There are many critics out there that say that fresh juices are very high in sugar and they’re not healthy for you, especially when you’re following a diet plan or just generally trying to stay healthy. They do have a point, and many juices are indeed very high in sugar. But what about the low-sugar juices that are out there?
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Low sugar juice recipes – Our favorites
Some low-sugar juices out there actually taste great even though they are less sweet than regular juice. Unfortunately, some fruits are very sweet and aren’t healthy in large amounts purely because they are packed with sugar. And let’s face it – sugar is sugar. These fruits can contain between 30 and 40 grams of sugar in just one serving of 2 to 4 fruits. That is a very high amount of sugar, and it can cause your immune system to dip, which could end up making you sick.
Some juices can be really healthy
You may be aware of this, and maybe you’re trying to make juices that are healthier. If you are doing that and you’re looking for the best possible juicing options that are low-sugar, then this is the right review for you.
All-green juice is probably the best way to avoid sugars, but even with just green fruits and vegetables, there are certain ways you will want to make juices and certain ingredients to avoid. You may also have come to the conclusion that some of these juices are not sweet at all, but that they taste terrible. Don’t worry; there are plenty of tasty options out there that will be shared in this review. We’re here to help you find a healthier and more delicious way to make your juice today.
A few tricks to help you minimize sugar content
We’ve made a few recommendations to help you get the greatest tasting juices by covering up the bitter tastes from the greens and creating a great base for your next low sugar juice recipes.
Celery
This is probably one of the healthiest vegetables out there. It also has a very strong flavor, and you may find that you either love or hate it. But when celery is juiced with other ingredients, it can become quite tasteful, rather than when it is a stick that you chew on.
Celery has zero sugar in it, and it can aid in producing a great amount of juice. It also helps with additional water weight and gives you a lot of natural sodium and minerals. Celery is added to a juice by adding 3 to 5 stalks to the blend, including the leaves.
You can even have celery as just a juice shot with some lemon that is roughly three ozs. This tonic can assist with resetting your metabolism and adrenals. Simply have this shot every morning for up to 4 weeks.
Lemons
Lemons and limes are known for being one of the few fruits that have little-to-no sugar in them. They have plenty of nutrition in them, and they act as a powerful cleanser. They contain vitamin C, and they cover the bitterness from greens with their tart taste. Lemons or limes can be used, and if you do use them in a juice, you want to be sure to use between half and one whole lemon per serving. Simply remove the rind and keep the white pith intact.
Cucumbers
This is a vegetable that is an absolute must. Cucumbers have zero sugar and contain a lot of water in it. They also have minimal impact on flavor. Cucumbers don’t taste tart or bitter, and they create tons of juice as a base. This great vegetable can also help you stay hydrated with the amount of water that it contains. If you don’t like the taste of cucumbers whole, it is worth it to try them juiced. They taste quite light when juiced due to their water content.
If you’re still unhappy with the taste, the next best substitute is possibly zucchini. This doesn’t produce as much juice, but it does have very similar benefits to cucumbers. When using a cucumber, try to use between ½ and one cucumber per serving. They should be peeled and organic if you can get some English cucumbers.
Greens
We all know that greens are very popular, but if you’re looking for a low-sugar green for making juices, spinach is probably your best bet. Swiss chard is also a great choice. They have mild flavors and contain so many minerals that are good for you. Spinach is almost tasteless and even has alkalizing capabilities. For juicing purposes, all you have to do is add 2 or 3 handfuls of spinach to your juicer.
Kale and cabbage have much more bitter tastes so make sure you don’t use a lot of these if you’re not ready for a sulphuric and earthy taste. Kale and cabbage are packed with nutrients, but their taste is difficult to balance out. If you’re ready to try it out, maybe start with just one handful at first and see how you feel.
Other greens like broccoli can also be used, and they are also quite bitter. Rather save this for your when your taste buds are used to bitterness. You can also mix in salt, cayenne, lemon or ginger to help sweeten the juice.
Granny Smith apples
These are just the trick if you do want to add something with a little sweetness in it. This helps balance out flavors, and they are the lowest-sugar content apple. They have about 10 grams of sugar per apple, which is much lower than the others.
