Juicing 101 | Recipes and Tips For Beginners

Nutrition

November 22, 2021

I know many of us are committed to eating better. One nutrition trend I am a big fan of is juicing! Don’t worry – juicing for beginners can be fun and uncomplicated, just keep reading.

I get tons of questions about different cleanses and fasts, but my approach to nutrition is simple: I try to eat from a plant, tree, or animal at every meal. Fruits and vegetables are a non-negotiable for me. I avoid highly processed or pre-prepared foods as much as possible. I avoid quick-fix detoxes, radical cleanses, or empty promises from companies trying to cash in because I believe that if you eat well, your body will take care of itself.

Juicing has become quite popular in the last 10 years popping up in local strip malls, cafes, and gyms because, simply, it makes people feel good.

And while I don’t recommend a juicing meal plan necessarily, drinking fresh juice alongside healthy eating habits is an easy way to ensure you are getting your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Oh, and it tastes great!

Yes, juicing is delicious, and you may be surprised as to how easily you too will become obsessed with this healthy habit. I personally add fresh juice to my diet and do not advocate juice cleanses or fasts that eliminate whole foods.

But, juicing may be the quickest way to add nutrients to your body and feel totally energized.

I put together this quick guide to juicing for beginners, including my nine favorite juicing recipes to share with you along with a few juicing tips to get you started!

You will need a juicer, so what juicer is right for you?

The Best Types of Juicers For Every Budget

A juicer can range from $60 to over $2,000! I know my first car wasn’t even $2,000, but just saying there is a wide range out there.

I know many sites offer refurbished juicers as well, so that is an option if you don’t want to buy new. Here are a few options you may want to look at:

Affordable Juicer

SO when it comes to affordable juicers, this is the best selling juicer on Amazon. And if you are like me, I am convinced when there are over 2000 good reviews! I did order this one for my mother-in-law a few years back and she still uses it and likes it!!

Mid-Range Juicer

A middle of the road option is the Breville Juice Fountain Plus at 850 watts that retails for around $150. Breville is probably the best-known name in juicers and stands for quality.

Commercial Grade Juicer

A little more pricey is the Breville Juice Fountain Elite with 1,000 watts of rocket-like power. This is a commercial grade juicer, so if you plan to juice a ton, this is the juicer for you. It retails for $299 so it’s pricey. This is the juicer I bought 15 years ago and although it wasn’t cheap, it may be one of the best investments I have ever made.

Beginner Juicing Tips

Read Your Manual
Typically, I’m not a huge fan of “reading directions” and most often just figure appliances out on my own. Trust me, you should really read the manual in this case. My juicer comes with a low and high setting that I can adjust for different vegetables. My manual has a list of those veggies and what speed they should be juiced at for optimal results. Also, if you get a big daddy juicer like I have, you really need to make sure all the pieces are together correctly so you don’t accidentally juice a finger.
Drink Right Away
The point of juicing is to enjoy the fresh juice right away. Fresh juice will lose nutrients as it oxidizes, so plan to drink your juice immediately. If you make extra or can’t drink it all at once, store your juice in an airtight container like a thermos or mason jar, filling to the top and making sure it’s sealed. Make sure to refrigerate it ASAP. Fresh juice will keep for up to 24 hours, but I try to drink mine in under 12. I typically drink my juice for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. Drinking juice on an empty stomach is best as those nutrients are absorbed right away and don’t have to fight with other foods your body is trying to digest at the same time.
Have Fun!
I have tried tons of juice recipes and then made my own adaptations based on my taste. Try new fruits and vegetables and get your friends and family involved. Don’t be afraid to experiment with cooky concoctions. Who knows? Maybe beet and broccoli is the next big thing!

Juicing Recipes For Beginners

Now let’s get started. Juice your way to better health with these 9 tasty jucer recipes!

The Energizer

The perfect mix of sweet and tart. This fresh juice drink filled with vitamin C also has fresh lemons to help balance your body’s pH.

The Energizer Ingredients

3 Carrots
1 Green Apple
1 Pear
1/2 Lemon
1 Inch Ginger, Peeled

The Beet Blaster

Even if you don’t like beets, you have to give this juice a try! The apple and carrots in this juice recipe are sweet balancing the earthy beet flavor. Beets are a superfood that helps detoxify the skin and kidneys, contain important folic acid and are filled with betacyanin known to prevent cancers and increase exercise endurance.

Tip: Wash the beets well and cut them into pieces that will fit into the juicer.

