My Top Five Favorite Juice Recipes

If you are new to the world of juicing, I want to give you some simple, tasty recipes to get started. I remember when I first began juicing, I was overwhelmed. I felt like there was so much to learn and I had seen a lot of people around me get started and quickly give up. From what I could gather, many of them gave up because they couldn’t stand how badly they craved things such as sugar. Many of them, however, quit because they just could not handle the taste of the juices they were creating. When I began my juicing journey I went on a search for both a good juicer and some good recipes. The few green juices I had tried at local health stores and my aunt’s house had left me nearly gagging; I didn’t want to give up a day and half into my first juice fast.

Fast-forward a few years and now I am drinking at least one green juice or smoothie per day. To top it off, I actually like the flavor. It took a long time for me to begin to like the flavor, though. I had to start off drinking juices I enjoyed the taste of, gradually increasing the amount of “bad tasting” foods in them until eventually I was able to drink juices made up of only those foods which once tasted bad to me.

My plan in this article is to bring you my favorite five recipes. Well, to be more honest, these were my favorite five recipes when I was just getting started. Now, I find myself enjoying some more exotic flavors on a regular basis. These recipes have been designed to mask some of the flavors I wasn’t prepared for at the beginning of my juicing journey. I figure that they will be helpful to people who, like me, are afraid they will give up on juicing if the flavors just aren’t right.

I have chosen these juices based on a balance of flavor and health benefits. Juicing doesn’t have to be gross; it doesn’t have to mean cutting out some of your favorite flavors and making yourself choke down horrible flavors that leave you gagging over your cup. Although I have some much more healthy juices up my sleeve, they do not always taste the best. To ease you into this process, I have selected healthy juices which pack a huge punch in terms of delicious flavor.

The Sour Green

1 Green Apple
1 Cucumber
1 Cup Greens (spinach, romaine or kale)
1 Inch Ginger Root
1 Lime

I love the tart crispness of this juice; something about it reminds me of springtime. I especially love whipping up this juice on a hot summer day and dreaming of a cool spring afternoon. Something in the sourness of the green apple and the light, watery flavor of the cucumber helps me cool down and relax. Of course, if you are not a fan of the tangyness offered by the green apple, you can substitute a sweet red apple or even one cup of pineapple.

Rise and Shine

1 Carrot
¼ Cup Blueberries
¼ Cup Raspberries
½ Cup Strawberries
1 Lemon
1 Orange

This is my absolute favorite morning juice. I am the type of person who prefers to go heavy on fruits in the morning, balance my fruits and vegetables at lunch, then focus on vegetables around dinner time. I love the thickness the carrot juice brings to this combination – it helps me feel fuller faster. The sweetness of the blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries quenches my craving for cookies (I used to eat cookies for breakfast) and hits my body with a punch of antioxidants first thing in the morning.

I also love lemon in the morning. I have heard wonderful things about how it can jumpstart the metabolism and I like to give my body as much of an edge as I can. I am a very busy person and need all the energy I can get to keep up with my fast-paced schedule.

The Immune Booster

2 Stalks of Celery
1 Inch Ginger Root
1 Cup Greens (spinach, romaine or kale)
1 Lemon
1 Pear

Not only is this an incredible cold juice it also tastes great warm, so feel free to drink it as is or throw in a few ice cubes. When chilled, this juice is quite invigorating and refreshing. When it is warm, this juice is incredibly soothing for a sore throat or congested chest. This is one of my favorite juices to drink when I am not feeling well. It is full of antioxidants and immune boosters. Sometimes, I like to add a bit of peppermint to help open up my airways, but I must admit this ruins the flavor.

The Sweet Beet

1 Cup Zucchini
1 Cup Greens (spinach, romaine or kale)
1 Cup Pineapple
1 Beet
1 Lemon

Oh my, this is one tasty juice. I absolutely love the way the intense flavor of pineapple obliterates the taste of the zucchini and leafy greens. I am a fan of all things sweet, so for me it’s essential to incorporate juices into my diet that include greens yet taste as if they do not. In fact, this is my favorite desert juice. Yes, you read that correctly – I love drinking this juice as a desert after finishing my dinner.

Purple People Eater

1 Cup Red Cabbage
½ Inch Tumeric Root
1 Oranges
1 Lime
1 Beet

There is no real reason for calling this powerful antioxidant juice the “Purple People Eater” other than the fact that I always found that song rather amusing and love the vibrant purple of this juice. Although the color gets messed up if you substitute something for the beet, I find that this juice tastes just as good with sweet potato.

Conclusion

I hope that you have found these recipes helpful as a starting point or simply an addition to your ever-growing juice recipe collection. There are many resources available online and offline in the form of websites, forums, and printed books that can assist you in building your recipe book collection more and more juices.

When selecting juice recipes, try to find those which allow you to vary the type of fruits and vegetables you consume throughout your day. Although it can be tempting to stick with flavors you enjoy, branch out a little bit and see what you can use to mask the flavors you do not enjoy. Also, try looking up juice recipes based on their benefits. For example, certain fruits and vegetables are good for helping your body fight a cold, while others are good for helping you wake up in the morning.