Can Juicing Replace a Meal? Question Answered

(Last Updated On: December 2, 2019)

 

Juicing is definitely an easy, quick and effective way of losing weight as well as consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, thereby making your diet wholesome and nutritious. But would it be wise to replace meals with juicing? To find the answer to this very common question, we poured through a lot of material and here are our findings……

Juice contains a lot of nutrients and a very small amount of juice, say an 8-ounce glass, will be packed with nutrients. Well if our primary concern is to get these nutrients from our meals, juicing can definitely be a wise replacement.

If sugar trap is worrying you because juices usually have a high sugar content that might cause a spike in your blood sugar level, settle for fresh homemade juices made essentially from vegetables. Try to avoid the canned or bottled juices available in the market as these are not only high on sugar but also contain preservatives.

Vegetables should form the main ingredient of these juices as they are low on carbs. Green juices are the best in this context. But, then, you need to add other colors to get those vital phytonutrients. Low-sugar fruits, proteins like soft tofu or Greek yogurt, fiber-rich carbs like steel-cut oats or healthy fats like cashew butter can also be considered.

But adding juices to your diet won’t be a good idea. This is because the nutrient-rich juices will add to the calories of your existing diet. So it definitely will be a better idea to replace a dish or two from your meals with juices or at times the entire meal with juices. But for that, you need to have a count on your calorie requirements and the calorie you get from the various juices. This way you will acquire all the benefits of juice without adding extra load of calories.

Further, you must be extra cautious that the juice contains all nutrients including fat and protein in right measure.

Thus it would be a great idea to replace one or two meals in a day with juices. But the total calorie intake and nutrient content should be monitored!

Tips To Remember While Replacing Meals With Juices

• Low-fat dairy products to be used instead of ice cream or cheese
• Proteins like chia seeds, tofu, flaxseeds, whey powder or nuts will be a good idea
• Vegetables should be used extensively with small cuts of fruits
• Dark greens like Swiss chard, broccoli, kale or spinach is preferred as these are a good source of calcium
• Canned or dried fruits are best avoided; same with canned juices

Can You Juice for Breakfast and Lunch and Eat Dinner?

If you are harping on the idea of juicing for breakfast and lunch and having a meal at dinner and would like to know its feasibility and benefits, here we go….

When you replace a meal with juicing, you tend to get a lot more nutrition as a glass of juice is more densely packed with nutrients. To add to it, the calorie content of juices is definitely less. If you have chosen to have a juice for breakfast as well as for lunch, you are actually fasting for the first half of the day. The juice fast for the first half of the day cleanses your body detoxifying it.

But one thing to remember in this case is not to have a high-calorie dinner, or else, you will spoil the whole objective. Steer clear from heavy or fried foods in dinner as not only will these cause weight gain, you might feel uneasy too. The dinner should preferably comprise of salads, vegetable-rich soups or other similar recipes.

While some prefer to juice and replace one major meal, some others prefer replacing two major meals and that too the ones you start your day with. But it all depends on your body!

How About Juicing One Meal A Day?

Juice fasting associated with juice cleansing comes with its risks and if you want to avoid them juicing one meal a day would be just fine and effective. So if you are having three major meals a day, replace one meal with juice. And if you are eating two major meals every day, juice before your first meal or in-between the two meals.

Will Juicing 2 Meals a Day Cause Weight Loss?

Have you decided to go juicing for two meals a day to bring in weight loss? If so is the case, try to replace your breakfast and lunch with juice and have a solid meal at dinner.

Juices of vegetables and fruits contain all the nutrients and antioxidants and that too in optimal amounts. So your balanced diet is taken care of. Moreover, you are benefitted with a natural detox. The moment you replace your first two meals with juice, you are practically on a fast for the first half of the day even though your body gets all the necessary nutrients from the juices.

The keyword here is “calories.” Juices are always low on calories and when they replace the solid meals they aid in weight loss. Juice diets instead of solid food usually cause a huge calorie deficit resulting in quick weight loss. The effect is seen quite soon but is lost almost as soon if you go back to your old routine and diet.

Whenever you are on such a diet, have just juices at both breakfast and lunch, you don’t feel full and tend to overeat at dinner. But this will not serve your purpose of weight loss. Even if you feel hungry try to steer clear of high-calorie foods like sugars or fried stuff. This is because such food will not only ruin your weight loss regimen but may cause various stomach disorders. Rather have a big but healthy dinner!

Further juicing at lunch and breakfast enables you to get your daily share of vegetables and fruits easily and the daily dose of essential minerals and vitamins too. Moreover, your gut gets the so-required rest as digesting juices is super-easy. Also once you get used to this juice diet, your taste buds would crave fresh vegetables and hate the flavor or taste of the sugars and fats. Thus your battle gets half won!