As many people are changing their food and drink from processed food to fresh fruits and vegetables, blender and juicers are flying off the store shelves. While the terms juicer and blender are often used interchangeably, you might be surprised to know they are two different things each with their purpose and benefits. Nutritionists believe most people don’t get the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables in their diets. Juicing and smoothies are two quick, easy ways to increase your fruit and vegetable intake without physically eating them.
Differences Between Juicers and Blenders
To break it down to one word – pulp. The pulp is the difference between juicers and blenders. While blenders mix all of the food placed into the appliance, a juicer leaves the pulp while extracting the nutritious juice.
The debate between juicer or blender comes down to how do you want your fiber? Soluble or Insoluble?
Soluble fiber is the fiber that is extracted from the pulp by the juicer. It helps the digestive tract process food.
Insoluble fiber leaves you with a full feeling, which makes you eat less for the rest of the day. It also helps keep your body’s waste on a regular schedule. The pulp that you blend consists of insoluble fiber, most of which the body can’t digest.
What Kinds of Fruits and Vegetables Can be Juiced or Blended?
One of the most popular health drinks right now is made from kale. Whether you combine it with other leafy greens in a juicer or turn it into a smoothie in the blender, you are increasing your consumption of vitamins and nutrients that most people lack in their diet.
The fruits and vegetables that work best in a juicer are apples, oranges, carrots, and cucumbers. The appliance extracts the nourishing parts out while leaving the rind, seeds, and core behind.
Peeled bananas, strawberries, and spinach are a few of the fruits and vegetables that can be blended to make a filling and healthy smoothie. Food that doesn’t require removing the core or rind is best used in blenders.
Juicer Benefits
One of the main benefits of a juicer is weight loss. Juicing allows you to reduce your overall daily calories while still getting the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs. When you juice vegetables or fruits, only the easily digestible parts are extracted, making breakdown easier for your body. Fast digestion means you are absorbing those nutrients quicker, which can result in more energy.
Vegetables are better for juicing than fruit because fruits have high sugar content. Since juicing doesn’t include the fiber, you’re losing something that typically absorbs the sugar. However, juicing allows you to use quite a variety of vegetables at once, which increases the number of essential vitamins and minerals you will get from the juice.
If you’re concerned about juicing being wasteful, the leftover products from juicing don’t have to be discarded. They can be repurposed in soup and stew stock.
Blender Benefits
Smoothies made from fruits and vegetables in a blender are great for people who have started healthier food habits and are looking to maintain their weight loss. One benefit blending has over juicing is that the fiber-rich pulp is pulverized into the smoothie. The fiber in the pulp is important because it satiates your hunger, giving you a full feeling for extended periods.
If you choose to use a blender, some of the sugar from fruits can be absorbed by the fiber found in the pulp. Some sugar is good for you, but without the fiber to lower the sugar content, you will be getting too much sugar that will cancel out any health benefits. The fiber slows down digestion, and your body slowing releases the nutrients, giving you more energy throughout the day instead of all at once.
Some blenders are now manufactured as single serve, making the blending process more efficient and precise.
Which is Healthier – Juicing or Blending?
Both juicing and blending have the same health benefits; they use different processes. Your metabolism will play a big role in how your body reacts to juices versus smoothies. If you have a faster metabolism, smoothies will stay in your system longer, and you won’t get as hungry as quickly as you might from juices.
Health benefits aside, deciding between juicers or blenders comes down to what kind of textures are easier for you to tolerate. Some people might not like the thicker texture of smoothies and would prefer the smoothness of juices instead.
Whether you choose juicers or blenders to make your healthy drinks at home, you will be getting twice as many nutrients as you would from just eating fruits and vegetables.