Summer is upon us, which means new and seasonal fruits and vegetables! Summer fruits and vegetables are definitely some of my absolute favorites, not only to juice but also to eat. Here are a few of my favorite must-have’s in your kitchen this summer for eating and of course, juicing.
Beets:
Beets (beetroot), both yellow and red, pack a nutritional punch and are a great addition to juices and are great in and on salads too. Red beets are loaded with electrolytes including potassium and natural sodium. Red beets are also sources of a key nutrient, anthocyanin that acts as an antioxidant and also contains anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Try this juice:
Beauty and the Beet Juice
Bell Peppers:
Bell peppers (capsicum) come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors including purple, red, yellow and green. Bell peppers are a good source of heart-healthy potassium and are higher in water-volume, but lower in calories and sugar, so they go well in juices. Not only do bell peppers go well in juices but they are also delicious sliced up on a hot summers day along with a delicious dip like hummus.
Try this juice:
Ring the Bell Peppers Juice
Carrots:
A personal favorite, carrots also come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. Different colored carrots come with different nutrients. For example, purple carrots contain anthocyanin where orange carrots don’t, however they contain key nutrients of their own! Vary your carrots this summer to help give your body a variety of different and key nutrients.
Try this juice:
Pears and Carrots
Strawberries
Strawberries are fantastic, lower in calories and sugar, a source of fiber, immune-boosting vitamin C and key nutrients like anthocyanin that’s a powerful antioxidant. I particularly love strawberries in my juices, on salad and I also love eating them by themselves as a snack!
Try this juice:
Green Strawberry Juice
Tomatoes:
Tomatoes, although sometimes considered a vegetable are technically a fruit due to their seeds- and they’re definitely a summer favorite. Tomatoes can be used in so many ways, including in juices. They are a high-water volume fruit so they do a good job adding extra volume to juices as well. Tomatoes are also loaded with nutrients like lycopene (more available to us when cooked), vitamins A and C, and heart-healthy potassium that can help to promote balanced blood pressure.
Try this juice:
Summer Gazpacho in Your Glass Juice
Lemons:
Lemons are a classic favorite because they go so well with almost everything, and they are particularly great in juices! Lemons have both immune-boosting and digestive properties; so adding to your juices can help with promoting healthy digestion while helping keep your immune system strong. When it comes to juicing lemons, there is certainly a lot of benefit in the peel, but removing the peel can also help to remove some of the bitterness of the juice.
Try this juice:
When Life Gives You Lemons Juice
Limes:
While lemons are fantastic, so are limes, and they’re a great swap for lemons in juices, salad dressings and more. Like lemons, limes are packed with nutrients like flavonoids that have powerful antioxidant properties that can help to keep the body strong and help promote cell repair. Limes can easily be interchanged for lemons or even ginger in any recipe- so give it a try for a little change in your lemon-routine.
Try this juice:
Green Citrus Mandarin Juice