A common question I get is, “What is the best juice to make?”
Any juice is better than no juice and so first things first: Don’t get your head wrapped up around an ideal of the “best juice” or the “perfect juice.” That will lead to inaction via paralysis-by-analysis. Or you’ll feel guilty for not drinking the best juice and thus juice nothing at all. As a matter of first principles, “Just juice.”
That said, some fruits and vegetable pack in more nutrition per ounce than others. Our dozens of dozens of juicing recipes incorporate the most nutrition foods in the most palpable way. Our juicing recipes rely in large part on the ANDI scale. That is, we seek to pack as many “high ANDI” score foods in each ounce of juice as possible.
Best Juices and the ANDI Scale or ANDI Score
An ingenious system created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, ANDI is short for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index. The ANDI score is based on a food’s content of: Calcium, Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, and the food’s ORAC. (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity measures how many free radicals a food will “destroy.”)
“1000” is a perfect score, and any good over 100 is very very good for you.
Best Juices Are Made from Top ANDI Foods
- Collard, mustard, & turnip greens 1000
- Kale 1000
- Watercress 1000
- Bok choy 824
- Spinach 739
- Brussels sprouts 672
- Swiss chard 670
- Arugula 559
- Radish 554
- Cabbage 481
- Red peppers 420
- Romaine lettuce 389
- Broccoli 376
- Carrot 344
- Tomatoes & tomato products 190-300
- Cauliflower 295
- Strawberries 212
- Pomegranate 193
- Blackberries 178
- Raspberries 145
- Blueberries 130
- Papaya 118
- Oranges 109
As you can see, the Real V8 Juice is extremely potent. Here are some other powerful juices:
Bok Choy Ginger Lemonade
- 6 bok choy leaves + stems
- 3 small lemons (I always remove the skin; others leave it on for zest)
- 1″ ginger
Cabbage carrot juice
- 1 whole cabbage
- 6 carrots
- 1″ ginger
Kale lemonade
- 6 large kale leaves + stems
- 4 lemons
- 1 apple
- (sparkling water)
What’s your favorite juice recipe?
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