Green juices have become increasingly popular in recent years as more people look for quick, nutrient-dense drinks. But many wonder just how many calories are actually in these seemingly healthy beverages. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at the average calorie count of popular green juice combinations, factors that affect the calories, and tips for keeping your green juice low in calories. Whether you’re new to juicing or are looking to cut calories in your diet, this guide has everything you need to know about the calories in green juices.
What Is a Green Juice?
Green juice is a blended drink made primarily from green vegetables, fruits, and sometimes spices. Typical ingredients include leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens, chard, and romaine. Fruits often used include apples, grapes, lemons, limes, and pineapple. Many green juices also contain vegetables such as cucumbers, celery, fennel, ginger, and parsley.
Compared to fruit-based juices, green juices are lower in sugar and calories since they emphasize veggies over fruits. They provide a mega dose of nutrients in one drink, including vitamins A, C, E, and K, potassium, magnesium, iron, and antioxidants.
Some of the touted benefits of green juices include:
- Increased energy
- Immune boosting properties
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Improved skin, hair, and nails
- Detoxification
- Better digestion
- Weight loss
Average Calories in Green Juices
The number of calories in green juice depends largely on the specific ingredients used in the recipe. But here are some general guidelines on calorie ranges:
Basic Green Juices
Made with mild greens like spinach and lettuce plus cucumber and lemon.
Calories per 8 oz serving: 50 to 80 calories
Green Juices with Fruit
Contain greens plus fruits like apple, pineapple, grapes.
Calories per 8 oz serving: 80 to 120 calories
Green Juices with Veggies
Greens blended with vegetables like celery, fennel, parsley.
Calories per 8 oz serving: 60 to 100 calories
Max Nutrition Green Juices
Packs a mix of super greens like kale, chard, parsley, etc.
Calories per 8 oz serving: 60 to 100 calories
As you can see, most straight green juices contain less than 100 calories per 8 ounce serving. For reference, that’s about 1/4 the calories of a can of soda.
Adding mild fruits like grape and apple can slightly increase the calorie count. But green juices with just vegetables are usually lower in calories than fruit-laden juices.
Factors That Affect Calories in Green Juices
Several factors impact the calorie content in fresh green juices:
Ingredients Used
The specific fruits, veggies, and greens used in the juice heavily influence calories:
- Leafy greens like kale and spinach are very low in calories, around 10 calories per cup.
- Fruits and veggies like pineapple, carrots, beets, and citrus fruits contain 30 to 60 calories per cup.
- Apples, grapes, and other sweet fruits can have up to 100 calories per cup.
For lower calorie juices, pile on the leafy greens and vegetables. Limit high-sugar fruits like oranges and pineapple.
Serving Size
The more juice you drink, the more calories it contains. Pay attention to serving sizes which are commonly 8 or 16 ounces. Drinking 20+ ounces of juice can double or triple the calories.
Added Ingredients
Beyond produce, other mix-ins also add calories:
- Protein powders like whey or pea protein (100+ calories per scoop)
- Nut butters like almond or peanut butter (around 100 calories per tablespoon)
- Seeds and nuts like chia, flax, hemp, or almonds (50+ calories per tablespoon)
- Plant-based milks like almond milk, oat milk, soy milk (30 to 60 calories per cup)
- Sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, dates (60+ calories per tablespoon)
Go light on these add-ins or avoid entirely if watching calories. Stick to just fruits and veggies.
Juicing Method
Centrifugal juicers that separate juice from pulp tend to yield less calories than masticating juicers that incorporate all the fiber into the juice. The strains of fiber add bulk and volume, displacing some of the sugars and calories.
Tips for Lower Calorie Green Juices
Here are some tips to keep your green juices as low calorie as possible:
- Use mild, low-sugar fruits like grape, pear, lime
- Limit high-sugar fruits to just 1 small piece
- Load up on low-calorie greens like kale, spinach, romaine
- Add lots of veggie fillers like cucumber, celery, fennel
- Skip any juices with protein powders, nut butters, milks, or sweeteners
- Steer clear of juices with more than 2-3 total fruits
- Stick to 8-12 oz serving sizes, not giant 20 oz portions
- Make your own juice instead of buying bottled varieties with added sugars
- Use a centrifugal juicer instead of a masticating juicer
Following these guidelines can cut 100+ calories compared to fruit-heavy or creamy blended green juices.
Calories in Common Green Juice Ingredients
To get an idea of how ingredients impact the calorie content, here is the breakdown for calories per cup of typical green juice components:
Leafy Greens
| Ingredient | Calories per Cup |
|---|---|
| Spinach | 7 |
| Kale | 8 |
| Romaine Lettuce | 8 |
| Collard Greens | 11 |
| Swiss Chard | 7 |
Fruits
| Ingredient | Calories per Cup |
|---|---|
| Grapes | 62 |
| Apples | 95 |
| Pineapple | 82 |
| Oranges | 85 |
| Strawberries | 54 |
| Blueberries | 84 |
| Raspberries | 64 |
| Mango | 107 |
| Banana | 134 |
| Kiwi | 61 |
Vegetables
| Ingredient | Calories per Cup |
|---|---|
| Cucumber | 16 |
| Celery | 16 |
| Carrots | 52 |
| Broccoli | 31 |
| Cauliflower | 27 |
| Tomatoes | 32 |
| Sweet Potato | 114 |
| Beets | 58 |
As shown, greens and veggies are generally very low in calories while fruits range from 60 to 130 calories per cup. This is why greens and vegetables make up the base of low-calorie green juices.
Calories in Common Bottled Green Juices
Pre-made green juices provide an easy, grab-and-go option but often come with added sugars and calories. Here are nutrition facts for some popular bottled varieties (8 oz serving):
Suja Green Supreme Juice
- 110 calories
- 22g sugar
Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Lemon Juice
- 100 calories
- 20g sugar
Naked Green Machine Juice
- 130 calories
- 26g sugar
Jamba Juice Kale Blazer Smoothie
- 210 calories
- 33g sugar
Bolthouse Farms Daily Greens Smoothie
- 160 calories
- 23g sugar
As you can see, bottled green juices often have 100 to 200+ calories and 20-30 grams of sugar for an 8 oz serving. Making your own juice allows you to control the ingredients and skip added sugars.
Sample Green Juice Recipes
Here are a few sample green juice recipes to give you some low-calorie, nutrient-packed options to try:
Detox Green Juice
- 1 cucumber
- 5 stalks celery
- 1 cup kale
- 1 lemon
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 apple
Calories: 122 per 16 oz
Lean Green Juice
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup romaine lettuce
- 1 green apple
- 1/2 lemon
- Handful parsley
Calories: 121 per 16 oz
Mean Green Juice
- 1 green apple
- 2 celery stalks
- 8 leaves kale
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 cucumber
Calories: 122 per 16 oz
Green Grapefruit Juice
- 1 grapefruit, peeled
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 kiwi
- 1 lime
Calories: 134 per 16 oz
Spicy Green Juice
- 1 green apple
- 1 pear
- 1 handful parsley
- 1 cup kale
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 jalapeno pepper
Calories: 167 per 16 oz
Conclusion
Green juices can be part of a healthy, low-calorie diet if crafted smartly. Opt for juices packed with leafy greens and vegetable fillers while limiting high-sugar fruits. The best green juices clock in at around 60-100 calories for 8 ounces. But beware of store-bought varieties with added sugars. Your best bet is making green juices at home using calorie-conscious recipes. With the right ingredients and portions, you can enjoy these nutritious, plant-powered beverages without packing in too many extra calories.