Green juices: everything you need to know and the best places to drink them

Lack of time, stress, commitments. Sometimes the healthy and slow eating it has everything against it. Maybe it is due to this the success of green juices and smoothies, the easiest, most digestible and fun way to take all the vegetables and fruits that we need every day. And in record time!

Today Summum We will explain all the secrets about these fashionable drinks and, by the way, we will tell you where to drink them and, if you dare, how to make them at home.

Juices, smoothies, smoothies: what difference does it make?

They are strictly green, but each one has its peculiarity. In the case of the juicesIt is about extracting the liquid from the fruits and vegetables, either by squeezing or centrifuging the ingredients. Green juices are something like a “transfusion” of nutrients, which are absorbed 100% in a short time by our body. Of course, as the nutritionist explains Carla zaplana juices do not contain enough protein, fat or fiber to make a complete breakfast.

Furthermore, the shakes They are made by grinding the ingredients and then adding milk or yogurt. Here the fiber stays, the texture is thicker and the range of flavors can be extended to sweeter or more caloric fruits that cannot be blended such as banana, avocado, mango or dates.

Finally, in the smoothies, the ingredients are crushed and then water or juice is added, always reaching a slightly thicker texture.

What ingredients to choose?

Eat raw and unseasoned vegetables it is perhaps the first resistance generated by green juices. The good news is that, once this obstacle is overcome, a world of possibilities opens up when it comes to create your own perfect juice.

Spinach, collard greens, cabbages, broccoli, lettuce, arugula, watercress, celery, parsley, basil, cucumber, fennel, kale, bimi. All these vegetables have a lot to contribute in flavor and texture, but above all they are a real mine of nutrients. On the other hand, fruits such as apple, grape, strawberry, peach, watermelon, lemon, grapefruit, orange, pear are responsible for giving a sweet touch to green juices. They are also a vitamin concentrate and other essential nutrients for our body.

A tablespoon of superfoods

Un green juice worthy of the name cannot do without the odd superfood. The spirulina It is a blue-green algae that contains about 60% protein, as well as beta-carotene, B vitamins, essential minerals, omega-3s and antioxidants.

Chlorella is another type of algae and one of the richest foods in chlorophyll on the planet. It is also a good source of vegetal protein. Wheat grass is one of the more alkalizing and antioxidant foods of which we have news. Contains active enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. And the list could go on with ginger, chia, pumpkin seeds, goji berry or maca.

Many of these Superfoods They are usually found in dehydrated powder format, ready to add to green juices and smoothies. Of course, you have to introduce these ingredients little by little to get used to them.

Why should we have green juices and smoothies?

The huge advantage of green drinks is that they are a quick and easy way to reach at least part of the servings of vegetables and fruits that we need to take daily. Also, do not forget that green vegetables are foods that boast of a higher ANDI index, which measures the nutrient density of a food on a scale of 1 to 1.000. Specifically, the index refers to how many nutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants) a given food contains per gram.

And in this, vegetables such as chard, watercress or the kale, one of the most fashionable ingredients, they have no rivals. In other words, green juices They have everything that is good about the ingredients with which they are made. The further advantage is that, in its liquid version, these ingredients are more digestible. And, why not, tasty.

Teresa’s Juicery: Life is Green

‘Green Love’ (apple, spinach, cucumber, celery, ginger and lemon), ‘Green Medicine’ (spinach, cucumber, parsley, pear, grape, kale, dandelion) or ‘Green Slim Fit’ (apple, spinach, celery, ginger, lemon, fennel, arugula, parsley). These are some of the green options in the range of juices from Teresa’s Juicery, one of the group’s business lines Teresa Carles Healthy Foods, focused on healthy food.

Is zumos cold-pressed, a fashionable technique that, by not heating the ingredients, as happens with traditional blenders, minimizes the oxidation of the ingredients and keeps all the nutrients intact. Six juice packs cost 35,70 euros and they can be customized according to the tastes of each one. Shipments are made to the entire peninsula without additional costs. Already there are no excuses not to get in shape.

Honest Greens: to take the to take

Vegetarians, vegans, celiacs, lactose intolerant or simply foodies passionate about healthy food. These are the clients in whom the gastronomic proposal of Honest Greens, a healthy fast food chain with several establishments in Madrid and Barcelona.

How could it be otherwise, here we find interesting green proposals such as cold-pressed ‘Detox’ with celery, spinach, ginger, lime, lemon, cucumber and apple or the ‘Relaxation’ (Sounds good!) With avocado, spinach, apple, lime, lemon, cucumber, pineapple, spirulina, and wheatgrass. As they boast in their menu, each 330 ml bottle contains around 1Kg of fresh fruit and vegetables. To drink or to go.

Bumpgreen: think about what you eat

Restaurant, shop and take-away, Bumpgreen joins the trend of “mindful eating” from one of the most exclusive streets of the capital. If you like to eat healthy and dedicate time, calm and concentration to food (their motto is “food with soul”), Bumpgreen is going to become one of your favorite addresses.

Among its drinks, made with sea water (filtered, sterilized and packaged) we find two very green proposals. ‘Green Celery’, with green leaves, rosemary, celery, cucumber, parsley, Fuji apple and lemon and ‘Green Mint’, with green leaves, orange, fennel, rosemary, pineapple and mint.

Rawcoco: green and refreshing

Rawcoco It has several establishments in Spain (the last one has just opened its doors in Mallorca) and all of them are firmly committed to healthy and tasty food and the most natural and relaxing environment. Several liquid alternatives shine in his letter.

Among them is the ‘Potion N1’, a very refreshing cold-pressed juice based on apple, lemon, spinach, ginger and parsley. It also comes bottled, ready to hit the streets. Ideal to cope with hot summer days.

Magasand: verde gourmet

After more than ten years of life, Magasand it continues to bet on its Madrid establishments for the same ingredients. A design environment, the most gourmet fashion, architecture and design magazines and, of course, eco and healthy food.

Joining the “Green trend”These restaurants have two of the most attractive juices on their menus. Its about juice ‘Detox’ –With apple, spinach, cucumber, celery and two very trendy ingredients like kale and ginger– and the ‘MQC’ a mix aimed at women. “Women who run” with apple, pineapple, soy milk, spinach and ginger.

The perfect green juice in five tips

Always choose fresh fruits and vegetables, organic and seasonal. Whenever possible, do not remove the skin from the ingredients, as its nutrients are concentrated in it.

Drink the freshly squeezed juice, since a large part of its “superpowers” (nutritional and gastronomic) volatilize as time passes. Gather and roll around a juicier fruit, herbs and green leaves that we cannot blend properly. Add a little water to soften the flavor of the green juices and to get used to them little by little.

These are some of the tips in the book ‘Green juices. Healthy and easy recipes’ by Nicola Graimes. If you want to make your own homemade juices and are looking for inspiration, this book is a great option.