Beet Blaster Ingredients

2 Beets with tops, medium-sized
3 Carrots
1 Apple

Green Machine

So refreshing and delicious you won’t believe you’re drinking kale! The sweetness of the pineapple makes this juice drink feel like a treat. The green machine is filled with vitamin B and iron that leaves you energized and ready to take on the world.

Green Machine Ingredients

1/2 Bunch of Kale
1 Cucumber
1 1/4 cups Pineapple

The Healthy Mary

This is the Bloody Mary’s healthy sister! You haven’t had real tomato juice until you make it fresh and add a little kick to spice things up. Tomatoes are rich in beta-carotene and lycopene both known to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.

The Healthy Mary Ingredients

2 Large Tomatoes
4 Stalks Celery
1 Jalapeno, seeded
1/4 Lemon, peel removed
1/2 Cup Cilantro
1/2 Cucumber

Citrus Zinger

Good morning, gorgeous! I love the vibrant taste of fresh citrus in the morning. The vitamins and minerals in this juice get my blood pumping and the smell and taste really wake me up. I also add a little club soda to the recipe in the summer to make a healthy spritzer on hot days. Yum!

Citrus Zinger Ingredients

3 Oranges, peeled
1/2 Ruby Red Grapefruit, peeled
1 Apple

The Popeye Special

If you have a hard time “eating your spinach,” this is the juice for you! I add strawberries and kiwi to sweeten the spinach up and the combo tastes incredible. Plus, the juice is filled to the brim with iron, vitamins, and micronutrients to make you as strong as Popeye.

The Popeye Special Ingredients

5 Cups of Spinach
1 Cup Strawberries
2 Kiwis, peeled

Garden Party

Get your garden party on with this veggie-packed juice! The beauty of juicing is that when you use carrots or apples, the other super healthy but strong flavors such as parsley and green pepper aren’t as pronounced.

The Garden Party Ingredients

5 cups of spinach
1 Green Apple
1/4 Cup Parsley
1 Green Pepper
3 Carrots

Snake Bite

One of the first juice recipes I ever made and still my kids’ favorite. The Snake Bite is sweet but the fresh ginger gives it a healthy bite! Fresh ginger helps to optimize the immune system and is also known to improve digestion and circulation. Try this nontraditional green juice recipe for a bit of a kick.

Snake Bite Ingredients

3 Carrots
1 Inch Ginger, Peeled
1 Green Apple

The Grass is Greener

One of the biggest health topics is how to boost your immunity. Juicing isn’t just a weight loss topic, it’s a great way to get more immune-boosting, fresh ingredients on a regular basis. Wheat grass is full of vitamins and nutrients that help boost immunity and energy. The combination of wheat grass and vitamin C-rich lime makes this juice recipe the perfect flu and cold fighting formula to keep you Kleenex free. Mint is also known to clear up congestion and is a natural stimulant so if you feel the sniffles coming on, this is the drink for you!

Note: Pregnant or nursing mothers should not consume wheat grass.

The Grass is Greener Ingredients

2 Handfuls of snipped Wheat Grass
2 Carrots
1/4 Lime, peel removed
3 Stems of Fresh Mint
2 Green Apples

How Many Cups of Juice Should You Drink Per Day

Now that you have these easy juicing recipes, it might be tempting to fire up the juicer several times per day. While juicing is a great daily habit, there’s no need to overdo it. Juicing should never replace a meal because juice – although very healthy – does not have all the essential nutrition you need for a full meal. Most juicing guidelines recommend between 8 oz to 16 oz of juice per day. It’s important to listen to your body, your own hunger cues, and follow what makes sense for your lifestyle.

Is Juicing For Weight Loss A Good Idea?

Although people often think juicing is a weight loss strategy, it really isn’t. Adding a glass of fresh-squeezed juice to your day is a great way to increase nutrients in your body. But a glass of juice a day isn’t about losing weight, it’s about nutritional supplementation.

Juice cleanses where only juice is consumed for a period of days is a potentially dangerous idea. Most juice cleanses will have you only consuming 600-1000 calories a day which is considered a very restrictive amount. And depending on how long you do it, you could be missing out on certain nutrients needed for your body to function.

If you have watched the documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, it is no doubt eye-opening and interesting. Juicing has its place in a healthy diet. But be aware that Juicing Joe had a doctor’s supervision and advice throughout the film. I am a believer in juicing but it’s not a weight-loss strategy that is easy to execute on your own.

This juicing for beginners guide to juicing is just a start, we recommend having fun with this! Here is to fresh juice, more energy, and better health!