if you have a brand to suggest for other curious juicer/blender goers.

Best of luck and Merry Christmas!

xox- C