Green juice

I think one of the most important aspects of the paleo/primal diet is the incorporation of copious amounts of vegetables. Due to the fact that food preparation does tend to take longer than the SAD diet, newbies and those with little free time may focus more on their protein and fat intake. Paleo parents may also need to skimp on their children's veggies due to typical young palettes. My girls (4 and 2) eat a lot of veggies but getting in those leafy greens is a bit of a struggle. Packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber, veggies (especially greens) are essential to proper regularity and cell function. One way that my family gets a whole lot of green in one quick punch is through green juice. Not only is it delicious but I can get about a pound of greens in one juicing.

There are many different types of juicers out there and I won't go through them all but the one I own and recommend if you don't have a whole lot of time to spend juicing a day is the Breville Elite or Breville Ikon.


They juice quickly and efficiently. You don't get as much juice from leafy greens as compared to a masticating juicer (like an Omega) but they are faster and clean up a whole lot easier. One tip I can give is to run the pulp through the juicer a second time and you'll get about an extra 1/3 of a cup.

My go-to green juice recipe

1 head of romaine
1 cucumber (peeled if not organic)
4-5 leaves of kale
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger root
1 lemon
2 organic apples



Put a few ice cubes into the collection cup (chilling this juice makes it even tastier).

Juice on low setting: romaine, cucumber, kale and ginger. Juice on high setting: lemon and apples. Enjoy!!

 

My kids and I adore this emerald jewel of a juice and they demand it everyday. Yum!