Juicing vs Smoothies
Juices and smoothies are two popular fruit and vegetable-based drinks that have many similarities but also a number of subtle differences. Smoothies are made from finely chopped (blended) pieces of fruit and/or vegetables along with other ingredients and have a smooth but bulky consistency. Juices on the other hand contain only fruit and vegetable juices with the pulp getting removed from the juice during the juicing process. In this blog post I’m going to be putting these two healthy drinks side by side and looking at the key differences between them.
1) Calories
Juices generally pack more calories per glass than smoothies because the juicing process removes the zero-calorie fiber. If you’re juicing mainly fruit, the calories in your juices can add up. Some fruit juices contain more calories than a can of pop, of course with a lot more nutrients than pop as well. However, if you juice a good proportion of vegetables, you can reduce the total calories in your juice considerably.
As mentioned above, smoothies are generally the lower calorie option as they contain zero calorie fiber along with ice. However, this isn’t always the case because some smoothies contain higher calorie ingredients such as yogurt, nuts, and seeds.
2) Cost
Juicers are generally more expensive than blenders to buy. In addition to this, since juicing removes the pulp, you need more fruits and vegetables to make a glass of juice than you do to make a glass of smoothie, so the cost of ingredients is higher when juicing too.
3) Hydration
Since juice contains no bulk or pulp, it’s a much more hydrating option. While smoothies still contain plenty of water and do a great job of quenching your thirst, juices give you optimal hydration.
4) Nutrition
Both juices and smoothies have their own merits when it comes to nutrition. Since juices contain no fiber, they allow your body to absorb the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from the fruits and vegetables much more efficiently. In addition to this, since vegetable juices are much more palatable than vegetable smoothies, you can enjoy a wider range of vegetable nutrients by juicing. However, the lack of fiber in juices means that you do miss out on the nutritional benefits of fiber which include better blood glucose control, improved bowel health, a reduced risk of chronic disease, and much more.
Smoothies contain fiber, so you get to enjoy all these benefits. You can also add foods that contain healthy fats and protein to your smoothies and boost their nutritional value. However, smoothies do contain a lower concentration of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients than juices and your body absorbs them less efficiently in this form.
5) Taste
Juices generally have a more concentrated taste than smoothies. They’re also much lighter and less filling. Smoothies generally have a less distinct flavor than juices but have a much bulkier texture which can be quite filling.
6) Time
Blending is a simpler process than juicing, so it takes less time to prepare a smoothie than it does a juice. It can also be more convenient to buy frozen ingredients for smoothies, whereas juicing requires fresh ingredients to be washed and cut before juicing. Blenders are also quicker to clean than juicers. However, juices are easier and faster to drink than smoothies due to their lighter, less bulky nature.
Summary
I hope this article has helped you determine the difference between juices and smoothies. Both drinks have a positive effect on your health and can both be enjoyed on a regular basis. However, they also both have their own individual merits, so you may personally prefer one type over the other.
I love starting my day with a green juice, followed by a smoothie about a half hour later for breakfast.
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Oats and Honey Nutrition