Hey friends! Today, we’re diving into the topic of blending vs juicing. Whether you’re on a quest for a nutrient-packed morning boost or simply want to sip your way through fruits and veggies, understanding the differences between these two methods is key.

‍

Let’s start with blending—Your FIBER friend.

When it comes to blending, think smoothies: those glorious concoctions can be packed with fruits, veggies, superfoods, and protein! Here’s why blending rocks:

Pros:

• Fiber: Blending retains the fiber from fruits and vegetables, which helps keep you full and aids in digestion. This makes blending a great option for breakfast, a meal replacement, or a satisfying snack¹.

• Versatility: Blending allows you to easily throw in various ingredients such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and proteins. This flexibility in ingredient selection caters to taste preferences, dietary needs, and health goals².

• Protein: Adding protein to a smoothie is easy; just toss in your favorite protein powder, nut butter, or items like chia, hemp, and flax seeds.

Cons:

• Calories: Be mindful of portion sizes and ingredients. It’s easy to go overboard with calorie-dense add-ins like nut butters and sweeteners.

• Sugar: Be aware that you can quickly increase the sugar content of a blended drink. Include healthy fats and proteins to balance this out and be mindful of other added ingredients and their amounts⁵.

‍

Let’s move on to juicing—The Liquid Elixir

Juicing is the process of extracting liquid from fruits and vegetables, leaving behind the pulp, aka that thing called fiber. Even though we are leaving fiber behind, let’s talk about why we love juicing:

Pros:

• Convenient Nutrition: If you struggle to get in your recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables (which most of us do), juicing offers a convenient nutrient-dense solution that can add to your consumption of whole produce^3,6.

• Fiber: For those with sensitive digestive systems or diets requiring less fiber, removing fiber can ease digestion and minimize discomfort, making juicing a more gut friendly option.

Cons:

• Fiber: Juicing removes most of the fiber, which means you’re missing out on its myriad of benefits (as seen above, a pro, if you are looking to reduce fiber)⁴.

• Pricey: Juicing can strain your bank account as you have to use a lot more fruits and vegetables to fill your glass vs throwing it all into a blender.

• Sugar: Fiber is removed during the juicing process which can help slow digestion and absorption. It is essential to pay attention to serving or portion size when consuming juice to try and minimize the spike in glucose levels. Consuming with protein and healthy fats can help minimize the potential rise in glucose.

‍

While both blending and juicing have their perks and pitfalls, whether you’re team juicing or team blending, the key is to focus on variety and understand what your body needs. Blending is a great option for a quick and easy meal replacement or getting in that extra needed protein, while juicing can be a great way to ensure you are meeting your daily serving of fruits and vegetables.

A quick note: Juice “cleanses” and “detoxes” are a different topic all together. Our bodies are AMAZING at getting rid of compounds and toxins that we don’t need, hi liver, hi kidneys! Also, according to the USDA, we should try to meet half our daily fruit intake with whole fruits. Oh, and don’t forget to get in your veggies, as most Americans do not even come close to meeting the recommended intake⁶.

So, grab your blender, juicer, all the ingredients you love, and whip up something delicious, satisfying, and beneficial!

‍

Got a favorite go-to recipe or ingredient you use when juicing or blending? We would love to hear more, please share below!

‍

‍

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836193/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315720/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8228760/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4352186/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9657402/
6. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf