February 14, 2022

Green Juice: The #2

Alright.

So, this one is a tad bit different than the juice I've become accustomed to making.

Why?

Because this one is for my kids.

And while I pretty much haven't met a green juice I didn't enjoy, my 10 and 8-year olds are a completely different story.

In an effort to get them on board with drinking green juice every morning before school, I have to meet them where they are.

And, currently, they are hanging out at the corner of Don't-force-too-many-veggies-on-me Lane and Do-I-really-have-to-drink-this Avenue.

Therefore, I compromise.

This juice is a little sweeter than the ones I drink. But, hey, I've got to start somewhere.

What we have here, per the photo abovefrom left to rightis cilantro, collard greensgreen apple, orange, and cucumber.

Cilantro possesses, according to justjuice.org, anti-anxiety effects similar to diazepam, an anti-anxiety prescription drug, but without the host of unwanted side effects. And, oh, the detoxification benefits! Cilantro is most often cited as being effective for toxic metal cleansing. The natural chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals in the body to help remove them from the body.

Collard greens are one of the best vegetables to juice since they combine water, fiber, and up to one gram of protein per every ounce of juice. However, collard greens contain a high fiber content, and this can cause stomach discomfort, gas, and bloating for some people. Personally, I haven't experienced this and neither have my kids. Perhaps this is because we're incorporating other fruits and vegetables into our juice as opposed to drinking only collard greens. Who knows. I find myself coming back to collard greens for juicing again and again because it packs a powerful punch nutrition-wise and although collard greens are on the bitter side, they play well when mixed with other fruits and vegetables. Translation: When you add collard greens into the mix, you up your chances of producing a really good juice.

Green apple promotes weight loss, improves cognitive functioning, and boosts the digestive system.

Orange juice is high in many nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, and potassium. But, let me just be honest: They're just here for the sweetness they bring to the table. Remember: This batch of juice is for the kiddos.

Cucumber helps rid the mouth of odor-fighting bacteria, contains numerous antioxidants, and fights inflammation.

How you see everything pictured above is exactly how I feed it into the juicer. I just throw it all in there in no particular order.

And it comes out looking like this:
Just look at that pretty green.

I make two batches of green juice—one for me and one for the kids—twice a week.

I drink about 6-8 ounces first thing every morning on an empty stomach. The kids drink a bit less than I do—they each consume about a shot glass-size before eating their breakfast.

After I bottle my juice, I take all the leftover pulp, throw it in a gallon Ziploc bag and make note of what's inside. Like this:
But I don't stop there.

In previous juicing posts, I teased that there are multiple uses for the pulp.

And, well, well, well. What do we have here:
A nice veggie-pulp and egg scramble (and a vegetarian sausage patty), that's what.

I took the pulp off the top of the cup (above), as I didn't want orange in my eggs, but, hey, if you'd eat it, I'm not here to judge. I won't knock it until I've tried it. 

I simply heated some EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) in a skillet, mashed up the pulp as the oil heated up, then added my eggs and scrambled until the consistency was to my liking.

The rest of the pulp went into the Ziploc and then into the freezer to use at a later date (for soup, stir-fry, etc.).

Until we juice again...

Cheers!

If you are new to my juicing posts, please visit Juicing: How I started, which details the exact juicer and glass bottles I use as well as some background on how I got started.



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