Hi everyone!
Fruits and vegetables are acknowledged as the best sources of vitamin C. Juices from fruits and vegetables from are suitable for all range of people from kids to elderly people, and vegan diets.
In recent years, juicing has become widespread popularity among health-conscious people looking for a convenient way to boost their nutrient intake. Who doesn’t like a glass of fresh cool healthy juice in a hot summer vibe?
Vegetable juice is also a method used by many parents when their children do not like to eat vegetables. My nephew doesn’t like eating any kind of vegetables, so my sister has to make some juice for him to add vitamins to his diet. It’s the only way he consumes “vegetables”.
It is controversial that pure fruit juices are not as healthy as we think they are. It’s true when saying 100% fruit juice is a good source of nutrients like vitamin C, A, K, and potassium.
However, too much fruit juice can be an extra source of sugar and calories to the human body. Juice also doesn't contain the same fiber and nutrients that raw fruits have.
That's why in this post I provide healthy and tasty recipes which combine fruits and vegetables to enhance taste and flavor as well as cut down sugar in the juices.
Carrot- orange juice
Carrots are one of my top choices when I go shopping for vegetables. Due to its slight sweetness, impressive nutrient profile, and price is super affordable, carrots are a perfect choice for juicing.
As you may know, carrot is low in calories but loaded with vitamin A, biotin, and beta-carotene. So it is considered the best choice when you want to enhance your eyes’ health - source
I added orange to this recipe to balance the flavor. The orange juice is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B, and anti-oxidant, great to keep you young and healthy.
Ginger in this recipe is just to make the juice more warm flavor as I found ginger goes really well with carrot. You can get rid of it if you don’t like ginger flavor.
Recipe (for 1 glass ~ 330 ml)
2 carrots
1 - 2 orange
1 small piece of ginger (optional)
Red cabbage - pear juice
When walking by the fruit section in Countdown supermarket, red color fruits caught my eyes. They are Red Angle pears originally from Australia. For the first time, I have seen them in the supermarket in New Zealand. With more about curiosity, I bought one for trying.
Red Angel pears have distinct white flesh with deep red-colored skin. Compared to Asian pears, it has less water amount but has a very sweet low acidic flavor and a buttery texture.
After searching on the internet, I found that pears in general are beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain gut conditions, encouraging detoxification and fighting free radicals - source
Another ingredient in this recipe is red cabbage or purple cabbage. To be honest, it is the first time I make juice with red cabbage so I had to search for its benefits. It is smaller than green cabbage and has more of peppery taste.
Like other cruciferous vegetables, red cabbage is high in vitamins K and C along with many other nutrients. It may help protect against diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation -
source
I added cucumber for freshness and ginger for warmness. It may be not as sweet as fruit juice but it is really good for those with diabetes.
Recipe (for 1 glass ~ 320 ml)
- 1/4 red cabbage
- 1/2 - 1 pear
- 1/4 cucumber
- 1 small piece of ginger
Apple - pineapple juice
Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits so no doubt I’ll introduce it to the menu today :)
This recipe has only 2 ingredients: pineapple and apple.
I want it to be sour-sweet so I used granny smith apple (green apple). If you want sweeter juice, replace green apples with any red apples.
Reasons I love pineapple is not only its beautiful taste and aromatic flavor. It is because pineapple is high in vitamin C, which helps your immune system have a stronger defense against illness and also speeds up recovery time after surgery or intense exercise.
Pineapple is proven to have other excellent health benefits thanks to a substance called bromelain that has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting, and anti-cancerous agents - source
Recipe (for 1 glass ~ 320 ml)
- 1/2 pineapple
- 1 green apple/red apple
Although we need to be clear here, fresh juices provide our bodies with a load of minerals and nutrients, but canned juices do not really work in the same way.
Nutritionally, these drinks are similar to most soft drinks: rich in sugar and calories, but low in nutrients. Water is probably a better choice. So be considered if you want to buy canned juices at the supermarkets.
When is the best time to drink juice?
It’s best to consume juice after juicing because at this time vitamins and nutrients are in the best state. And the time to drink vegetable juice is after eating about 2-4 hours when the stomach is empty so that the body can absorb the most nutrients.
Hope you enjoy my fruit and vegetable juice recipes. Thanks for reading!
Photos taken by me
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