Juicing Vs Smoothies: Which Is Better For You?

Juices and smoothies are a great way to get a nutritious boost. They’re both made with a blend of fruits and vegetables. They’re perfect for just about anyone. From busybodies to everyday folks, juices and smoothies are convenient and nutritious drinks. Imagine going through your day, possibly grabbing takeout or ordering in -- you might not get the complete set of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. But the good news is you can balance that diet with some delicious nutrients!

Enter fruit and vegetable smoothies, and juices like those you can find at Little West! You get freshly cold pressed, natural juices that are never watered down or made from concentrate. But before we get ahead of ourselves and start shopping for delicious drinks, let’s get into what makes juices and smoothies different!

Juicing vs Smoothies: What’s the Difference?

What Is Juicing?

Juicing is a process where you extract liquids from a fruit or vegetable. You’ll likely use an aptly named juicer for this. During the juicing process, the skin, pulp, and other edible parts of the fruit and vegetable are discarded and not included in the final beverage.

Because parts of the fruit or vegetable are discarded, people often perceive juices as the less nutritious of the two. This, in no way, means that juices are not nutritious! They're still filled to the brim with fantastic vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other plant nutrients.

Also Read - Difference Between Cold Pressed Juice & Normal Juice

What Is A Smoothie?

A smoothie is usually made in a blender. Any edible part of the fruit and vegetable is included in the final beverage. The benefits of smoothies come from the fact they have more fiber, and it’s like drinking the fruits and vegetables as they are!

Because they contain more plant material, smoothies are usually more calorie-dense than juices. If your diet allows for a few extra calories, then go for smoothies!

Which is Better for You?

That really depends on you! We’ll run you through how each can be better -- so don’t you go anywhere just yet!

Benefits of Juicing 

Let’s start with juices. One of the benefits of juicing is that they are easier to find. That said, you may get overwhelmed by your options! Keep a keen eye out for natural, cold pressed juices (those are the ones you want) because they’re the most nutritious option. Many of the standard juices you’ll find in the supermarket are made from concentrates, and often contain added sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or other chemicals you don’t want in your body.

Texture-wise, juices are easier to drink since they are mostly just liquid that goes down smoothly. Since they are easier to consume, it’s easy to get carried away and drink more than you need. So, one 12oz. glass or bottle of juice a day should be enough (unless you’re doing a juice cleanse).

Now let’s talk fiber. As mentioned, one of the downsides of juicing is that you’ll lose most of the fiber from ingredients like pineapples and pears. This makes juices lower in calories and less filling. Although you can add ingredients like flaxseeds or chia seeds to your juices to get extra fiber, it’s important to remember to eat fresh fruits and vegetables even when you’re drinking juice. 

One overlooked aspect of juicing, especially when juicing at home, is that it can either be too time-consuming or expensive. If you want to juice at home, you need to get a juicer – and that can get pricey! Even making yourself fresh orange juice (for example) will require a lot of time and elbow grease, especially if you only want one glass’ worth. 

So if you’re interested in drinking juice without the cost and cleanup time involved with juicing at home, consider signing up for a Little West subscription. We’ll deliver delicious cold pressed juices right to your door every month!

Benefits Of Smoothies

For smoothies, the great thing about them is that they are easier to make. Almost every kitchen has a blender, which is all you need (apart from a knife to chop your ingredients into smaller sizes) to make a smoothie. If you don’t have one, a decent blender won’t set you back a lot of bucks.

Yes, there are smoothie stands here and there, but delicious smoothies are harder to find in a grocery store. Because you’re also just chucking chopped fruit and vegetables and running them through a blender, they are chunkier and thicker -- despite the name, smoothies don’t always go down smooth!

When you drink a smoothie, it’s closer to eating raw fruits and vegetables. You don’t lose pulp, skin, or other healthy parts of the produce. This keeps the fiber when you blend smoothies. That fiber can keep you feeling fuller longer, help you with constipation, and regulate your bowel movements.

Compared to juices, making a smoothie blend is way easier. You can mix and match your ingredients because they all go in the same blender. Plus, cleaning a blender is usually much easier than cleaning a juicer.

Why Both Juices and Smoothies are Great

In the grand scheme of juicing vs. smoothies, the truth is that they’re both delicious, healthy options! One isn’t better than the other, especially if you enjoy them together with a balanced diet. It all comes down to preference. You’ve read the pros and cons of each, and now you can decide which one you like more!

However, both homemade smoothies and juices take time to prepare, so they’re not always the most convenient choice on busy days. At Little West, you’ll get fruit and vegetable juice blends that are ready-to-drink, nutrient-dense, and undeniably delicious. We’ll take care of the juicing and deliver top-quality, natural juices straight to your door with our juice subscription.