Green Juicing for Beginners: 21 Recipes to Get Started

21 Great Tasting Green Juice Recipes

When most people think of juice they think of fruit, but that’s not the only juice out there. Green Juice is a drink made from blended or “juiced” vegetables such as kale, spinach or cucumber mixed with fruit and other ingredients for a healthy and delicious addition to any diet.  Sometimes green tea or green tea powder is also added to green juice recipes for an added bonus.

Whether you choose fruits and vegetables or green tea for your juices and smoothies, you’re already making an excellent choice and a step in the right direction for your health.

Why Drink Green Juices?

Green juice drinks and smoothies are a great way to have a flavorful beverage without consuming a lot of empty calories that can be found in many off the shelf refreshments. Because you use will use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your green juice combinations, you are more likely to get the daily requirements for nutrients that your body needs.

Part Of A Healthy Diet

One major difference between cold pressed juices, such as what you make at home or made fresh and off the shelf pasteurized juices, like orange juice you would buy at a grocery store is quality.

When vegetable and fruit juices are pasteurized, it is heated up to a very high temperature,  which kills bacteria and prolongs the shelf life.  Unfortunately this heating process not only kills bacteria, but destroys live enzymes and other needed minerals and nutrients.  Additionally, this process dilutes the flavor, which is replaced with added sweeteners, sodium, and other additives.

Cold pressing, on the other hand, is made by crushing fruits without heat to produce a richer tasting beverage. This process produces juice much thicker than regular juice and can contain up to five times the regular amount of vitamins and minerals than normal juice.

Besides being delicious Green Juice drinks and smoothies are a great way to add essential vitamins and minerals to any diet. Many studies have shown that most Americans, suffer from a lack of many essential vitamins and minerals, usually due to a poor diet lack vegetables.  This lack of nutrients can have a variety of negative effects from poor immune function to anemia and osteoporosis.Most people don’t realize off the shelf fruit and even vegetable juices have tons of added sodium, sweeteners, preservatives and other unhealthy additives. It is for this reason, if you want a healthy beverage that you know what you’ll be getting out of it, you are best off by making your own.

With Green Juice you can easily enjoy all the foods your body needs and be sure you know exactly what you’re eating.

Good For Cholesterol

One of the number one reasons that people often turn to green juice and smoothie options is because of heart health. Many of the superfoods that go into these blends are high in the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are good for your heart.

Consider Making Your Juice A Tea, For Added Heart Healthy Benefits

One of the number one ingredients in many popular juices is green tea, which is rich in antioxidants. Green tea has been shown to specifically lower cholesterol. Green tea works wonders with lowering your LDL (the bad kind of cholesterol) and raising your HDL (the good cholesterol). It shouldn’t be used to replace medications, but it can definitely make the difference if your numbers are lingering between at risk, lowered risk and no risk categories.

Tip: For a stronger green tea brew, rather than over steeping your tea kick up the number of tea bags that you use to double. So, if you are making a glass, just for you, use two bags instead of one. If you make your tea too hot, then you can make it taste bitter and unpleasant.

Common Green Juice Ingredients

While you can turn just about any vegetable into healthy green juice, the good stuff comes from the power packed nutrients in those fruits and vegetables that are commonly used in green guice. A few of these are leafy greens, which you probably already know are superfruits. What you might not know is how to incorporate them into your diet. Green juices and smoothies are an excellent way to make sure your body gets the nutrients that it needs and to boost up with healthy alternatives that can help your body function better.

Super Foods Make Super Green Juicing Recipes

Here is a list of some of the most common used to get the benefits that they are looking for.  When first making green juice at home you should consider these your go to vegetables when making your own green juice creations.

Avocados

One of the healthiest fruits that you can incorporate into your diet is the avocado. They host a variety of vitamins and minerals, over 20 of them in all. They can help provide reduction in swelling and inflammation, provide the body with healthy alternatives to fat and help a number of the important functions within the body. Avocados are also low in calories and sodium too, so they can be incorporated into even the strictest of diets.

Avocados are a great alternative for smoothies and green juicing recipes because they provide a creaminess that you can get from dairy, and yet they are a super fruit filled to the brim with goodness… both in taste and for the functions of your body.