Granny Smith apples, of course, should be used in moderation to ensure that you’re always consuming low-sugar juices. These apples offer amazing benefits like helping with cleansing and balancing out your digestive system. You can use half an apple per serving to give your juice some tangy taste.
Real Salt or Sea Salt
These salts are one of a kind, and they are entirely different from the normal table salts. Why? Because table salts can be rather toxic when compared to sea salts and real salt, and they are not high in minerals. Real Salt and sea salt are very high in minerals, and they can lower the bitter tastes in a juice. They improve their taste overall, and they increase the number of minerals that your body takes in with just one juice. It’s a quick, simple and easy trick to keeping low-sugar juices tasting good.
Spices
Most people think that spices should be strictly avoided, but this is not true. You can use a pinch of cayenne or ginger root if you wish. This adds to the taste, and the spices are completely healthy for you. You can even add a ¼ of jalapeno if you want to. Jalapeno adds to the taste, and it is a great metabolism booster too. Feel free to add any of these spices to your juices.
Buying ready-made juices
In today’s world, we often try to keep to processes and timings, but let’s face it, this is not always the case. There are some days where you may not be able to blend juices yourself. If this ever happens, don’t worry. All you have to do is get an organic and cold-pressed juice. You should also try to look for something that is not-pasteurized. The list of ingredients will be able to tell you what vegetables, fruits, and seasoning is in the juice, so you are free to choose what tastes best to you.
How healthy is green juice?
Now that we have discussed the process of juicing and their advantages and disadvantages as well as tips and tricks, it is time to review just how good green juice is for you. Can it do any harm to your body? Is it perfect for you? Read on to find out how to make a healthy low-sugar green juice.
So what makes juicing so healthy?
Juices are generally awesome, especially if they are fresh. Just the thought of having a ton of vegetables in one glass is a great feeling. All the nutrients are well-concentrated, and they are highly absorbable.
The low-sugar juices are also designed for people who are trying to lose weight or stay away from the sweet things in life as well as the carbs. Juicing also makes you eat those veggies that you never thought you would eat in the first place. It is energizing and great when you are ready for your next work out.
Fruit juice is just bad for you. It has a tremendous amount of sugar in it, and some experts even compare it to being as bad as having alcohol in your liver. So remember never to put that into your trolley the next time you’re out shopping.
Green juice is seen as a much more healthy option because it is made with all the right vegetables. The green juice is meant to lift your spirits knowing that you are filling your body with strictly healthy options. If you’re up for it, try to be bold and opt for a fruit-free green juice. This will guarantee zero sugar and give you the best of what a fresh juice is.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Juicing
This is one of the most asked questions when people query about juices and juicing. The thing is that it comes down to how many servings of vegetables we have per day. The truth is, most people don’t have anywhere close to 8 or 9 servings per day, and this is what we should be having.
Between a busy work and home life, it becomes almost impossible to track how many veggie portions you are having in one day. This means that there is also no time to shop and cook them either.
Juicing is the result of this problem
Over the past few years, juicing has become one of the most popular dietary activities. Everyone believes in juicing, and it all has to do with boosting energy, increasing metabolism, and weight loss.
The idea of juicing is quite exciting. You get a range of minerals from vegetables, and you just have to have a serving or two a day to get a concentrated amount of vitamins. This avoids spending time on planning vegetables for the following day’s meal.
So it’s healthy, and it saves time – why not juice?
Over time, people get more and more curious and tend to analyze health solutions like juicing. The reality is that people are wondering if it does give you the right serving of vegetables and if it is as healthy as the health gurus say. So we’ve made a list of some pros and cons of juicing to help you better understand and choose if juicing is good or bad for you and your lifestyle.
Pros of juicing
1. It increases the number of vegetables you consume
If you are the type of person that cannot handle the taste of broccoli, kale or spinach, then this is possibly the easiest way to get all the vegetable vitamins and minerals you need, without having to taste all of them separately.
