Carrot juice lovers know that their sweet, orange treat is packed with beneficial vitamins. Can you have fresh carrot juice if you don’t own a juicer? Well, you could buy it, but there’s a better way to get all that beta carotene. I’ll teach you how to make your own carrot juice with something you probably already have in the kitchen.
Can you make carrot juice in a NutriBullet? You can make carrot juice in a NutriBullet. If you prefer thicker smoothie textures, you’re all set. However, you can also have regular juices with a little preparation.
Prepare to Juice in NutriBullet
Making carrot juice in a NutriBullet is quick and tasty. It doesn’t take much effort, but you’ll need to collect a few things to do the job right. Luckily I have a handy guide for you right here.
Get Carrots Ready
You need to decide how much juice you want to make beforehand. Make sure you scrub off your carrots. However, removing the tops is optional and not necessary.
Additionally, you’ll want to have some water on hand. I recommend using purified water. You can grab a bottle, or use filtered water from a pitcher or sink attachment. Avoiding the chemicals in sink water is better for your health.
Carrots
It takes around six carrots to make one cup of juice in a juicer. However, you can use three for a smoothie, and four to eight for making NutriBullet juice.
Skip the cheap imitations. You can get a personal size NutriBullet NBR-0601 from Amazon. The mini yet mighty NBR-0601 has six hundred watts of power. Plus, it comes with a BPA free carry cup for your carrot juice. Plus it’s top-rack dishwasher safe. Find out more details by clicking here.
The difference is in the preparation. Eating whole carrots gives you more fiber than juice. However, ingesting them as a smoothie has all the same benefits of whole eating.
Naturally, because juice removes part of the carrot, you get less fiber. Still, the vitamins are more bioavailable, which is excellent for you.
Carrot Prep
Once you’ve washed your carrots, you should cut them into smaller pieces. Although you can put whole carrots in a blender like the NutriBullet, it’s not a good idea. There’s a specific way blenders are made to work.
If your pieces are too large, or you use too many, it’s bad for the machine. It takes longer than it should. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t run blender blades for more than thirty seconds at a time. That means using smaller pieces and a little patience.
Instead of risking your blender, grab a cutting board, a big bowl, and a sharp knife. Chop your carrots into inch long pieces. You can set these aside for now.
Make NutriBullet Juice
The first step is always making sure your machine is clean and properly assembled. Hence, if you have multiple blades, you may need to swap them out quickly. You want the extracting blade.
It’s also useful to have a scraping spatula on hand if you plan to pour it in a different cup. You can easily make a two-person serving or more. Moreover, you can make a whole pitcher of carrot juice for your family, or merely to drink yourself.
Add your carrots to the small cup. Three to six chopped carrots is enough for one person. However, make sure you don’t overfill. Add purified water. It should reach the max fill line, but not go over.
Use the NutriBullet in twenty-second quick bursts. You should never exceed three minutes’ time total or about ten to twelve bursts. Luckily, a NutriBullet will typically make your juice in two to six bursts.
Adjust Carrot Juice to Taste
If you find your NutriBullet juice too strong, you can use fewer carrots. Likewise, you can add more water. Similarly, if the flavor is too thin for you, use more veggies. This simple adaptation only takes a taste and a moment.
Some people like the thicker ‘pulpy’ juice. Moreover, you can leave most of the water out for a smoothie-like consistency, or add ice to make a true smoothie. However, straining is also an option.
For a very typical juice consistency, run your NutriBullet juice through a strainer to remove some of the pulp. Then you can use three to five layers of cheesecloth in your rinsed-out strainer.
Strained juice loses a lot of the fiber. However, some folks simply don’t enjoy the consistency. Fortunately, you’ll still get all the vitamins in a regular cup f carrot juice if you strain it.
Health Benefits of Carrot Juice
NutriBullet carrot juice is more than tasty. Everyone has heard that the orange veggies are great for your eyesight. However, the health benefits of carrots are far more than you might expect.
For example, carrots are great for weight loss, but more impressively, they can help reduce cholesterol. According to Healthline, “What’s more, their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.”
The beta carotene that makes carrots so orange changes inside your body. It becomes vitamin A after converting into an antioxidant. That means it fights free radicals and nourishes your cells.