Avocados Nutrition

Avocados contain the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Fiber
  • Folate
  • Potassium
  • Vitamin b5
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K

Apples

Most people know that apples are good for them, but they don’t know much more about them fiber. That of course, is because they do. A medium apple equals to about 1 cup fruit in your diet. By eating just a half of an apple you get 2 grams of soluble fiber. The fiber within the apple makes it quite filling to eat. This makes apple's ideal additions to smoothies and juices, because they give them more bulk without packing your drink with calories. More than that though, apples are miniature powerhouses that provide a lot of nutritional punch as well. They are a good source of some necessary vitamins and minerals. Good for the heart, because of the antioxidants that they contain, apples can block the oxidizing of LDL cholesterol and also decrease inflammation. Additionally, one important antioxidant in apples, quercetin, enables your lungs to get and process more oxygen. This is beneficial to both the heart and respiratory cycles.

Apple Nutrition

Apples contain the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Antioxidants
  • Fiber
  • Polyphenols
  • Vitamin C

basilBasil

An impressive amount of healthy and necessary vitamins and supplements go into the basil plant. Juicing or creating a smoothie from it can have a number of extraordinary health benefits as well. The leaves are the especially potent part of the plant. They can be used for strengthening the immune system, removing toxins from the body, lowering cholesterol, ridding the body of worms from the stomach and calming down stomach problems.

It is the mix of compounds within the plant and how they react when altered. For example, cold chopped basil will be fine for most recipes. You will be trying to get the juice from the leaves for most benefits. Certain conditions, such as kidney stones will require more Basil in your diet than what will be attained by a smoothie alone. It is recommended for intense Basil consumption to juice the leaves on their own and drink them in shot doses, similar to as you would wheatgrass.

Basil Nutrition

Basil contains the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Tryptophan
  • Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene)
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K

cucumberCucumber

Cucumbers are one of those fruits that are full of water. This is an excellent way to keep you hydrated and for this reason they are easy to add to juices and smoothies, because they consist of so much water. This means that you can get the nutrients easily from the juice. The flesh will usually create a pulpier juice. Much of the good stuff of cucumbers are in the peel. When juicing, if you choose to remove the peel you will get less benefits. However, the peel gives a bitter tastes to juices.

However, there is a lot more to this fruit. They aren’t just filler food that are low in calories. Cucumbers are packed full of vitamins including Vitamin A, B Complexes, C  and K. Plus, they have some of your required daily minerals that can help protect your body, decrease your risk of cancer and managing stress.

Cucumber Nutrition

Cucumber contains the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Copper
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Polyphenols
  • Potassium
  • Tryptophan
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K

kaleKale

Kale has been in the news a lot because of the super food benefits of this vegetable. It’s no wonder either. Kale is packed full of antioxidants that reduce swelling and inflammation, promote energy production and can help strengthen a number of systems within the body. Additionally, because Kale is packed full of vitamins a little goes a long way. A couple leaves can be used in juice to get the benefits that can be had by the Vitamin A content (good for eyesight and rejuvenation of tissue) and Vitamin K which supports the cell function of red blood cells.

On it’s own, Kale juice is bitter tasting. For this reason it is best paired with sweeter fruits with a lot of zing like pineapple or orange. You can also balance it out with dairy like yogurt or milk.

Kale Nutrition

Kale contains the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Potassium
  • Tryptophan
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin K

spinachSpinach

A great choice for those looking to increase their intake of Calcium and Iron which many people suffer from a lack of, or just want a boost to their vitamin intake. In fact, spinach has double the amounts of iron in it when compared to other iron rich vegetables. Calcium and Iron work together, so a daily dose of spinach can aid multiple body areas. Plus, with folate, you get a great source of natural folic acid. If you are pregnant or anemic, spinach should be considered to add to all of your drink recipes. Additional benefits of spinach include reduction of inflammation, aiding function with red blood cells, improves skin elasticity and benefits eyesight.

Simple and subtle flavor with very mild bitterness and a smooth earthy finish when juiced. A great joice for people who prefer non-bitter beverages.  Additionally, spinach can be added to other juices without influencing the flavor too much. It’s a popular choice for green juices and smoothies because of this.

Spinach Nutrition

Spinach contains the following ingredients that can help you with your health management goals:

  • Calcium
  • Copper
  • Folate
  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Potassium
  • Tryptophan
  • Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene)
  • Vitamin B-Complexes
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K

Green Juice Recipes

There are a number of ways that you can incorporate green juice benefits into your diet. First, we are going to look at a number of juicing recipes that you can try. For each of these recipes, you will need to juice the ingredients together. It is recommended that you use a quality grade juicer to get the most nutritious and best tasting results.

– Nature’s Bounty

A festive drink with a ton of flavor, great for any occasion.  This potent beverage meets most of your daily requirement needs for Vitamin C. Additionally, high antioxidants make this a go to choice for improving health from the inside out.

