Easy steps to making spinach juice at home

Spinach is a nutrient-packed veggie (Photo: Shutterstock)

Spinach is packed with benefits for both health and beauty. Most people recognize the health benefits of spinach because it is known to have vitamin C which is good for immunity, vitamin K for strong bones, antioxidants for better vision, cancer-inhibiting properties, digestion benefits, anti-ageing properties, cardiovascular benefits, blood cleaning properties and so many other benefits.

Clearly, spinach is a nutrient-packed veggie. Instead of cooking it, like most of us do, reap maximum benefits from the vegetable by juicing it. Below is how to do so.

• Get the right spinach

For the perfect spinach juice, use baby spinach. They’re a better option because their taste is milder than mature spinach, which makes the juice easier to drink. However, when it comes to cooking meals, matured spinach is much better.

• Wash it properly

Start by washing your hands well with soap and water. This will prevent bacteria from transferring from your hands onto your food. Foods that are eaten or drank raw need thorough cleaning. Bacteria will likely survive on the spinach leaves and this is harmful to your health they won’t go through a cooking process.

Therefore, wash the leaves with warm water to kill the bacteria and use your hands to scrub off any dirt and residue. This will also remove pesticide residue that is often found on vegetables as well as any insects that might be hiding in the leaves.

Some prefer to use a bit of soap to wash produce but you need to ensure that you thoroughly rinse them so that you don’t consume any soap.

This process will prevent any stomach problems so you should rinse for no less than 20 seconds.

Spinach juice is a great detox drink, especially when you drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (Photo: Shutterstock)

• Prep your spinach

This step will make it easier for you to juice or blend the spinach because it will ultimately fit in the machine properly. First, cut off the root and discard it if you hadn’t removed it. Separate the stem from the leaves and rip them into smaller pieces. The stems are also nutritional and it’s okay to juice them as well but if you prefer not to, discard them. After, further chop the leaves into smaller pieces.

• Get other ingredients (optional)

Spinach juice on its own isn’t that tasty so you can play around with other ingredients to make it palatable. Use some filtered water for the spinach juice base if you’re blending and not juicing as this will help mix the spinach into a pulp.

Next, select your ingredients for your juice. Some recipes you can try are a pineapple and spinach combination or a spinach, lime and ginger blend. This step is really up to you because you can customize your spinach juice according to your preference.

Baby spinach leaves are a better option because their taste is milder than mature spinach (Photo: Shutterstock)

• Blend or juice

If you’re blending, place the leaves and stems in the blender and add some water. Add other ingredients if you have any and blend everything until you get the pulp. Once you’re done, get a strainer and a container then strain the pulp to get the juice out. Juicers, on the other hand, are really straight forward. Place the leaves and stalks into the juicer and the juice will be ready in no time.

Spinach juice is a great detox drink, especially when you drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. However, you can still have it as a refreshing beverage at any time of the day.

You also need to be aware of some of the risks associated with spinach juice. When you drink too much of it too often, it can actually become very toxic for the body. Some of the conditions you’re at risk of experiencing when the juice turns toxic are low blood pressure, kidney problems and abdominal pains.

The benefits of spinach juice are great but, just like everything else, you need to drink it in moderation.