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.
Berries
Enjoy antioxidant-rich strawberries, and blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, which are all a good source of vitamin C, as the weather heats up.
Try these juices:
Strawberry Fields Juice
Potent Purple 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
Watermelon
This brightly colored melon is super hydrating and full of electrolytes like potassium and magnesium.
Try this Juice:
Watermelon-Carrot Juice
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
Cucumbers
They’re low in calories, but full of nutrients, such as vitamins C and K, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. Tip: Skip peeling to get the most nutrients.
Try this juice:
Not-Too-Sweet Cucumber-Melon Juice
Peaches
Peaches are a great addition to any juice and because they offer a good source of potassium and can make for a great post-exercise juice as a way to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat. Over-ripe peaches can be goopy in juices, therefore using peaches that are just ripe or just under-ripe make for a better texture.
Try this juice:
Peachy Green juice