The last time you thought of juicing collards, what were your concerns? Their bitter taste might turn away many, but it is much better than packed juices with a hollow nutritional value.
So, on your next market visit, if you see the leafy veggie, bring them to your kitchen and start to juice. Wonder why? Here we are to answer why you should juice collard greens. Stay connected!
Juicing collards is a great way to add vegetables to your diet routine. One to two cups of juice a week will provide the body with all the vital nutrients. If you worry about its strong earthy flavor, you can pair the juice with sweeter fruits to reduce its presence.
As an easy-to-grow vegetable, collard greens are gradually rising in their value. While they are mostly preferred cooked, you cannot neglect their use in juices. The detailed guide below will walk you through all benefits of juicing collard greens.
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Is It A Good Idea To Juice Collard Greens?
Collards belong to the cabbage family and are a well-known side dish in southern cuisines. This dark leafy vegetable is similar to kale in flavor and texture. If you feel invested in a healthy lifestyle, collard greens can be a new option for increasing your green juice range.
It is wise to juice collard greens because they contain many crucial nutrients, such as vitamins, antioxidants, and fibers, needed for health betterment. They can also be a replacement ingredient in place of kale as they are less bitter and equally nutritious. So, juicing collard greens will help you step up your green drinks routine.
When you juice collard greens, it means you are fulfilling your weekly vegetable requirement. Thus, drinking a cup or two of this dark green veggie a week boosts your vital nutrient intake plus keeps you energized and fit. Additionally, like other greens, collard leaves allow you to mix and match them with other ingredients for new flavor combos.
How To Juice Collard Greens; Step By Step Process
If you are familiar with juicing kale, spinach, and other similar vegetables, collard greens follow the same procedure. But, if it’s your first time working with them, all the necessary steps to juice collards are listed for you below!
- Wash and clean the collard greens properly before juicing, as they can be dirty. For this purpose, fill a container with cold water and let the greens soak for some time to loosen the dirt.
- Next, drain the water, rinse the collards and then pat them dry using a kitchen towel or paper towel.
- Chop them roughly with a sharp knife, and it is up to you to decide how many greens you want to add to your juice.
- We recommend starting with a low number of collard greens, especially if you cannot stand the bitter aftertaste.
- You can pick a masticating juicer or blender to juice the dark leafy greens, whichever you own.
- Toss all the greens into the juicer/ blender and wait until all the liquid gets extracted.
- At this point, you can add other vegetables or fruits with the collard greens to balance the flavors. Some good options include apples, cucumbers, celery, lemon, etc.
- Once everything reaches a nice consistency, you can pour it into a glass and benefit from the nutrition.
- Collard green juice is best when consumed fresh, or you may store it in the refrigerator for later usage.
Super Hydrating Collard Greens Juice Recipes
If you are searching for the perfect beginner-friendly recipes with collard greens, you are at the right spot. Are you ready to try them out?
A. Apples and collard greens drink
Ingredients:
- Four apples (sliced)
- Two collard greens (chopped)
Procedure
- Transfer the washed and cut ingredients into a juicer or blender and start juicing.
- The ratio of apples is more than the collard greens to neutralize the bitterness with the sweetness of the fruits.
- The final juice may be frothy and bubbly in appearance. So, take a spoon and remove this upper layer if you do not prefer such texture.
- Pour in a clean drinking glass and enjoy the refreshing green juice.
B. Extreme collard, kale green juice
Ingredients:
- Three collard leaves (remove stems)
- Three leaves of kale
- Two apples (diced)
- Two celery stalks
- One whole lime
- A small chunk of ginger root
Procedure
- Feed the ingredients inside the juicer chute by alternating between greens and apple slices. It will result in a better juice yield.
- Once everything gets juiced, filter the mixture through a strainer to remove the unwanted pulp bits.
- Press the pulp gently with a spoon to release all the trapped juice into the container.
- Your extreme green juice is all ready to serve!
Health Benefits Of Juicing Collard Greens
Collard greens juice is a good supplier of calcium, an essential mineral your body requires. When you get enough calcium, it, in turn, helps in keeping the bones strong and dense. In addition, it also activates enzymes your body needs for blood clotting and maintains a balanced hormone level.
Juicing collard greens increases vitamin K intake, which promotes cell growth in different tissues, including the lungs, heart, and stomach. A vitamin K-rich diet is synonymous with a healthy lifestyle because it not just supports bone mineralization but also lowers the chances of fractures.
These are just some selected benefits of collard greens juice from a giant pool. However, drinking a full glass of this green juice is not practical as it tastes intensely bitter. Instead, you can take a smaller portion of it and combine it with other juice blends or smoothies. So, this way, you will still get all the nutrients, but the taste experience will also improve a lot.
Conclusion
Collard greens are one of the most underestimated vegetables to juice. Their taste might be intimidating for some individuals, but they provide you with a combination of water, fiber, and protein. Furthermore, while eating greens raw is hard to digest, juicing is a relatively quicker and easier way to take in all the nutrition.
It is one reason health experts focus so much on incorporating green juices into your diet plan. They are naturally blessed with several crucial antioxidants that boost the immune systems, improve metabolism, and cleanse the body. And, with so many options, including the new addition of collard greens, you can switch between different ingredients.