On top of the beta carotene, carrots are also a great source of pectin, a dietary fiber. That means they aid in digestion. Furthermore, the beloved veggie has lots of vitamin K1 and potassium, plus biotin and B6.
You’ll also find some other nutrients in the humble carrot. Alpha-carotene is similar to beta carotene and also becomes vitamin A in your body. Lycopene and Lutein are the most common antioxidants. They vary depending on the color of your carrot.
Anthocyanins are less prevalent but also a powerful antioxidant. Finally, polyacetylenes are a compound in carrots. This useful bioactive ingredient has recently been studied and may help protect against cancers, including leukemia.
More Carrot Nutrition Facts
Carrots vary in size and consistency slightly, but the difference is minimal. A medium-sized carrot (61 grams) should have roughly the following:
- Calories: 41
- Carbs: 9.6 g
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Water: 88%
The Glycemic Index on carrots is highly variable. Most fall between sixteen and sixty-one. Raw carrots are the lowest on the GI scale.
Meanwhile, pureed carrots are the highest. Bioavailability makes a huge difference. Cooking raises the GI as it caramelizes the sugars in your food.
Fun Fact:
Carrots come in many colors. Everyone is used to seeing orange carrots in the stores because they’re the most popular with American shoppers. However, carrots come in white, red, yellow, and purple varieties as well. Yet all carrots, regardless of color, have similar health benefits.
Drinking Juice Vs. Eating Whole Carrots
Whole carrot juice, like that in a smoothie, is no different from eating a carrot. Unfortunately, you do lose a lot of the fiber if you strain your juice. Furthermore, cooked carrots also lose out on vitamins and minerals. The heating process breaks them down.
Ultimately, the way you eat (or drink) your food matters a great deal. Destroying the health value means getting less of what your body needs. Sometimes it can also mean consuming a lot of empty calories, as is the case with overcooked foods. Hence the popularity of the raw diet.
I recommend upgrading your personal size NutriBullet to the N12-1001 Pro Plus for better juicing. The N12-1001 Pro Plus has twice the power of a standard model, and it comes with two convenient containers that both convert to drink cups. You’ll be surprised how much more a little extra power can do. Get your Pro Plus NutriBullet from Amazon here.
Carrot Caution
As tasty as NutriBullet carrot juice is, you can still have too much of a good thing. Carrots are one of the foods you can overdose on. Carotenemia is a result of too much beta carotene in your blood.
Entertainingly, and alarmingly, the beta carotene collects in the outer layer of your skin. Yes, it will turn you yellow or orange.
Make Better Carrot Juice
Using a NutriBullet to make healthy carrot juice is one way to get a lot out of your food. However, you can also upgrade that juice. Adding flavor, protein, spices, and other fluids to your carrot can turn a simple dish into a complex and unique delight.
Two of the best ingredients for boosting your carrot juice are apple and ginger. Additional sweetness or spice makes it feel less like healthy food and more like a way to reward yourself.
More Boosters for Carrot Juice
If you’re a big fan of the green and earthy flavors, you can add a little celery and beet juice. The color is outstanding, and so are the benefits for your body. Plus, it goes well with green superfood powder.
Another way to enjoy your carrot juice is with some cinnamon or berries. These yummy choices are good for your body. Better yet, they add a spicy kick or some tangy fruit goodness. You can even combine all three.
Share your NutriBullet carrot juice with friends and family by picking up the NutriBullet ZNBF30500Z Blender Combo from Amazon. You can make large batches for everyone, or pour a pitcher for yourself. I love the one-year limited warranty that comes with it, even though I’ve never had a NutriBullet fail. A company that stands behind their product is always a plus in my book. Read the reviews here.
Final Thoughts
Although it goes well with many things, you don’t need to add anything to NutriBullet carrot juice to enjoy it. The health benefits are well worth the few seconds it takes to make a drink.
Don’t buy off-brand blenders and drink makers. Not only do they lack the excellent reputation of established companies like NutriBullet, but they often have sub-par parts.
Enjoy your juice hassle-free. Plus, you can make outstanding carrot smoothies and soups as well.