Ingredients

  • 2 Medium Granny Smith apples (about 2 Cup)
  • 6 Collard green leaves (about 5 loose cups)
  • 2 Cucumbers, Washed and unpeeled
  • 2 Celery stalks (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ Lemon, Peeled
  • ⅛ Fennel Bulb

– Sweet Summer Cucumber Spinner

A delicious beverage that’s great to cool down with on a hot summer day. Full of a wide variety of vitamins and minerals as well as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups spinach, Raw and uncooked
  • 2 Cucumbers, Washed and unpeeled
  • 4 Small fuji apples (about 2 Cups)

– Kale Pineapple Mint Chiller

Easy to make for a quick pick me up anytime. Packed with anti-cancer nutrients for a long healthy life.

Ingredients

  • 3 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 3 loose Cups)
  • 1 Cup Pineapple
  • 1 Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • ½ Cup Mint
  • 1 Medium Granny Smith apple (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ Lemon, Peeled

– Green Apple Love

Simple to make and great for you, a perfect choice for any apple lover. For a low sugar recipe, look for Granny Smith or other green apples. Add an avocado to this recipe to make a rich smoothie that gives you energy for a busy day.

Ingredients

  • 3 Large kale leaves (about 3 loose Cups)
  • 5 Small apples (about 2 ½ Cups)
  • ½ Lemon, Peeled

– Simple Spring Cooler

For a refreshing beverage that’s healthy and easy to make there’s nothing simpler than this delicious cooler.  It is filling, refreshing and also easy on an upset stomach.

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium apple (¾ to 1 Cup)
  • 1 Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • ½ Inch ginger root (About 2 Teaspoons)
  • ⅓ Cup mint

– Jalapeno Pineapple Sunrise

Start your day with a burst of flavor! This healthy beverage is great way to spice up your diet. Using this for a breakfast recipe, it can help to get your engines running for the day as well. Jalapenos offer more than just a little spice, it can also help to activate weight loss.

Ingredients

  • 5 Kale leaves (about 5 loose Cups)
  • 1 Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • ½ to 1 Jalapeno (Use ½ if you don’t want it very spicey)
  • 2 Cups Pineapple

– Green Goddess’ Ambrosia

Made from some of the healthiest ingredients on earth for a delicious and nutritious drink. With this drink you get not only a healthy dose of required minerals, but a good dose of antioxidants as well.. As an added bonus, this recipe can help to soothe an upset stomach.

Ingredients

  • 6 Swiss Chard leaves (between 5 and 6 Cups)
  • ½ Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • 1 Medium green apple (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ to 1 Inch ginger root (between 2 and 3 Teaspoons as per taste)

– Deep Green Detox

Feeling fatigued? Lacking energy? Cleanse your body from the inside out with this refreshing blend and get back your vitality.

Ingredients

  • ½ Head of Romaine Lettuce
  • 2 Kale leaves (about 2 loose Cups)
  • 2 Medium green apples (about 2 Cups)
  • 10 Sprigs cilantro (about ¼ loose Cups)
  • ½ Lime, Peeled

– Sweet Green Citrus Cooler

Sweeten up your day with this delicious citrus cooler, it’s great tasting and a good source of vitamin C. The added celery and cucumber make it both filling and nutritious as well.

Ingredients

  • 1 Orange, Peeled
  • 1 Fuji apple (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ Lemon, Peeled
  • ½ Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • 3 Celery stalks (about 1 ½ Cups)

– Greet The Day Green Juice

A bounty of flavors fill your senses with this complex and refreshing beverage. The addition of dandelion greens adds a sharp, distinct flavor as well as a healthy addition of folate, magnesium, phosphorus and copper to your diet.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup spinach, Raw and uncooked
  • 4 Kale leaves (about 4 loose Cups)
  • 10 Sprigs parsley (about ¼ loose Cups)
  • 2 Celery stalks (about 1 Cup)
  • 2 Medium Granny Smith apples (about 2 Cup)
  • 1 Cup green grapes
  • ½ – 1 Lemon, Peeled
  • 3 – 4 Dandelion greens (about ½ Cup) Optional

– Classic Green Juice

The original recipe that started the trend, Green Juice! A great go to for a healthy addition to any diet. You can use this as a base for other green juices or smoothies as well as it has a very light flavor that can mix well with fruits and vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumber, Washed and unpeeled
  • 2 Celery stalks (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ to ⅓ Cup cilantro
  • 4 Sprigs of basil
  • 2 Small apples (1 to 1 ½ Cups)

– So Fresh So Clean Green

Crisp and sweet, with a delicious earthy pear flavor for an amazing drink, day or night. This is loaded with Vitamin A and K, making it good for your eyesight and skin elasticity. Additionally, you get more than your daily dose of Vitamin C.

