Healthy Green Juice Recipes of the Week - Lifestyle Fifty (2024)

It’s that time of year when some of us are probably trying to lose the Christmas muffin top that’s accumulated around our waist, not just over the festive season, but for a while longer than we care to admit. So it’s time to re-address eating habits and step up the exercise to get a little fitter.

Now that I’m older and wiser, I know that long term restrictive diets don’t work for me because they make me feel deprived to the point where one day in a fit of frustration I’ll say: “Sod it! I need chocolate!” and I’ll buy a large bar and scoff the whole darn thing. That, or if it’s evening already, I’ll open a bottle of wine!

In 2011, after a few years of neglected portion control and too much wine, I lost about 5kgs in 3 months by sticking to a 1200 calorie a day controlled diet combined with exercise, which worked well for me. However, it took some concentration and an unhealthy preoccupation with everything I bought to eat or indeed ate.

So I’ve decided to try the 5 x 2 diet, where you eat normally (but healthily) for 5 days and then cut calories to 500 for two days. This may not be for you, and of course with any diet related change or health advice I offer here, you should consult your own doctor before following anything I recommend.

But I’m giving it a go, and combining it with juicing, especially of the green juice variety, and in this series I’m going to be bringing you my successes and failures warts and all.

Healthy Green Juice Recipes and Juicing

Yay at long last I bought a juicer prompted by my healthy son who suggested the Breville, which is working well and isn’t too hard either to use or clean (important for this lazy old girl).

This week I’ve had a few, let’s say, ‘Ahem’, recipes when I’ve tried to add perhaps too much of the green stuff and it’s actually tasted revolting. However, the following recipes have worked well and we really enjoy them.

I’ve given the recipes names – but I’d love your suggestions.

Zing with a Ting

(Serves 2)

2 cups of watermelon

2 apples

4 kale leaves

Half a lemon

2 large sprigs of mint

What I’ve found interesting is the high amount of calories you can clock up in a juice.

With Good Golly (above) I put together a healthy breakfast (see below) and that came to more calories than I thought – which proves how important it is to write things down in a food diary! I can see that today is not going to be one of my 500 calorie a day days! Back to the drawing board for tomorrow!

Blueberry Passion Muesli

25g muesli (85 calories)

Half a tub of Greek Yoghurt (80 calories)

10 Blueberries (21 calories)

25g passion fruit pulp (25 calories)

Mint to decorate

377 calories in total including juice.

All calorie counts are approximate and supplied by My Fitness Pal

I’d love to know what plans, or small changes to your lifestyle you’re making to stay fit and healthy this year.