With so much less time to focus on baby #2 , juicing is a wonderful way to get your greens in quickly. I always recommend trying to stick to organic or local fruits and vegetables, especially when making juices and smoothies.
WHAT IS JUICING
Juicing removes the pulp and insoluble fiber from the fruits and veggies. It's not a meal replacement like a smoothie is, but more of a supplement. To get the most benefit from your juice consume either first thing in the morning or 2-3 hours after a meal. You can eat as soon as 20 min after drinking the juice.
SUGAR CRASH
Try and stick to "green drinks" to prevent a sugar crash. The ratio of vegetables to fruit is key. I always try to pick green drinks packed with leafy greens.
JUICING WHILE PREGNANT
It gets a little bit confusing and is also a little controversial because juices are not pasteurized. Pasteurization is the process that kills harmful bacteria by heating it to a certain temperature for a specific amount of time,which then kills harmful organisms responsible for listeriosis. If the juices were pasteurized, they would lose most of their nutritional value.
I'll try and keep it simple
If juicing at home (best option):
-Make sure to always clean your fruits and vegtables
-Clean the juicing equipment after each use
If buying juices, there are two options:
Pressed juices and freshly made juices: Pressed juices are pre-made and can be found in the refrigerator section of many juice bars. Since these juices are unpasteurized, they have a short shelf life. While pregnant, it's best to stick to the freshly juiced options because they will not sit unpasteurized. As long as you trust that the store cleans their machinery well and washes their fruit, then freshly made juices are a great option.
SOME GO TO JUICE COMBINATIONS:
Purify: 1/2 cup kale, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 a cucumber, 1/2 of one piece of celery, 1 whole apple, 1/6 of a whole lemon, size of two quarters of ginger- break right off the root (MY FAVORITE) Put the kale & spinach in first then ginger & lemon together celery cucumeber and apple in last
Refresh: 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 cup kale,1 pear, then juice 2 oranges with a citrus juicer and add into juice
Renew: 2 small beets or 1 medium size beet cut in quarters (wash well), 1 large carrot, 1 whole apple, 2 quarter sizes of ginger. Put in the beet first, then the carrot, ginger and apple. WARNING beets are very messy!!!
WHAT ARE SMOOTHIES
Smoothies use the whole fruit and vegetable, pretty much everything but the pit. A NutriBullet is a great way to make smoothies at home. Throw in fruits and veggies and chug away! This is very quick and easy, especially if you have trouble eating your greens. This is such a great option for any pregnant mama and can be consumed as a snack. Again, just try and find the right balance between the greens and fruit ratio. I usually try to keep it around a 50/50 ration for taste, but the more greens the better.
Some smoothies that are made at your local juice bar are very high in calories. These should be consumed as meal replacements, since these smoothies can have over 500 calories and many are packed with protein. For example, a Pumpkin Flax Smoothie may have: almond milk, bananas, apples, flax seed oil, almond butter, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice. These types of smoothies are fine once in a while, but I would stick to green smoothies for more frequent consumption.
Tip for the perfect smoothie:
You can use frozen fruit instead of ice cubes to get a chilled smoothie
Blend the liquid and leafy greens first before adding the rest of the ingredients. This will help get a smoother texture.
Stick to a ratio your taste buds are comfortable with. You might want to start out with the 50% greens/50% fruit ratio.
If your smoothie is too THIN add some frozen fruit or ice and if it's too THICK add some liquid.
SMOOTHIES:
THE STARTER PACK
2 cups spinach
2 cups water
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup pineapple
1 frozen banana
IMPORTANT: blend water and spinach until leafy pieces are gone and then add the rest of the ingredients.
TROPICAL GREEN SMOOTHIE
2-3 cups Kale, chopped
1 cup Cilantro (optional)
1 cup Pineapple, diced
1 cup Frozen mango
1/2 cup Fresh mango (optional)
1/2 cucumber, diced or 1/2 cup coconut water (or both…)
juice of one lime
1 tsp Spirulina powder (check with your doctor if pregnant)
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender, with the heavier, more liquid contents at the bottom. This includes the pineapple, cucumber and mango. Blend until smooth and silky. Add more coconut water, cucumber or pineapple to thin the mixture, if necessary.
GREEN HEAVEN
1 CupSpinach
1 StalkCelery
1 CupCucumber
½ CupPineapple
½ Lime
2 TablespoonsFlax Seeds
3 Ice Cubes
1 ½ Cups water
AVOCADO SMOOTHIE
2 Cups Kale
½ Avocado
1 Apple
⅓ Cup Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Flax Seeds
¼ Cup Oats
1 ½ Cups water
**SOME GREEN FREE OPTIONS**
THE SMART START
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon freshly ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon whey protein concentrate (leave out while pregnant)
pour 2 tablespoons of water into the blender. Add the yogurt and blueberries. Blend until the blueberries have turned the yogurt a deep rich blue. Add the ground flaxseeds and whey protein. Blend until smooth.
332 cal - 35 g protein- 45 g carbs -5 g fat
BANANA STRAWBERRY DELIGHT
1 Cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon freshly ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon whey protein concentrate (leave out while pregnant)
pour 2 tablespoons of water into the blender. Add the yogurt, banana, and strawberries and blend. Put in the ground flaxseeds and whey protein and blend until smooth.