Ingredients

  • 1 Bunch of spinach (about 6 Cups)
  • 1 Medium zucchini (about 1 Cup)
  • ⅛ Fennel bulb
  • 3 Pears (about 3 Cups)
  • 4 Broccoli florets (about ½ Cup)

– Fauxito

This simple green juice recipe is a recharging zinger and a refreshing treat perfect for a hot summer day. This mix tastes a lot like a mojito, but it’s super healthy sans alcohol.

Ingredients

  • 5 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 5 loose Cups)
  • 6 Limes, Peeled
  • ½ Loose Cup mint

– Kale Yeah!

Delicious and refreshing. You can taste the healthy benefits in every drop! This powerhouse juice gives you a large portion of your daily folic acid, antioxidants and a bunch of your daily vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumbers, Washed and unpeeled
  • 2 – 3 Celery stalks (about 1 Cup)
  • 2 Medium green apples (about 2 Cup)
  • 5 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 5 loose Cups)
  • ½ Lime, Peeled
  • ½ Inch ginger root (About 2 Teaspoons)

– Zest of Spring

Start the season with this healthy and appetizing beverage. The celery and kale gives this an earthy taste, while the orange wakes up your taste buds. With this in the morning you will be well on your way to taking in a large portion of your iron, fiber and Vitamin C requirements.

Ingredients

  • 3 Celery stalks (about 1 ½ Cups)
  • 3 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 3 loose Cups)
  • 1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
  • 10 Sprigs cilantro (about ¼ loose Cups)
  • 4 – 5 Oranges (about 4 Cups)

– Beets Me

Coming from the same family as swiss chard, this green juice is mixed with beets for a not so green result, but one that is potent and health. Beets are a great nutritional supplement filled with magnesium and copper. They are helpful to reduce swelling due to their antioxidants, as well as good for cardiovascular health, plus they taste great!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumbers, Washed and unpeeled
  • 3 Celery stalks (about 1 ½ Cups)
  • 3 Swiss Chard leaves (around 3 Cups)
  • 1 Bell pepper, any color (about ½ Cup)
  • 1 Beet (about ½ Cup)
  • 2 Medium apple (about 2 Cups)
  • 1 Orange (about 1 Cup)

– Sweet Dreams

When it’s time to relax at the end of a long day this mouth watering drink. Full of essential nutrients to recharge after a heavy work day.

Ingredients

  • 2 Pears (about 2 Cups)
  • 2 Orange (about 2 Cups)
  • ½ Cucumbers, Washed and unpeeled
  • 3 Swiss Chard leaves (around 3 Cups)
  • 3 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 3 loose Cups)
  • 1 Lemon, Peeled
  • ½ Loose Cup mint

– A Change of Pace

Great for when you need some extra fruit in your diet or just a sweet treat. This drink is loaded with Vitamin C and an excellent way to start your day hydrated.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup watermelon
  • 1 Medium apple (about 1 Cup)
  • 1 Orange (about 1 Cup)
  • ½ Loose Cup mint

Green Juicing Recipes With Green Tea

Combining Green Tea and green juice in equal parts is a powerful way to make sure that you get the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Mixing the tea and juice will lessen the flavor that  you get so often it is a good idea to make sure that you add a little more flavor and be careful of fruits or vegetables that can water down the recipe. While you can mix most any of your tasty green juice recipes with green tea, here are a number of options to get you started.

Each of these recipes give you a specific amount of green tea, fruits and/or vegetables. Play around with making your own juices by adding one part green tea and one part juice, then add ice for a healthy alternative blend.

– Green Juice Detox Drink

When you are trying to rid your body of toxins, green tea is a go-to choice. The antioxidants in this mix come from both the green tea and the Kale.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Cold Green Tea (pre-brewed)
  • 3 Large kale leaves, Raw and uncooked (about 3 loose Cups)
  • 1/2 Apple
  • Ice

Tip: Avocados are great for detoxing as they help to purify the body and they also give you essential fats that are needed for your system to function as you cleanse your system. Add one half avocado and some extra juice to a blender and make a detoxifying beverage that is as filling as a meal.

