Ranking the Top Five Best Vegetables for Juicing

As more and more people have become health conscious in the past few years in the United States, juicing has become more popular as well considering all of the health benefits it can provide.

After all, not many people can eat two carrots, and apple, and a tomato in a single sitting but juicing them and mixing them all together before drinking is something many health conscious people can do quickly.

Juicing is not always easy, however, as some vegetables simply don't work well in the juicer while others seem tailor-made. Broccoli for example is extremely difficult to juice compared with the vegetables on this list. While broccoli is one the healthiest foods on the entire planet, the crowns of this cruciferous vegetable can get caught in the juicer and make things more difficult in general.

With that in mind, here are picks for the top five best vegetables for throw in the juicer for a smooth experience and optimum nutrition as well. Remember to always choose organic vegetables whenever possible as they came from much more fertile soil, have better flavor and more nutrients. This is especially true for softer-skin vegetables as theymay contain higher levels of health-diminishing pesticides.

5. Cucumbers- While they contain mostly water, the cucumber has a ton of beneficial nutrients including Vitamin A, magnesium, and Vitamin C. They also are among the best vegetables for juicing because they add consistency and a good base for just about any sort of juice mix and then are juiced easily by most machines.

4. Red Peppers- This is one of the vegetables to buy organic whenever possible because of the softer skin, and it's not for everyone because of its somewhat spicy taste. But the red pepper contains a high level of antioxidants as signified by its bright red color, making it a good complement to green vegetables in a juice mix. It also has plenty of vitamins A, B, and a huge amount of Vitamin C.

3. Spinach- A nutritional powerhouse, spinach is one of the best vegetables to juice despite not being broken down quite as easily as, say, a cucumber or a carrot in the juicer. It has a wide spectrum of B vitamins, the hard-to-find Vitamin K, Vitamin E, and even some extra protein in it compared with other vegetables. This one will usually need an assist from a harder vegetable like a cucumber to effectively go through the juicer properly.

2. Carrot- These are a staple vegetable in the "crisper" drawer of many refrigerators and for good reason. Carrots also are fantastic for juicing and assist greatly in eye health. In most juicers, they can help move the other fruits and vegetables through the system because of their harder texture as well making them a great addition to any mix of fresh produce. They do have a little more sugar than most others, however.

1. Kale- Mainstream America doesn't know a whole lot about kale, which is a shame because it is one of the most nutritious vegetables out there. It's also perfect for juicing because of its texture and it's a great way to add the important Vitamin K to your diet, which is also found in cauliflower and spinach. A single stalk of kale will give you tons of the nutrient, which has many health benefits that are still being discovered. Continuing down the line, kale offers Vitamin A, plenty of fiber, potassium, Vitamin C, and many more, making it a true multi-vitamin in its most pure, easily-absorbed form, especially when juiced.

The combination of its wonderful texture and vitamin content, as well as the many flavinoid antioxidants it provides, makes it number one on the list of the best vegetables for juicing.

Source: World's Healthiest Foods, whfoods.org.