Veggie Power Juice

Most of you know how many times I've posted recipes for smoothies and I apologize for those who have possibly been awaiting a juice recipe for a change.

Now, I do own a Vitamix, not a juicer, so if I plan to juice something I'll need to do so manually. For instance, today I blended up the ingredients below but I strained the blended product through a mesh strainer and into a large bowl.

It was a lot of work and things got real messy.

(It was totally worth it though!)

Nonetheless, I was very satisfied with the final product! In fact, this was my first time ever making my own vegetable juice. ...Yeah, I know. It's like my vegan initiation is complete.

Veggie Power Juice
serves 2

2 cups of spinach, unpacked
2 cups of kale, unpacked
handful of parsley, about 1/2 cup
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium apple, skin on (I used a green apple)
1/2 medium Vegbell pepper (I used red, which is probably why the drink didn't turn out green!)
optional: about 1/2-1 cup of fresh water (use this if you are blending first)

If you only have a blender:
1. Add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high until ingredients are smooth.
2. Strain in a large strainer into a bowl or pitcher using a mesh strainer. Save the pulp and either compost it or try using it for another recipe.
3. Serve drink as is or with ice cubes. Enjoy!

If you have a juicer (water not necessary):
1. Add all ingredients in your juicer and juice away!
2. Serve cold and enjoy.

Not your typical green drink, huh?

I loved this drink! I'm so used to using bananas to sweeten my smoothies that I was a little hesitant to try this no-banana juice. I'm so happy the apples and carrots were just enough to naturally sweeten it up. Good stuff. =)

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 138
Fat: 1.2g
Carbs: 31.9g
Protein: 4.9
Fiber: 7.9g (only the pulp has this fiber, not the juice itself)
Sugar: 15.1g (no added sugar here)
Calcium: 178.6mg

This juice is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.

So why has it been so long for me to finally start juicing produce? Well, again, I do own a Vitamix so it's easier for me to just flip the switch and let the ingredients blend into a smoothie instead. Also, I get paranoid about juice in general because they contain very little to absolutely no fiber at all (I even avoid purchasing pre-made juice from the grocery stores because of this).
But I did my own research and here is what I came up with:

• When it comes to using a lot of fruit, blending is the better choice because the fiber stays intact and your blood glucose levels don't spike when you drink the smoothie, allowing the drink to slowly pass through your digestive tract (this can keep you fuller longer, as well).
• If you were to juice a lot of fruit for one drink, you're most likely going to get a rise in your blood sugar levels since the sugar will immediately reach your bloodstream.
• Juicing is best if you want to get immediate energy and nutrients since the end product contains no fiber and is very easy to drink.

Makes sense to me. What do you think? All in all, both methods of drinking your fruits and vegetables are healthy in and of itself and we should all have a balance of both of them.

Now, what am I going to do with all of this juice pulp?! Going to find a recipe for that now...