Every week or so, we get an email asking an ever-popular question: What are the best vegetables to juice for weight loss?
Well, all vegetables are good for you, but truth is – some vegetables are better for you than others, especially when it comes to boosting metabolism and slimming waistlines. So what makes some better than others? Let’s find out.
5 Best Vegetables to Juice for Weight Loss
It may be that these super veggies are powerhouses of nutritional benefits or maybe they have unique health perks that benefits your body. Whatever it is – each and every one of these vegetables on this list are very much worth juicing. Remember to always include at least one of these super veggies in your daily routine!
Leafy Greens
You’ve heard the lecture about leafy greens before right? Well, you’re about to hear it again. They are fantastic for your entire body and we all should be getting plenty of them in our daily diets. But how many people actually love to chow down on salad three to five times per day? Almost no one, which is why leafy greens are perfect for juicing.
That being said, when it comes to leafy greens – you really want to make sure to vary them, both in types of leafy greens as well as how you consume them. That’s because many veggies – leafy greens included – contain anti-nutrients like oxalic acid. Oxalic acid, as you may already know, is a sneaky little thing that latches onto minerals in the gut to prevent the body from absorbing them.
Even worse, a high intake of oxalic acid has been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones. This doesn’t affect most people since oxalates are usually eliminated in the stool or urine but if you’re sensitive to kidney stones, then oxalates can pose a problem.
One way to eliminate this risk is to vary your greens! Many people who start green juicing get caught up on juicing the same two or three greens over and over again – kale and spinach tend to be favorites – and don’t branch out from there.
This sticking-to-the-same-greens routine is not only boring but it also means that you’re getting a lot of the same anti-nutrients everyday. Whereas rotating your greens helps you get a wide array of nutrients and steer clear of overdoing it on the anti-nutrients.
So what leafy greens should you be juicing for weight loss? Here are a few heavy-hitters that absolutely deserve a place in every green juice recipes for weight loss.
Bok Choy
Quite possibly the most well-known Asian leafy green around, bok choy is as refreshingly yummy in juices as it is alongside a plate of lo mein.
These delicious greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, potassium, and folate. Not to mention the antioxidants…a half-cup of bok choy fulfillls 144% of your daily requirement of vitamin A and 74% of vitamin C – not a bad deal for 20 calories.
Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are a good source of vegetarian protein and provide a whopping dose of vitamins and minerals. They’re also packed with potent antioxidants like sulforaphane and indoles that have been found to inhibit cancer cells as well as glucosinolates that protect our cells from free radical damage.
Coolest thing about them? Mustard greens are also known to have polyphenolic compounds that help reduce the stress hormone – cortisol – in our bodies when eaten on a regular basis. And that’s great news since cortisol has been shown to cause fat to be stored in the last place we want them – around the organs.
Kale
Ah, infamous kale. Where do we begin with this one? Let’s start with kale being a true nutritional powerhouse – the “queen of greens” is rich in protein, crazy loaded with vitamins and minerals, and even provides omega-3 fatty acids.
In addition, kale’s been found to contain at least 45 different antioxidant flavonoids that work synergistically together to provide the anti-inflammatory, cell-protecting, disease-preventing benefits associated with kale.
And the above is by no means even close to a complete list. There are so, so many more beneficial leafy greens – from arugula to watercress. Check out a handy list of leafy greens here!
Cabbage
Cabbage, really? I’m sure you’re surprised, since it doesn’t make it onto most lists of the best vegetables to juice for weight loss, but cabbage is actually quite the popular vegetable for avid juicers. It has a high water content, is fairly cheap, and is full of both folate and vitamin C. Cabbage is also great for digestive health and thanks to its Vitamin U content, has even been shown to help people who have ulcers – as someone who’s experienced the crappiness of an ulceritis, cabbage is a juicing must.
This green vegetable is also full of indoles, which are cancer fighting warriors that can aid in hormone balance and help regulate your metabolism. It’s also a fantastic detoxifier and great for weight loss – this is by far one of the best veggies to help you shed stubborn belly fat!
Cabbage may not be the best tasting thing by itself, but when juiced with other yummier fruits and veggies, it does a good job hiding its own not-so-yummy taste. In fact, you may find it plays rather well with others.
Cucumber
No list of the best vegetables to juice for weight loss would be complete without cucumber. Cucumbers are refreshing, cool vegetables that lend their slightly sweet and very refreshing water content to your favorite vegetable juices. Even though cucumbers are widely regarded as vegetables, they are actually classified as fruits by food scientists – but since most of us recognize it as a veggie, it goes on this list.
Whatever they are, we know that they are full of nutrition, and should definitely be included in all of your juices. Cucumbers can keep you hydrated throughout the day due to their high water content (over 90% of a cucumber is fresh, delicious H20!). So, if you aren’t too keen on drinking cup after cup of water, then add a few cucumbers to your daily juices and your hydration levels should skyrocket.
Cukes are also a great detoxifier. In your body, cucumbers act like a mini vacuum cleaner by sweeping all of the unwanted toxins out of your body. If eaten regularly, cucumbers can also prevent kidney stones.
Plus, these small vegetables/fruits are packed full of vitamins A, B, C, K and folic acid. The burst of vitamins in one cucumber can help keep your skin, hair and nails healthy and act as a potent antioxidant to prevent cancer.
