One of the most popular questions we receive from our awesome community, is what’s the difference between juicing and blending? We love to blend, and we are 100% green smoothie advocates because it’s an easy and healthy lifestyle to maintain— especially with super busy schedules. But we also know green smoothies are not the only way to live an awesome, healthy life. So we asked one of our favorite holistic nutritionists (and registered dietician) to break it down for you. Written by contributor Angela Stanford, MBA, RD, RYT of Vital Nutrition & Wellness As a nutritionist people are always asking me, “Angela, which is better, blending smoothies or juicing?” And I answer, “Well that depends on why you want to blend or juice and what you blend or juice.” Both smoothies and raw, fresh juices are very easy and delicious ways to infuse your body with lots of healthy nutrients, and to ingest those 5 servings of veggies and 3 servings of fruits we’re recommended to eat daily.

Whether you choose to blend or juice, you are gifting your body improved health by using these nutrient packed drinks to get more health giving, healing veggies and fruits into your body. Regularly drinking smoothies or fresh, veggie-based juice will: , I’m fond of a book called The Juicing Bible by Pat Crocker. It is a great resource for blending and juicing for both newbies and veterans. It offers dozens of recipes for raw, fresh juices, blended drinks and homemade frozen treats made from these nutritious beverages. So now that you know the pros and cons of blending and juicing, you make the choice….or why not do both?! And below are some awesome machines to get you started: This is the juicer Joe Cross used in the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, and it’s ideal for first-time juicers. It’s a centrifugal juicer with an extra-wide 3-inch feeder chute that accommodates large pieces of fruit or vegetables, eliminating the need for chopping vegetables. You can buy it on Amazon here: Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor

This juicer is easy-to-use and clean, and perfect for leafy greens. The Omega 8006 model is a masticating juicer, known as a low speed juicer, which protects and maintains healthy enzymes, prevents oxidation, and even turns nuts into nut butters. Check out the 4.5 star reviews on Amazon here: Omega J8006 Nutrition Center JuicerMaine Coon Kittens Pa Adoption The Blendtec is known for it’s sleek and sexy design. Munchkin Cat For Sale VaVery easy to clean, and it’s one touch “smoothie” button makes blending green smoothies super easy. T-Shirt Gsm MeaningIf you want the blender Jadah uses, you can buy it with free shipping here: Blendtec. Save even more money with the Reconditioned Blendtec. Both type of blenders offer a 3-payment plan option.

Click on any of our Blendtec links, then enter your zip code at checkout to get free shipping. The most affordable way to buy a high-speed blender with an awesome 5-8 year warranty is to buy the company refurbished blenders. Jen bought and uses the Reconditioned Vitamix. You can own one for $259 with free shipping. Buy it here: Reconditioned Vitamix. Many people are happy with their Ninja Blenders. It’s a little tougher to blend kale to a smooth texture, but with a little pre-blend of just your leafy greens and water, it can be done. The newest Ninja blender now has a single serve blender option. Definitely a great starter blender that you can get on Amazon: Ninja BL660 Professional Blender with Single Serve The single serve Nutri Bullet blender is great for a single person, or someone who needs a travel blender. My mother-in-law prefers this blender over the fancier blenders because of how easy it is to use. Just make sure when using a single serve blender, you adjust the recipes, since you won’t be able to fit a whole lot inside.

Buy it on Amazon here: Nutri Bullet Hi-Speed Blender/Mixer System **If you’re debating between the Vitamix vs Blendtec, check out our side-by-side comparison by clicking the link here: BATTLE OF THE BLENDERS: BLENDTEC VS VITAMIX Share in the comments below if you juice, blend, or both. Let us know what machine you use too… What's behind our mixer Ratings? Oxo Bright Digital Hand Mixer This Oxo hand mixer was Very Good in overall performance, and has separate on/off switch dough hooks Lighted work area 2 year warranty For whipping, puréeing, and a host of other food prep tasks, a reliable mixer is essential. The market is divided into hand mixers and stand mixers that range in price from $20 to $550.Just about any stand or hand mixer will do for simple chores. Hand mixers cost less but don't do as well at heavy-duty tasks such as mixing dough. A few models we tested did a good job when we used their dough hooks, though.If you're buying a hand mixer, look for one that comes with extra attachments.

A separate whisk makes whipping easier. Wire beaters are easier to clean than traditional center-post beaters. In addition, mixers with slow start-up are less likely to cause splatters.Stand mixers are the go-to appliance for mixing big batches of cookie dough, kneading bread dough, and whipping cream until it's light and airy. For an extra $60 to $140, you can add attachments that transform the mixer into a grinder, ice-cream machine, or fresh-pasta maker.Our tests showed considerable differences in how well particular models of hand and stand mixers performed. And while manufacturers stress wattage and number of speeds, neither figure necessarily translates into better performance. Use this mixers guide to help your buying decision. Food processors & choppersMore people are investing in appliances that make it easier for them to take responsibility for their own health. Products that allow them to process fruits and vegetables into healthy, fast food are becoming popular purchases.

