Blending vs Juicing: When, Why and How…Hint, They’re Both Good

Hi again, it’s me Jenny.

I know that I’ve thrown a lot of information at you about juicing and the benefits of getting more nutrients into your body via juicing. So today I want to talk to you about Blending vs. Juicing. The question is asked a lot about which is better for you.

There is a lot of discussion on the web about juicing vs. blending. There is a lot of arguing about what is better and which is worse. However, the thing they really don’t get into is how they’re different, and how those differences can be an important factor in whether you choose to juice or blend your fruits and veggies on any given day.

Obviously, when you juice a fruit or vegetable you are removing the pulp or fiber. Fiber is a very necessary dietary component that keeps us satiated, and aids in keeping the bowels moving smoothly. When you make a smoothie it will consist of fewer fruits and veggies making a more dense meal that satisfies you faster, giving you fewer nutrients than you would in a power packed juice, but there is a time when that is preferable. How do you know which one to use when?

But is one better or worse than the other?

It depends on your goals. If your goal is to overdose on vitamins and nutrients while giving your digestive tract a rest, to induce the repair response, then you want to juice. If your goal is simply to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet in a tasty and attractive way, then blending might be your thing.

If you want to lose weight, juicing may be better than blending because some blended concoctions are super high in calories. Whereas, most juices are very low in calories. A juice containing cucumber, celery, spinach, apple, and carrot will be super low in calories and also delicious.

While a smoothie of the same thing will be hard to drink due to the texture. A smoothie usually contains bananas, avocado, nuts, and other elements to make it more palatable on the tongue, giving it a creamy consistency that we like in our smoothies. This makes smoothies higher in fat and calories than the fruits and veggies normally used in the juicing process. Juicing can be quite expensive too, so some people prefer using smoothies to get in their veggies and fruits each day at a lower cost.

Not only is organic produce expensive, but so are juicers. Blenders are less expensive, and since you’ll be using less produce it will be less expensive to create smoothies than juices. So, in all honesty, it depends on your situation and what you’re trying to accomplish. The most important thing is to increase your servings of fruit and veggies each day until you’re getting in at least 7 to 13 cups. However, you do it. Just do it.

Next week I want to talk to you about superfoods and how to include them into your juicing regimen.