Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Guide to Juicing

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Looking to add juicing into your daily routine but feeling a bit overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start? Fear no more! Here is my Juicing 101 guide to help you out (please note that this is merely my own formula when it comes to juicing, feel free to tweak as you see fit):

juiceChoosing the right juicer for your needs is an easy task once you have decided exactly what type of end result you are looking for. There are 2 different types of juicers out on the market: Masticating and Centrifugal. Both are great options so no need to feel like you are missing out if you buy the other. Here is a comparison of each type:

versus

omegaBreville

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have owned both now and I must say that I am very happy with my Omega juicer (pictured to the left) in comparison to the Breville centrifugal juicer (pictured to the right). I did pay more for it ($250) so you might need an extra month to save up your pennies–I had to. It does take a lot longer to juice but I find that I get more out of leafy greens, actually I get something from leafy greens whereas the centrifugal that I had gave me mere drops from an entire bag of spinach. What I like about the Omega is that it keeps more of the nutrients in tact because it is a lower speed of rpms and it doesn’t heat up the juice. Also, it is an easier clean-up (especially when you can have your significant other do the cleaning–now that’s a sweet deal!) Matt is not included in the box though, sorry ladies…

Regardless, the centrifugal juicers have great benefits to them too: Budget-friendly (you can get a decent juicer at the cost of $100) and it juices very quickly. Perfect for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money on this appliance and don’t have too much time/patience to spare waiting for the juice to come out (then again, the clean up time can make up for it)…

Once you have purchased the right juicer, start stocking up your refrigerator with the organic produce of your choice. I tend to follow a basic equation for juicing that looks like this:

equation

STEP 1: I make sure to start of with at least one leafy green. My favorite go-to’s are spinach and kale but feel free to find your own personal favorites from the selection below:

leafygreens

 

STEP 2: Next, I like to add 1-2 vegetables into the mix. I’m not a fan of celery despite the great benefits so I tend to avoid it, however I tend to favorite cucumbers, beets, and carrots. I’m branching out so lay off me! I’ve been trying to rotate in my daily juice the following:

veggies

STEP 3: For sweetness, you will want to add a fruit. I try to limit it to just 1 to make sure I’m not ingesting too much sugar in one cup but there are days where I go for 2 (I know, I’m living on the edge):

fruits

STEP 4: Lastly, I love adding extras. Ginger is my jam so I add it into practically every juice. Get creative though. Research how each addition benefits your health and get crazy with throwing them in depending on your health needs:

extras

 

hydrate

Hydrate Juice Recipe

Makes 16 oz with the Omega masticating juicer

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 c. kale
  • 1 green apple
  • 3 carrots
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 1-2″ knob of ginger

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Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Cara! I like your post. I also have Omega juicer, but other model- VRT350. I’m very happy with it and I’m glad that didn’t buy centrifugal juicer. I feel it gives me all juice from veggies and fruits up to the last drop. Do you save your juice for another day or drink it immediately? How do you save it? The most I like juice from carrots, apple and ginger, the simple and tasty one. What is your favorite recipe?

    • Hi David, I usually drink the juice I make in the morning immediately. There are those rare occasions where I make one for the AM and then save another for later on in the day. If I do that, I put it in a mason jar and secure the lid tightly 🙂

  4. OK, um Love This! I have been going back and forth trying to decide on a juicer. I had pretty much figured on a masticating one, but wasn’t sure which to get. My main problem is a complete lack of counter space. Two questions, how loud is the Omega and what do you do with your pulp? I hate the idea of losing all that fiber!

    • I usually mix the pulp with a bit of coconut oil and seeds, and pack it down onto a oiled pizza/tray and leave it in my oven on 250 for 15-20 minutes to make crackers. You can also dehydrate the pulp with chia/flax seeds for 2 days.

  6. I’m very impressed with your helpful guide to juicing & the comparison of juicing machines. I have a couple of questions: #1. With the juicing machines, do you get the whole food in the juice or does the machine separate the fibrous material of the produce? (I like the idea of using the entire product)#2. How do you decide which foods to use in a recipe to give the nutrients your body needs, such as; if I’m looking for anti-inflammatory nutrients, how can I determine which produce to incorporate to make a smoothie with a pleasing taste while using the produce that will provide the anti-inflammatory nutrients? Thank you in advance for any ideas you might have to share.

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