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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Vegetables for Juicing

   


      Okay, okay.  I've totally wanted to skip this part.  Which vegetables are the best for juicing.  The thing is I don't think there is a best that can be pointed out.  Every single person is different in their nutritional needs and of course, what they like.  Now, I'm not going to expect every veggie concoction to be wonderful.  In fact, I'm assuming that some of it may be an acquired taste, which is why starting out slowly could be a good thing. 

   One of the first things I noticed is that apple juice is almost always suggested to make things taste just a bit better, or less bitter.  I did find a very extensive list, and it would take a lot of time to investigate each and every vegetable.  Some of these vegetables, maybe since I'm not a die hard juicer yet, seem a bit odd.  For example, artichokes.  They seem to be a bit pricey, so I really would rather eat it than waste the taste on juicing it.  Or alfalfa sprouts.  If I do find time to sprout them, I'd rather throw them in a salad or a sandwich.  So, check out this list and see what you think.  List of juicing vegetables

     Another thing is the beets.  A few websites state to never drink beet juice by itself or it can paralyze your vocal chords.  Yet I see that very thing in Henry's Market and other places.  I didn't see any warnings on the package.  I've seen pro and con on that.  But really, I would wonder just how many beets would you really want in a glass of juice anyway. 

The list is a good starting point, with a lot of information on the nutrients and what each vegetable could help you with.  If there is one in particular that catches your eye I encourage you to do further research on that individual vegetable. 

   As for myself I'm going to just start with what I like.  Okay, so I'd rather have fruit in my juice.  One of my favorite smoothies is Strawberry Banana.  It uses one whole banana, about five strawberries, crushed pineapple with a tad of the juice, (if you do it the unhealthy way like me and get it from a can) and if I have protein powder I'll use a scoop of that.  Oh yeah, don't forget an ounce or two of apple juice.  This I throw in the blender and it makes a nice sweet treat.  Now from there, I can add things that I will never notice.  I like to add a spoonful of flax meal, and a few leaves of some fresh spinach.  Since I know I like this concoction, always have since I was a kid (a very long time ago) so I will just start with those and add in from there.  A tweak here and a tweak there.  For starters, I'm going to add in a carrot.  So now I've got my fruits with two veggies.  It's a start anyway and will have to do until I find a juicer to do all the work.