2. It is quite versatile
It’s an excellent way to ensure that you are getting sufficient vegetables on a daily basis too. You can juice almost anything, so you can change up the flavors if you need to. Play around with different recipes and see which ones are your favorite.
3. It is very highly concentrated
One of the main benefits of juicing is that it is highly concentrated and has a ton of minerals in it. If you are in need of vitamin K, simply juice up some kale. It is much easier than biting down on bunches of kale. Lemons can be juiced for vitamin C, and there are many vegetables with minerals like potassium in them too. This is one of the greatest advantages if you’re not a lover of raw vegetables.
4. It helps with digestion and absorption
When you have juiced fruits and vegetables, you will find that you won’t have any digestive difficulties and your body will quickly break down the vegetables, because they are already juiced. Juicing allows you to break down fruits and vegetables so that it can be broken down and absorbed into your body easily.
Cons of juicing
1. You will not have as much fiber in your system
When you juice fruits and vegetables, one of the most prominent cons is that you lose out on fiber. That’s right. Even though they are filled with fiber, this fiber gets thrown away when you juice these vegetables. This means that you can lose out on the fact that fiber helps with your digestion and keeps you feeling much fuller for longer.
Fiber is also known to help with lowering the risk of chronic diseases, and it helps with weight control too. This is why many people are skeptical about juicing.
2. The concentration is high
Yes, we have mentioned this as a pro, but it can also be a con. The fact is that juices give you a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, but it also means that when you juice fruit, you are juicing a lot of sugar. So, of course, this is not as healthy as it is intended to be. This can be avoided by using mostly vegetables for juicing and only fruit that is low in sugar, like lemons.
3. You need time to prepare and clean
Juicing is very exciting and needs a good juicer. It’s even more exciting for the first week, but remember that it is something you will need to keep up as a long-term solution. So the shopping for vegetables, bringing them home and planning out recipes, as well as peeling vegetables, juicing them and cleaning up after can become a bit much. There is a solution to this, which is to purchase juices online or at your local grocery store. It will save you time, but it doesn’t give you the flexibility of choosing what vegetables and fruit are in the juice.
How to juice the right way
Now that we have discussed the pros and cons of juicing, you can be sure that juicing is undoubtedly healthy and convenient if you are careful and plan it out well. So if you’re ready to start juicing, where do you start?
Just follow a few of our guidelines to understand how to juice the right way below.
Use more vegetables when you juice
When you use more vegetables, it helps you avoid unnecessary sugar in your juice. Fruits carry much more sugar than vegetables so try to stay away from fruits if you can. Vegetables that can be used include spinach, kale, fennel, celery, and beetroot.
Use lower glycemic fruits
If you really do want to use fruits in your juices, you want to stick to the fruits that are lower in sugar. These include Granny Smith apples and lemons. You can even use limes if you wish. These are all fruits that won’t significantly impact the sugar intake in your juices.
Juice for a week at a time
This sounds like quite a task, but when you juice, make sure that you juice for at least 4 days at a time. You will have your juicer out and all the vegetables out at that given time anyway, so rather put in another hour to help prep juices in batches. You will definitely be thankful for this during the week.
Eat fruits and vegetables even though you are on low-sugar juices
When you juice fruits and vegetables, you will lose the fiber in them. So make sure you still have whole fruits and vegetables even though you will be having juices that are low-sugar and healthy. Your body still needs a sufficient amount of fiber in it in order for you to get an all-round, nutritious diet.
If you want fiber, make a smoothie
This is a great solution to making something that is slightly different to juice, and that is just as good in taste, if not better. Smoothies are known for having the right amount of fiber, and they can have all the vegetables in them, along with the right type of dairy like yogurt to help with binding.
Low Sugar Juice Recipes – Best of guide
And that is it! Now we will go through the top 5 low-sugar recipes to help you start your very own juicing experience at home. They’re delicious and very simple to make. Enjoy!