– Green Tea Morning Eye Opener

For a filling morning juice, turn to this green juicing and green tea combination that will definitely open your eyes. Green tea provides you with both a bit of caffeine (a little less than half a cup of coffee) that is what you need to get you moving in the morning. Plus, the included fruits and vegetables give your brain the boost that it needs to be active for the day.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Cold Green Tea (pre-brewed) or Green Tea Powder
  • 1/4 Orange (Peeled and deseeded)
  • 1/4 Grapefruit (Peeled and deseeded)
  • 1 Cup Soy Milk, Lowfat Milk or Coconut Milk
  • 1/2 Granny Smith Apple

– Super Healthy Green Joint Juice

This one has a powerful name, with good cause. The spices, vegetables and fruits in this juice will certainly give you a jolt. Plus, everything in here will complement your health management goals, whether you are trying to lose weight, reduce inflammation or encourage movement. Without any sugar, this drink is super healthy but kind of bitter.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Cold Green Tea (pre-brewed) or Green Tea Powder
  • 1/2 Cup Apple Juice
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric
  • 1.4 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 – 1 Cup Soy Milk, Lowfat Milk or Coconut Milk

Tip:  Spices, but Turmeric especially  is best prepared and added when you brew your tea as the heat from the water helps to break down and blend the spice into your drink.

Take The Next Step And Turn Your Fantastic Juices Into A Smoothie

When you are looking for something a bit more filling than a juice, it is easy to turn some of your favorite juices into a smoothie. Simply use the juice that you desire and mix it with some smoothie additives to create your own adventurous flavor creation.

Choose your Own Adventure!

To create the perfect smoothie, you’ll want to have your juice on hand. Next, start with two cups that are filled with about 8 oz of liquid.

This is a traditional coffee mug size.

While there are hundreds of smoothie recipes available out there, sometimes it's fun to just make up one yourself, so here's a simple step by step guide to help you choose the perfect ingredients for you!

Be sure to add some of the highlighted green fruits and vegetables added in this guide, to ensure that your smoothie is chock full of goodness.

1.   Find Your Favorite Fruits and Vegetables

When making a great smoothie you want to have at least 2 different fruits, for both their delicious flavor and nutritional benefits. Adding additional fruit to a smoothie is a great way to add sweetness without adding calories with sugar.

Some of the possible choices

  • Cherries, Strawberries and Raspberries (frozen or fresh)
  • Citrus fruits like Oranges, Limes and Lemons
  • Mangos, bananas, and Kiwis
  • Green Veggies like Kale, Arugula or Spinach
  • Carrots and Beets
  • Avocados

Tips: Freeze your fruit and use instead of ice. This will give you a richer flavor.

2.   Add Some Fluids For Consistency

You will want to add 1 to 2 cups of fluid to get everything to blend correctly. While most people think of milk or ice there are many options to choose from. Remember, the more fruit you use, the less fluid you’ll need.

Some of the possible choices

  • Fruit juices
  • Almond, Soy, Hemp, or Coconut milk
  • Green tea (chilled)
  • Coffee (chilled)
  • Milk

3.   Thicken It Up

To get the right thickness as well as more nutrition you’ll want to add some heavier ingredients, especially ones high in protein and low on fat.

Some of the possible choices

  • Coconut Meat
  • Frozen Yogurt
  • Chia or Flax Seeds
  • Peanut Butter
  • Oats or Wheat Germ
  • Avocado

Tip: Chia seeds will swell as they take on fluid from any drink. Make sure to add them and mix just before drinking to keep consistency of your beverage.

4.   Add Some Flavor

If you want  to sweeten your smoothie there are plenty of healthy alternatives to sugar you can use for amazing flavor.

Some of the possible choices

  • Maple Syrup or Honey
  • Vanilla or Almond Extract
  • Figs and Dates (fresh)
  • Cinnamon or Ginger
  • Mint or Basil

5.   Make it Healthy

With all the delicious flavors you have put together, it’s easy to slip in some additional power boosting supplements to make it all the more healthy.

Some of the possible choices

  • Bee Pollen
  • Vitamin or Protein powders
  • Fish Oil
  • Maca, Cocoa, or Acai powder
  • Chia Seeds

Tip: If you are using your smoothie to replace a meal, protein powder is an excellent idea to give your drink an extra boost that will provide you with more energy through the day.

Tips To Make Your Green Juices And Smoothies Even Better…

You’re obviously taking a step in the right direction for your own health. Green juices and smoothies can definitely get you on your way. Remember that when it comes to vitamins and minerals, often you are going to be aiming for a daily requirement. If you are taking additional supplements for any reason, adding them to your drinks and food should also be monitored and counted with your daily count.

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