We love our greens. Essential to our beauty routine, nutritional needs and overall health state, consuming green vegetables is the number one way to nourish your body and fight off disease. Lucky for us, there are many ways to consume leafy greens and grasses including juicing them alongside some of their sweeter friends. If you haven’t dipped your toe in the juicing craze you might want to consider it. Vegetable juice gives you a power-packed shot of nutrients that would take days to consume otherwise. We’ve been having fun in the kitchen with our Omega Cold-Pressed Juicer and the endless recipe combinations that can be concocted. If this sounds interesting to you, we’ve got a few tips to get you started plus a breakdown of our favorite greens to turn into a delicious health promoting juice.

Tips to get you started with juicing:

• Use a cold-pressed juicer to preserve enzymes and nutrients (the heat caused by centrifugal juicers reduces the nutritional content of your fruits and vegetables).
• Go heavy on the vegetables and light on fruit to minimize sugar content. We’re trying to be healthy here folks.
• Give yourself some time. Juicing is no easy task but prepping produce beforehand and storing leftovers for up to three days helps cut down on time.
• Experiment! The best juice is made from local and seasonal produce, which means you get to create new and exciting recipes every time you take a trip to the market.
• Find some “heavy-hitters” to pack a nutritional punch. Keep reading for our guide to the best greens to pour into a glass.

A Guide To Greens

Green: Wheatgrass
Contains: Chlorophyll (one of the best sources!), vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, l and K. Wheatgrass is rich in protein, and contains 17 amino acids (the building blocks of protein) plus it retains almost all of the minerals available in soil (92 out of 102).
Health Benefits: Chlorophyll is an antibacterial that helps keep your body in its steady state from the inside out. Neutralize toxins, cleanse your liver and fight aging with this top-notch grass. Chlorophyll also has a similar cellular structure to hemoglobin and is said to help improve oxygen flow from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Flavors to pair with: Orange, carrot or apple. This grass needs some sweetness to counter it’s strong taste but is best absorbed undiluted on an empty stomach immediately after juicing.
Read more about the benefits on The Chalkboard Mag and consider growing your own wheatgrass at home.

Green: Kale
Contains: Iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, antioxidants and carotenoids.
Health Benefits: Counteracts free radicals in the body to prevent disease and promote longevity. Carotenoids are essential to protecting your vision and supporting a healthy immune system along with vitamin C (kale is one of the best sources!). Vitamin K is critical to blood clotting and bone health and iron supports the production of red blood cell (hemoglobin).
Flavors to pair with: Anything and everything. Kale makes a great green base for all your juicing combinations.
Read more about the benefits on Healthline.

Green: Spinach
Contains: Vitamin A, potassium, folate and antioxidants (including Factor C0-Q10).
Health Benefits: Potassium and folate support healthy cognitive functioning and help to lower blood pressure. Vitamin A plays a critical role in maintaining healthy skin so you can keep your glow while Factor C0-Q10 strengthens muscles—especially cardiovascular muscles.
Flavors to pair with: Juice with cucumber, apple and lemon for a skin-saving and muscle-building elixir.
Read more about the benefits on Best for Juicing and Organic Facts.

Green: Romaine
Contains: Vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin C.
Health Benefits: These antioxidants help boost your immune system and promote healthy skin. Like all antioxidants they also reduce inflammation in the body to keep you disease-free. Romaine has a very high water content, which makes it great for juicing along with nutrient dense veggies.
Flavors to pair with: Romaine is a great addition to any green juice. We are partial to Greens & Greens from Forager. Make your own copycat version by juicing cucumber, celery, kale, romaine, lemon, lime, fennel, parsley and basil. Add a pinch of sea salt and cayenne to bring out the best flavor.
Read more about the benefits on Dr. Axe.

Green: Watercress
Contains: Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and Sulphur glycosides.
Health Benefits: Watercress has more calcium than milk, which strengthens your teeth and bones. Phosphorus also aids in strengthening bones while promoting healthy digestion and supporting proper kidney function to keep the body toxin-free. Sulphur glycosides treat chronic bronchitis and help relieve cough symptoms related to other illnesses.
Flavors to pair with: We’re partial to Watercress Wonder Juice, which benefits from the flavors of green apple, lime and celery.
Read more about the benefits on Juicing for Health and Natural Food Series.

Feeling inspired? Up your greens game another level by adding an algae called spirulina or chlorella, both are packed with nutrients and make an easy mix in. Juicing can also be a great addition to any happy hour. Get your green on with a Kale Basil Smash or a Drunken Green Goddess—we call this “breaking even.” Cheers!