Blending vs Juicing: Which One Fits Best For You?
Blending Vs. Juicing — Stop Guessing, Here's The Deal
I’ve actually asked myself the same question. "Abel, should you be juicing or blending?" And I did a little digging to find out what the answer actually is. I came to discover that they’re just two different tools that do two different things — and once you know what each one actually does, you can come to your own conclusion on which is best for you.
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The Real Difference Between Juicing and Blending
Here's the part that some people are missing: juicing strips out the fiber, and blending keeps it. That's kind of the whole crux of it. The answer in one sentence.
When you juice something, you're left with a concentrated liquid — all the vitamins, none of the pulp. When you blend it, the whole fruit or veggie goes in and stays in, fiber and all. Same produce, two totally different results in your glass.
What You're Actually Getting (And Losing) With Juicing
Juicing is a fast and easy way to intake your nutrients. It's a quick hit of vitamins and antioxidants without anything sitting heavy in your stomach. That's the appeal, and it's a real one.
But here's what some of you could be missing: without fiber to slow things down, that sugar hits your bloodstream fast.
And that spike doesn't stay up — it's usually followed by a crash, which can leave you hungry, foggy, and reaching for a snack way sooner than you'd expect."
A common guideline is to keep juice blends at 80% vegetables and 20% fruit — basically four veggies to every one piece of fruit — specifically to avoid the blood sugar spike.
Because there isn’t any fiber acting as a buffer, that concentrated sugar hits your system fast — which is exactly why the ratio matters. Keep it veggie-heavy, and juicing stays a genuine nutrient boost instead of a sugar rush.
None of this means don't juice. It means juice smart — mostly veggies, a little fruit. Feel free to pair it with some protein or healthy fat so you're not riding a sugar rollercoaster by 10am.
Sometimes I’ll juice to get nutrients from produce that I don’t necessarily enjoy…like carrots. I really don’t like carrots. 😝 I’ll throw in an apple with it (and sometimes mix in some greens as well) to cut that carrot taste and I actually enjoy the juice.
Wait, Doesn't Juicing Cut The Calories And Carbs?
This is the part that even surprised me, so let me clear it up for you: NO, it doesn't cut the calories and carbs. Not really.
Fiber is technically a carb, but your body doesn't digest most of it for energy — so pulling the fiber out doesn't pull the calories out with it. Almost all the calories and carbs in a fruit or veggie come from its sugars, and those stay in the juice. You didn't remove the calories, you just removed the part that would've filled you up.
Here's where it actually gets worse for juice: since you're tossing the pulp, it takes a lot more produce to fill one glass. You could be drinking the sugar and calories of three or four oranges in a single juice, without feeling anywhere close to as full as you would eating three or four actual oranges. That's how juice ends up sneaking in more calories than people expect — not fewer.
Blending, on the other hand, is basically the closest thing to "eating the produce" you can drink. All the fiber, all the sugar, all the calories — same as the whole fruit or veggie, just liquified. Nothing snuck past you.
Why Blending Might Be The Better Daily Habit
Blending keeps everything — pulp, skin, fiber, all of it. And that fiber is doing real work: it slows digestion, helps steady your blood sugar, and keeps you full way longer than juice ever will. It’s going to feel more like having a meal than just a quick drink.
People assume blending somehow breaks down or destroys the nutrients. It doesn't. A cup of raspberries has about 8 grams of fiber — blend it, and you've still got about 8 grams of fiber. The blender just makes it easier to drink, not less nutritious.
This is also why I lean toward making a smoothie for most of my mornings. Toss in leafy greens, a banana or some berries, (a scoop of plant-based protein if you like), and you've got something that actually holds you over — not something that leaves you hunting for a snack an hour later.
So Which One Should You Actually Do?
Honestly? Neither is "better" — they're just built for different moments. Need a fast nutrient boost and you're not trying to make it a meal? Juice, veggie-heavy, paired with some fruit. Need something that fills you up, fuels a workout, or replaces a meal? Blend it.
Most weeks I actually do both. A juice as a snack, a smoothie for breakfast. Play with it and see what actually works better for you — that's more useful than picking a side.
Don’t forget to grab my FREE Plant Based Total Wellness Guide below! It goes through all of the plant-based foods you should be eating to be your healthiest and fittest. I’ve also included my daily, morning smoothie recipe in it as well. 👇
Click here to download your free copy.
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