1. Cuke Juice
This is a straightforward recipe, and it is certainly quite delicious. As the name says, this green juice is all about cucumber. It is simple and very hydrating. If you are starting off and you feel that you need a little more sweetness, feel free to add ½ a Granny Smith apple. However, the main ingredients for this juice are cucumbers and lemon. It helps with improving hair, nails, and skin too. If you feel like adding something different, try parsley which is a lovely, fresh, herbal flavor.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 whole cucumber
- ½ lemon with rind removed completely
Method:
Juice the cucumber with the lemon and ensure that all elements have been juiced completely.
Serve immediately.
Pros
- Quick to make
- Just 2 ingredients needed
- Other ingredients can be added for variety
Cons
- Not a great juice if you’re not a cucumber fan
- Can be too watery for some people’s preference
2. Celery Tonic
This is also one of our favorite recipes purely because it is so quick and simple. If you don’t mind the taste of celery, this one is for you. Ensure that all the parts of the celery are used, including the leaves and all the stalks. The lemon is used to add some tang and overall flavor as the celery taste is quite strong if it is raw like this.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 whole bunch of celery which equates to roughly 10 stalks, including leaves
- ½ lemon with rind removed completely
Method:
Juice the celery with the lemon and ensure that all elements have been juiced completely.
Serve immediately.
Pros
- Quick to make
- Just 2 ingredients needed
Cons
- Not a great juice if you don’t enjoy the taste of celery
- Cannot be modified much
3. Classic Green Juice
This is a refreshing green juice that is the go-to on any day. It has quite a few ingredients but is worth the buy if you are going to be making a few batches of the same juice at a time. As you can imagine, this juice includes all the right greens in it which help with getting you all the right minerals out of one drink, and it has alkalizing properties. The lemon also helps break down toxins within your liver. There are greens like celery that assist with fluid retention too.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ Granny Smith apple
- ½ cup zucchini
- ½ cucumber
- ½ lemon
- ½ cup filtered water
Method:
Push the celery, spinach, apple, zucchini, lemon, water, and cucumber through the juicer. Add cayenne, salt or apple cider vinegar in by stirring, if you would like to add any of these additions to the juice.
Serve immediately.
Pros
- Quick to make
- Can be modified
Cons
- Quite a few ingredients needed
4. Zero Sugar Green Juice
This simple yet effective juice is also a green juice and is designed to help with rebuilding your body with loads of minerals. The spinach and swiss chard help with this as well as the ability to alkalize and purify your blood. There are hydrating properties that come from the cucumber, and the fennel adds a bit of sweetness to the juice. The ginger and lemon add tang, and the salt just meddles the flavors as it should. A great juice to help you start your day.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 handfuls spinach
- 1 large stalk swiss chard
- 2 oz fennel bulb
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cucumber
- ½ lemon
- ½ ginger root
Method:
Juice all ingredients to ensure a smooth consistency.
Serve immediately.
Pros
- Very flavorful
- Great source of vitamins and minerals
- Good hydration levels
Cons
- Takes some time to prep
5. Citrus Kale Juice
Our very last recipe is still a low-sugar juice, but it is one of the unique recipes because it contains pear. Pear has not been mentioned before and could be avoided often due to sugar levels, however, when mixed with celery and kale, a bit of sugar can be forgiven. It still counts as a low-sugar juice and is quite flavorful with the ginger and lime.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pears
- 3 kale leaves
- 2 stalks celery
- A small piece of ginger
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime
- ¼ broccoli head
Method:
Wash and peel all the fresh fruits and vegetables and start juicing the kale and broccoli into a fine pulp.
Then, add the pear, lime, celery, and ginger and add water and juice it until you get a smooth consistency
Serve immediately
Pros
- Very healthy
- An unusual mix of green vegetables with the pear
- Sufficient hydration
Cons
- Prep can take a while
- Can be rather bitter
So there you have it. A review of the best low-sugar juice recipes out there that are quick, simple and easy to make. Most of all, these recipes all give you healthy options to look forward to before you start your day. Enjoy juicing and be sure to share your experiences with us!
Read Next
- 3 Smoothie Ingredient Combinations to Avoid
- The Best 3 Day Juice Cleanses to Reset Your Body
- Juicing vs Blending: Which Is The Best Weight Loss Option?
- The 3 Best Masticating Juicers Ever
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