When it comes to juicing, there are an endless number of combinations and recipes you can choose from. If you perform a simple search for recipes, however, you are likely to encounter some of the same concoctions time and again. If you are looking for a unique flavor to try in your own home juicing, consider one of these 5 surprising foods you didnt know you could juice.

  1. Sweet Potato the sweet potato is incredibly rich in nutrients, containing one of the highest concentrations of beta-carotene of all vegetables. Additionally, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and calcium they are also rich in fiber. While you may be familiar with sweet potatoes in the form of French fries or as part of a vegetable medley, you might be surprised to hear that they can be juiced as well. Sweet potato juice contains numerous phytochemicals including quercetin and chlorogenic acid, both of which are known to have anti-cancer properties. Sweet potato is a particularly good addition to fresh fruit juices.
  2. Nuts when you think of foods that can be juiced, nuts may not be the first foods that come to mind. You may be pleased to know, however, that a juicer can easily be used to make homemade nut milks from a variety of different nuts including almonds and cashews. Nut milks are an excellent dairy-free alternative to cows milk that is lower in calories but rich in nutrients such as protein and fatty acids. To make your own nut milk using a juicer, first soak the nuts in water then drain them well. Combine the nuts with fresh water at a ratio of 1 cup almonds per 3 cups water and spoon it into the juicer after turning it on. The resulting nut milk should be frothy.
  3. Wheatgrass this food comes from the sprouted seed of the common wheat plant (Triticum aestivum). Wheatgrass is known to provide a number of significant health benefits including lowering blood pressure, relieving indigestion, detoxifying the body and promoting healing. In addition to helping cleanse the body of toxins, wheatgrass juice may also help to slow down the aging process by cleansing the blood and rejuvenating your cells. You can easily juice wheatgrass at home using your juicer, but make sure to rinse it well to remove any dirt from the grass. Remove any yellowed sprouts prior to juicing as these may alter the flavor of the resulting juice.
  4. Roots root vegetables and herbs like ginger, maca and chicory work surprisingly well when fed through a juicer. Maca root, in addition to being rumored as an aphrodisiac, is rich in calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and essential fatty acids. Ginger has long been used as a natural remedy for a variety of conditions including nausea, arthritis, colic, constipation and inflammation. Some other roots that are recommended for juicing include: cassava, turnips, beets, taro, parsnips, radish and yams.
  5. Algae when you think of algae you may picture that green slime that tends to coat the walls of fish tanks and rocks near the local pond. What you may not realize is that algae actually contains a variety of healthy nutrients that can be very beneficial in your diet. The most common form of algae for human consumption is spirulina which often comes in powdered form. Though you cannot juice spirulina powder, it is a popular additive for fresh juices that can be incorporated into nearly any recipe. A 100-gram serving of spirulina contains more than 200% your daily value of vitamin B1 and over 300% your daily value for vitamin B2. This supplement is also rich in folate, iron, manganese and vitamin E.

Foods That Cant be Juiced

While the list of fruits and vegetables that can be juiced is quite extensive, there are a few that you should avoid. Some of the fruits and vegetables you shouldnt juice include:

  • Bananas these fruits are full of potassium and other nutrients, but they are simply too soft to be put through a juicer with good results. To make banana juice without using a juicer, simply combine a banana with one cup of water in a blender.
  • Avocado avocado is an incredibly healthy vegetable but it is too soft to juice. If you do plan to use avocado in a juice or smoothie, add it to the juice afterward and puree it in a blender.
  • Eggplant not only does eggplant have a low water content in regard to juicing, but its texture is also very soft which may not bode well for your juicer.
  • Coconut while coconut milk and coconut water are very good for you, juicing coconut in a home juicer doesnt always work well. This only applies to brown coconuts, however if you are able to find young coconuts at the store, these tend to have softer meat that juices very well.
  • Leeks not only do leeks have very potent flavor when juiced, but they can jam your juicer which means that you are better off avoiding them for juicing. If you do decide to juice leeks, use only the inner layers which are less likely to clog your juicer.
  • Rhubarb though you theoretically can juice rhubarb, it is generally not a good idea because it can be very hard on your juicer. If you do want to juice rhubarb, cut off the tough outer layers and juice only the soft inner layers.
  • Winter Squash though some squashes like zucchini and yellow squash can easily be juiced, winter squash is another story. This type of squash is very hard when it has not been cooked so it has the potential to damage your juicer. There is also the fact to consider that this vegetable is not very high in water content, so it wont yield much juice anyway.