12 Healthy Juice Recipes, Plus a Nutritionist’s Tips for Making It at Home

Contrary to popular belief, eating your daily recommendedfruitsandveggiesdoesn’t get any easier once you’re an adult. But before you start trying to stomach threesaladsa day, there’s a quicker way to down all that good-for-you produce:juicing. According to theMayo Clinic, juicing can reduce your cancer risk, boost your immune system, cleanse your body of toxins and even help you lose weight. Read on for tips fromDr. Felicia Stoler, DCN, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and exercise physiologist, on making better, healthier juice at home, plus 12 healthy juice recipes to get you started.

• Use in-season produce.You can make juice out of just aboutanyfruit or veggie. So, your home juicing menu will lean heavily on what’s fresh, what you’re trying to use before it goes bad (we see you, wiltedspinachburied in the crisper drawer) and what you like.
• Juice the rainbow.Whatever you use, it’s important to juice a range of vibrant produce whenever possible. “The more colorful the fruits and veggies, the more phytonutrients end up in the juice,” says Stoler.
• Use the peels and seeds whenever possible.Juice provides vitamins and minerals no matter what, but blitzing the skins and seeds too ensures a fiber boost, meaning the juice will keep you feeling full longer.
• Consider eating your produce in addition to drinking it.Homemade juice is easy to make (with the right equipment) and nutritious, but Stoler reminds us that juice is mostly just straight carbohydrates, plus some amino acids if it contains veggies. While there’s nothing wrong with a glass of carbs, it’s better to chew your produce than to drink it to ensure that you’re getting all the fiber it contains. “It takes longer to eat and digest [whole food] than drinking pure liquid that will leave the stomach rapidly and enter the blood stream quicker,” explains Stoler. “Think about a cup of apple juice, which has about 100 calories. One medium apple has almost the same calories, but it takes significantly longer to eat, and you’ll feel fuller after.” Nevertheless, juice is OK every so often, especially if you have trouble working fresh produce into your diet.