Blending vs juicing Pro’s & Con’s

About 5 years ago, my husband consulted with Dr. Joel Fuhrman about his arthritis. He told him to radically change his diet and in particular he advised him to consume large amounts of liquid greens.

‘What? That is just not realistic’, my husband said imagining himself needing to carry a juicer or a blender wherever he would go.

Fast forward to today, and his day is just not complete without a green drink and a green salad.

There is no doubt about it, green smoothies and green juices are becoming more and more mainstream. It is no wonder since they are such a nutrient-dense beverage.

Blending vs juicing… but which is better, a juice or a smoothie? And what’s the real difference?

Whether you are in the smoothie camp, the juice camp or just standing on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity to jump in, this is without a doubt the one area of nutrition that no contradiction exists amongst the experts.

Dark leafy greens are royalty and kale is the king! It is rated a 1000 out of a 1000 on the ANDI scale (aggregate nutrition density index). It doesn’t get much better than that.

So if there is one thing you can do to improve your nutrition, add dark leafy greens, especially liquid greens!

But the question remains, ‘which is better, a smoothie or a juice and why?’

Blending vs Juicing: The Face Off

The answer to this question depends on your goal, as there is quite a bit of difference. They are simply two completely different forms of reaping beneficial nutritents from food. It’s like spinning vs. yoga. They are comparable in a sense that they are both effective ways of challenging and strengthening your body but two very differnt forms of exercise. So, ideally, you do them both.

Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of each one:

Juice

Juicing involves using a juice extractor to extract only the juice of vegetables and fruit, leaving the fiber from the rind, skin and pulp behind.

What you need:
A Juicer, 2-3 pounds of vegetables (mostly the green ones such as leafy greens, cucumber, celery), one piece of fruit to make it all more palatable (green apple or pear are best) and maybe some herbs such as cilantro and / or parsley.

Advantages:
With nutrients from 3 lbs of produce (equivalent to 2 cucumbers, 4 stalks of celery, 2 whole stalks of kale, an apple and half a bunch of parsley) in a single glass of green juice, your body gets an injection of concentrated minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients, which are tremendously healing and cleansing to the body. Most people would never sit down to eat that much produce in one sitting. In addition, since there is no fiber to break down, the digestive system doesn’t have to work much to quickly absorb all that goodness. Coupled with a healthy clean diet, a green juice is also an effective weight loss aid.

Disadvantages:
Although they are very high in nutrients and vitamins, juices can’t keep you full for long because your body processes the liquid so quickly. Also, unless the juice is mostly green vegetables, it can easily contain too much sugar (if you are using too many fruits or sweet vegetables like carrots and beets) which will result in a blood sugar imbalance. Also, juices need to be consumed pretty much right away for the maximum benefit.

Smoothie

Making a smoothie involves blending and emulsifying produce with liquid leaving nothing behind.

What you need:
A blender, ½ to 1 pound of your favorite green vegetables, 1 cup of fruit and 1-2 cups of unsweetened liquid.

Advantages:
Smoothies can be a full meal replacement given all the fiber that is present from the whole fruit and vegetables. Add some protein, a healthy fat and even more fiber and you have a balanced meal that will keep your blood sugar stable and tummy satieated for a few hours. Given that it’s a liquid meal, it also somewhat easy to digest compared to raw whole vegetables. It is a great way for picky eaters to add more vegetables into their diet. Take a look at my guide; The Art of Making Super Smoothies

Disadvantages:
Because it’s difficult to pack in the same volume of vegetables into a blender, your smoothie won’t be as nutrient-dense as your green juice. Using a high quality blender, such as a Vitamix, will lead to smoother, more enjoyable smoothies, but the price is comparable to a juicer.

Blending vs Juicing: The Results Are In

Blending vs Juicing the bottom line is when it comes to green beverages, whether you prefer smoothies or juices, it’s hard to go wrong. Just pick your favorite green vegetables, and blend or juice away. Your body will thank you for it!