Everywhere I turn, in life, in health forums, and in the news, someone has a definitive response to the question “Which is better, juicing or blending smoothies?” The problem, though, is that the speaker is usually positive about the method they use or first tried and downplays the other. So, audiences tend to jump on board in that camp and never budge, which does them an injustice by never trying the ‘other’. In reality, neither is better, they are just different and should be used.

Let’s first talk about the actual differences without evaluating which is better. 

JUICING

1. uses a centrifugal, masticating or cold press juicer to prepare
   

2. uses only fresh vegetables and fruit
   

3. separates juice from pulp (cellulose/insoluble fiber)
   

4. has as much as 3-5 servings in a 16 oz. serving
   

5. easily digestible
   

6. absorbed into the body all the way to cells in about 15-20 minutes
   

7. usually no add-ins; sometimes water, coconut water
   

8. optional specialty add-ins like spirulina, Vit B-12
   

BLENDING

1. uses a blender (Vitamix, Nutribullet, Cuisinart, Ninja, etc.) to prepare
   

2. uses fresh veg and fruit but can easily use frozen and pre-made purees
   

3. utilizes all the veg/fruit fiber
   

4. has about 1-3 servings of veg/fruit in a 16 oz. serving
   

5. requires more digestion
   

6. slower absorption
   

7. add-ins are the norm; often using juices, dairy/non-dairy milks, yogurts, tofu
   

8. optional specialty add-ins like protein powders, hemp, maca, chia seeds
   

OK, so I know you are already formulating your own pro/con analysis based on your needs.  Here are mine to fill out your list before your decide which to use and when.

1. 1.First, the tool: if there is no residual pulp you are blending whether the manufacturer tries to call it juicing or not - that is their way of marketing to all the current juicing hype. Pro/cons of the different tools must wait for another day.
   

2. 2.Next, produce: there are many pro/cons on these too - fresh, local, organic, frozen - but these don’t radically change the juice/blend decision. So, we’ll save that discussion for another day too.
   

3. 3.Fiber’s impact is the key, and fiber is great, usually, but not always...
   

1. Juicing = No-Insoluble Fiber:
   

2. The most easily absorbed nutrient-rich veg/fruit you can get.
   

3. No insoluble fiber makes getting nutrition easy - good for a compromised digestive system,
   

4. Your digestive system can take a vacation from the work of digesting.  That energy can then be used for detoxing or repairing.
   

5. Detoxing happens fastest with juicing; sometimes this is good; sometimes this is bad.
   

6. No insoluble fiber allows more veg/fruit to fit in your stomach. This allows you to up your serving/nutritional count considerably.
   

7. No insoluble fiber speeds up the absorption into your body. 
   

8. Fast absorption also means spikes in insulin can occur if you are making fruit or high glycemic load drinks. To solve this issue, juices should be mostly green veg or about 80% veg / 20% fruits.
   

9. NOTE: If you add fiber rich powders or additives to juices it changes them - they are now more like smoothies  .
   

1. Blending / Smoothies = Insoluble Fiber:
   

2. All the benefits of more fiber in a nutrient-rich drink.
   

3. Smoothies are filling.
   

4. They can limit your veg/fruit serving intake. This is comparing to juicing but for the average person smoothies offer an improvement on veg/fruit servings.
   

5. For those with a compromised digestive system, smoothies with their heavy fiber load are sometimes hard to ‘stomach’.
   

6. Does not allow the digestive system to rest - as in a fasting-style detox. 
   

7. Slower absorption reduces the spikes in insulin that can occur.
   

8. Detoxing can still happen with green smoothies (& GLAD eating) but it just happens slower.
   
   

Oh, and I should mention that fiber extracted form juicing can be used to make veg broth or added to muffins, cakes, veggie burgers, stews, or even composted so that it does not go to waste. And finally, if you are tying to ‘sneak-up’ on a kid or finicky adult with health, then smoothies are sometimes an easier tool since they can charade as shakes better.

So, hopefully, this provides enough info to allow you to decide which method is right for you at all the stages of your health journey. Be GLAD!

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