Just keep in mind that much of cucumber’s beneficial mineral content is found in the peels so try to buy organic so you can leave the peels on.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes may seem a little weird to juice, but in actuality, they are perfect for juicing. Sweet potatoes have large amounts of beta carotene, Vitamin C, manganese, copper, fiber and more. In fact, in terms of eye health-boosting, acne-fighting Vitamin A content – sweet potatoes definitely give carrots a run for their money, with one average-sized sweet potato providing almost 400% of your DV for Vitamin A!
They are great anti-inflammatory foods as well. Their anti-inflammatory factors can help prevent common disease such as heart disease, cancer and strokes. These factors can also help people who suffer from arthritis or chronic pain disorders.
Overall, sweet potatoes are wonderful for juicing, both for their nutritional benefits and the fact that their naturally sweet taste does a great job of masking other weight loss vegetables in your juices.
The best part? For a vitamin-packed veggies that adds delicious sweetness to juice recipes, they’re pretty low in calories. Get some delicious sweet potato juice recipes!
Asparagus
Yes, yes – asparagus juice isn’t the sort of thing that excites anyone’s tastebuds, even if you’re a true blue asparagus fan like me. That being said, asparagus is a delightful thing to add to your juice recipes, especially if you’re not fond of eating the stalks.
I have this strange fondness for the tender spear-tips of asparagus but the fibrous stalks? Not really my thing. And so I simply eat the spear-tips and juice the stalks. It’s the perfect balance to get a whopping load of asparagus, which is an awesome thing to do because asparagus is a nutritious vegetable full of folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium.
There’s no doubt that it’s good for your health, but did you know that this is one great veggie to help you slim down as well? You see, asparagus is loaded with inulin, a type of carbohydrate and soluble fiber (and yes, you get soluble fiber from juicing). Inulin is a substance that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine, which then allows for a better metabolism and digestion.
This means that the digested food is removed from the body at the best possible time, which means that you’d have a faster metabolism and less opportunities to store fat.
It gets better because inulin is also an appetite suppressant. A study has shown that a mere 6 grams of this soluble fiber is as filling as ingesting 260 calories of another kind of food. In conjunction with the fact that asparagus is a low calorie vegetable, this means that you can eat just a moderate amount of asparagus but be as satisfied as though you’d eaten a huge meal.
Last, but not least, asparagus can help regulate your blood sugar. Asparagus is rich in many kinds of vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, and B6, to be specific), and these B vitamins can work together to metabolize glucose and therefore keep your blood sugar levels in check. This means that your blood sugar levels are kept stable, and in avoiding sugar level crashes, you can avoid binging and can keep your food intake at a moderate amount.
What does this mean for you? It means that if you’re on a diet (and even if you’re not), you should definitely include asparagus in your diet.
3 Best Vegetable Juice Recipes
You know you definitely want more vegetables in your weight loss juicing recipes but aren’t sure how tasty they’re going to be. Well, you’ve come to the right place. These low calorie juice recipes are full of veggies that support weight loss and just the right amount of other fruits and herbs to make it worthwhile for your tastebuds!
A Deliciously Simple Low Calorie Recipe
I love the simplicity of this juice recipe for weight loss. It takes minutes to prepare. It boosts digestion. It promotes skin health. It hydrates. And it’s so, so, very low in calories.
It’s the perfect juice recipe to start off your mornings with – sweet, refreshing, and gentle on your stomach. Oh, and did I mention how wonderful basil is for your skin as well as your energy?
Want a lil extra weight loss boost? Add…
MSM boosts collagen & elastin production, softens skin, soothes inflammation and even makes your hair grow faster.
Apple cider vinegar’s got acetic acid, enzymes and friendly bacteria that keeps you blemish-free and glowing from the inside out.
Chia seeds prolong hydration & are packed with skin helpers like omega-3 fatty acids to keep skin supple & smooth.
A Sweet & Spicy Metabolism Booster with a Kick!
This one’s for those of you who like your weight loss juices full of flavor – and not just of the sweet kind.
Digestion-boosting pineapple is the only sweet element in this juice recipe and just half of a medium-sized one is more than enough to add a palatable sweetness (without so many calories) to this metabolism boosting weight loss juice recipe.
pH-balancing lime further helps to speed up your digestion. Both cilantro and mineral-rich cucumber add hydration and a dose of chlorophyll.
As for the jalapeno – these chili peppers warm up your system, improve circulation and kick your metabolism into gear.
This is the perfect juice recipe for whenever you can use an energy boost, a simple digestif, or when you’re juicing for weight loss!
A Serious Load of Green Juice for Weight Loss
Ever dreamed you had a waist as thin as a stalk of celery?
I hope not. That’s really not appealing. But anyway – if you (like most of us) are looking for a little waistline trimming, here’s one juice recipe to help move you toward that dream, especially if strong muscles, a bright complexion, and all-round healthiness was a part of that castle-in-the-air 🙂
This is a potent green juice that’s gentle enough for beginners, with the rich potency of the dark green juice of spinach and kale balanced beautifully by lighter, gentler lemon and apple, two fruits which provide you lots of vitamin C and antioxidants.
This is one green monster you’ll want to invite to your home again and again.