Subsequently, today’s blenders get quite a workout, and consumers look for ones that are durable, powerful and multifunctional. Here are 10 of the top blenders on the market. The Magic Bullet blender is designed to help consumers to get the most out of their healthy food purchases. The blender’s technology allows food preparers of all ages to easily extract nutrition from a variety of produce. Magic Bullet blender users do not have to waste time taking out seeds and stems, because the blender’s powerful, 600-watt motor crushes and incorporates them into smoothies and shakes. The 12 pieces that are included with the purchase are a power base, two short cups, one tall cup, one extractor blade, one milling blade, two resealable lids, a handled lip ring, a regular lip ring, one pocket nutritionist and a user’s manual and cookbook. The Conair Cuisinart Smart Stick blender is a hand-held blender that uses a powerful 200-watt motor. It operates with the touch of a button and contains two speed variations.

The blender’s slim, ergonomic design makes it easy for food preparers to quickly blend foods and clean up afterwards. The Smart Stick blender provides extended reach into odd-shaped containers as well as conventional jars and bowls. The blender comes in brushed chrome and 12 other attractive colors. Consumers liked that the Smart Stick blender was quiet, powerful and dishwasher-safe, but others complained of durability issues that resulted from the product’s plastic gears. The SharkNinja’s Ninja Master Prep blender specializes in blending frozen drinks. The blender is equipped with 400 watts of power and a four-blade cutting technology that evenly chops, blends and purees a variety of foods. The blender comes with a dishwasher-safe, BPA-free 48-ounce preparation pitcher, a 16-ounce chopper bowl and storage lids. Consumers liked the versatility of the product and its ability to blend up ice and frozen produce. The compact Magic Bullet blender chops, minces and blends like appliances that are twice its size.

This blender features spill-proof cups that provide easy blending with one press. Many food preparation tasks can be accomplished within ten seconds or less with this uniquely designed blender. The Magic Bullet purchase comes with one power base, one cross blade, a short cup, a tall cup, a party mug, one flip-top lid, two solid lids, two comfort lip rings and a recipe book. Most consumers loved the compact size and versatility of the Magic Bullet, but some complained of the product’s ineffective blending of ice and other hard foods. The Ninja Professional blender provides more capacity and power than standard blenders. The blender pulverizes ice and frozen produce in seconds due to its 1100- watt motor. The Ninja Professional blender has a huge 72-ounce pitcher that allows families to make enough servings of healthy drinks for everyone. The blender also includes two single-serve, 16-ounce cups and lids that offer users the option to take their drinks on the road. The Ninja Professional blender’s pitcher, cups and lids are safe to use in dishwashers.

Fans of the Ninja Professional blender tout the appliance as a better value for the price than premium blenders like Vitamix and Blendtec. The Hamilton Beach Personal blender is a compact option for people who want to blend small servings of drinks, soups, dressings and marinades. The blender’s preparation cup comes with a lid and acts as a travel mug. The blender features a 175- watt motor, a one- touch pulse power button and a dishwasher-safe cup and lid. The BPA-free blender comes in four colors that include red, green, black and blue. Consumer reviews indicate that the product works best for light-duty blending. Hamilton Beach Multifunction blender features a patented Wave-Action technology that helps the appliance to evenly blend all types of ingredients. The blender comes with a large 40-ounce glass pitcher, 12 blending modes and a 700-watt motor that easily accomplishes standard smoothie making. Convenience features of the Hamilton Beach Multifunction blender include a spill-resistant spout for easy pouring and a built-in space at the blender’s base to store the cord.

Hamilton Beach backs this product with a three-year warranty. Many active people are used to carrying sports bottles, and Oster designed its travel blender to match the look of these trendy, reusable containers. The Oster Travel blender features a 250-watt motor with a four-point single blade that allows users to quickly blend up a variety of different health shakes in its 20- ounce container. The blender’s slim design is ideal for apartment dwellers as well as for those who live in college dorms. The Hamilton Beach Blender and Chopper has 700 watts of power that allows the appliance to accomplish a variety of food processing tasks. The blender comes with two sets of stainless steel blades and two containers that are especially designed for chopping and blending. The blending container for the Hamilton Beach Blender and Chopper holds 40 ounces of ingredients, and its chopping bowl has a three-cup capacity. The blender is backed by a three-year warranty. The NutriBullet Pro 900 blender has a 900-watt motor that allows users to mix drinks that are truly smooth.