Smoothies vs. Juicing

"Where do you stand on smoothies versus juice?"

Nobody has actually asked me this. WHY NOT?! I'm so prepared to answer this!!

Lets start with smoothies.

Smoothies can be an amazing and quick way to get nutrition; a meal on the go. They can be a simple water mixed with protein- or you can have fruits and veggies blended with your favorite milk (dairy or otherwise). They can also be glorified milkshakes. If you aren't a body builder the 900 calorie peanut butter and mega builder protein shake is not for you by the way.

Ideally a smoothie should have enough protein, fat and fiber to keep you full. I try to keep it limited to no more than 4 ingredients, plus a protein or green (or BOTH if I'm feeling it) powder for a nutrition boost.
My favorite smoothie is half a banana, kale, berries and coconut water or milk and a handful of chia seeds. However the combinations are endless. Anything that you can juice, you can put into a smoothie. The only limitations are really the power of your blender and making sure you have enough liquid. I wouldn't suggest a beet in a blender unless you have a *Vitamix* (swoon...I want one SO badly. When I see a friend with one I have major blender envy). But aside from heavier root veggies most juiceable items can be blended.

What fantastic about smoothies is you get the WHOLE fruit or vegetable. You benefit from not just the quick enzymes and phytonutrients- you also get the fiber! That added bulk is beneficial for digestion and will keep you fuller longer.

Sometimes I like to make a smoothie to replace dessert. It helps with a chocolate craving (cacao nibs anyone?), and will keep me full for a remainder of an evening. Half a banana, cacao and some almond milk and greens powder is not only a nutritional booster- but really delicious.

And then there is juicing. But then there is the amazing quantity of enzymes, vitamins and nutrients you can consume from juicing. You can feasibly consume the nutritional value in a whole beet, 5 carrots a cup of kale and four stalks of celery in one very big juice. The odds of eating that many vegetables in a sitting or even a day is not common for most people. You get a lot of bang for your buck.

And again you have an amazing number of combinations for juice. There are endless health boosting properties to consuming a large amount of vegetables via juice. In the times when I juice frequently my skin is radiant, my hair shinier, and I feel happier overall. There is a feeling of lightness that comes with drinking in nutrients that you body can readily absorb.
I try to make really unique and tasty combinations. I think it's important to vary your combinations the way you would vary your own diet- though there are components to every juice I keep the same. Three to be exact. I always like to include one or all of the following:
1) turmeric (fresh if I can, dried powder is great too)
2) fresh ginger (If you buy a lot of it, it keeps really well in the freezer and you can break off chunks as you need it)
3) a clove of raw garlic

* Fun fact: both turmeric and ginger are distantly related rhizomes. A rhizome is a plant that has it's stem and root system primarily underground.

So I like to have a combination of fruits and veggies to keep a balance and variety of nutrients. I'm a fan of apples, beets and carrots (ABC juice!), and then any green veggie, along with my buddies turmeric ginger and garlic.

Where does that leave us in this versus battle between juiced fruits and veggies and smoothies?

Sigh.


Dammit how can I choooooooose?!

I won't. Ha! I won't choose. Because there is a time and a place for both. Aside from personal preference there really isn't one that is better than the other. I think it's amazing how versatile both approaches to healthy eating are.

What are your favorite smoothie/juice combinations?