Mmmm, Juicy! The Perfect Green Juice Formula

During the heart of winter in the midwest, I find myself craving color and aliveness in my food more than ever.

Starting the day with a big glass of green juice is a great way to get a quick dose of both. The great thing about green juice is that there's no 'perfect recipe' - almost anything goes.

That said, some combinations may leave your juice tasting a  bit more like 'earth' (as my friend Steph says) than others.

To leave the hard-core earthiness in the soil and out of your glass, I've found this to be the ideal three-part formula:

• Part One: High water-content veggies (cucumber, celery)
• Part Two: Dark, leafy greens (spinach, kale)
• Part Three: Fruit for sweetness (apple, pear)

With that in mind, my favorite green juice often looks something like this:

• 1/2 - 1 cucumber
• 1-2 sticks of celery
• A big handful of kale
• A big handful of spinach
• A small handful of parsley
• A chunk of ginger
• 1-2 apples, pears, or 1 of each

The only downside of juicing is the ratio of fruit/veggies to juice...so much produce for so little juice! To avoid going broke to feed your morning green juice habit (a legitimate fear I have from time to time), I recommend buying produce in bulk, shopping local farmer's markets, and modifying your juice a bit based on what's on sale and what's in season.

Anyone else have a favorite 'juice formula?'

Happy Juicing!