Vibrant Spring Greens

As the first greens of spring start emerging, it’s time to plan your high-vibrance juice recipes and ways to nourish yourself in the new season.

Greens are a great choice any time of year, but they have special significance in the spring. The term “spring greens” refers specifically to the edible young leaves or new growth of many plants. They are often more tender and have a milder taste than their mature counterparts, which can sometimes have more bitter or spicy flavors.

These early greens signal a new season and a chance to revitalize the body after a slower winter pace, eating and juicing more roots and hardy greens like cabbage and kale. As temperatures warm, young, delicate greens become available. Spring greens offer an array of nutrients including minerals, fiber, and vitamins A, B, C, and K to help restore your immune system and boost your energy for more outside activities and socializing.

Consider participating in our Low-Sugar Green Juice Challenge, featuring recipes with minimal fruit but high flavor. Each recipe in our 5-day challenge encourages you to consume a more balanced green juice, starting with juices that follow the 80/20 rule and ending the week with a 100% pure green juice. You can also enter to win a J2 by making the daily juice and following the prompts on our Instagram @namawell.

Spring Tonics

The tonic effects of eating spring greens have been celebrated in herbal and folk medicine. A tonic is defined by any agent that restores or improves well-being. In this tradition, greens help stimulate digestion and circulation. Rich in vitamins and trace minerals, cleansing greens and roots were prepared in early spring as a drink to provide nourishment and energy.

In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is the season of the Wood element, associated with the color green, and embodying qualities like growth and fresh energy. The corresponding organs are the liver and gallbladder. TCM sees spring as a time of upward energy that mirrors the growth of plants reaching toward the sun, which may be another reason why it's so good to fill your plates and glasses with fresh, leafy greens.

In Ayurveda, another healing tradition system, spring is a time to lighten up the diet with greens to help reset digestion and more. The recommendation is to choose flavors that are bitter, astringent, and pungent such as leafy greens and sprouts.

Making more green juice is a great spring ritual and can be the perfect tonic for the season. You can incorporate your favorite seasonal greens into juices and smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition. Look for a variety of spring greens at the store or at the many farmers' markets that reopen in the spring. You can also consider growing your own or foraging wild varieties of greens with an expert.

Leafy Greens

Green leafy vegetables are known for their edible leaves with high nutritional content. More common varieties include arugula, bok choy, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, collard greens, and lettuces. Some less-popular and nutritionally-dense greens are cress, dandelion, beet and turnip greens, mustard greens, and lamb's lettuce or mâché. You can also try some wild greens like chickweed, plantain greens, ramps, and stinging nettle.

Whether you're tossing them in juices or salads, blending them into smoothies, or cooking them with garlic or ginger, these greens are more affordable and fresh in the springtime.

Of course, any amount of greens is good, but because most leafy greens are not very dense, you may have to up your portions. About two cups of raw greens create the nutritional equivalent of a one-cup serving of vegetables. As you add them to juices, you'll want to be mindful of those portions to receive all of their nutritional benefits. When cooking greens, they can also lose volume. Count one cup of cooked greens as one serving.

Unexpected Benefits of Greens

Yes, greens are full of chlorophyll, a natural compound found in green plants, but they also have other amazing health benefits.

Research has shown that a diet containing about one serving a day of green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, or lettuce, is associated with slower age-related cognitive decline. That's because they are rich in nutrients like phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol, which may help to slow cognitive decline as you age.

Another study found that one cup of leafy green vegetables a day can lower the risk of developing heart disease because these vegetables are nitrate-rich. Now, if you're remembering that certain food labels say "nitrate-free," that refers to processed meat products made with synthetic nitrates or nitrites. Vegetables like leafy greens have naturally-occurring, beneficial nitrates that are compounds made from nitrogen and oxygen atoms.

Certain leafy greens like spinach contain vitamin B, a nutrient known for nerve regeneration and function. Spinach, broccoli, and kale also contain a micronutrient called alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a potent antioxidant that improves nerve function and can help lower cholesterol.

A Note On Oxalates

Oxalates, also known as oxalic acid, are the natural compounds found in greens like spinach, beet greens, or chard. They only impact a small percentage of people with a history of kidney stones and can easily be swapped for other greens. You can lessen the impact of high-oxalate foods by drinking more water, which helps the body naturally excrete oxalic acid.

Cress

You can find three varieties of cress in early spring: garden cress, curly cress, and watercress. While cress is commonly used in salads or sandwiches, you can also add it to juices for an extra boost of nutrition or cook it in a similar way as spinach. Cress is high in nutrients, including vitamins C and K. It has a slightly bitter, almost peppery taste and can be found at stores and markets.

Pair with: apple, celery, lime

Dandelion

One of the first weeds you might spot in your lawn or at a local park are dandelion greens, which are the spiky-shaped leaves that grow at the base of these yellow flowers. You can also find dandelion in stores and at farmers' markets. If you plan to harvest them outside, be mindful of where pets pee or if a lawn has been sprayed with chemicals. All parts of the dandelion are edible.

Pair with: apple, pineapple, cucumber

Lamb's Lettuce or Mâché

Mâché, also called lamb's lettuce or corn salad, is a compact green with a rosette shape and a nutty and almost sweet flavor. This vegetable is found in early spring, when the ground is still cold. It has a short shelf-life, so it's not easily found in supermarkets, but you may have a neighbor who gardens or you might see it at a farmers' market. Its unique flavor makes it a great addition to juices.

Pair with: cucumber, spinach, zucchini

Leafy Greens by Taste

Low-Sugar Juices

If you have Type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar, pre-diabetes, or are simply looking to cut down on sweets, then you'll want to focus on low-sugar juices. Part of creating a delicious, less-sweet juice is finding flavor swaps for sweeter fruits like apples, pineapples, and pears. Green apples like Granny Smith contain less fructose than red apples and have a more tart flavor. Berries and green melons are lower in sugar than many other fruits. You can also focus on adding more vegetables and keeping your fruit to a minimum. If you usually use one apple, try using half of one.

Make Juice using the 80/20 Rule

Use 80-percent vegetables and 20-percent fruits. Another way to measure this ratio is to use 4 equal parts of vegetables to 1 part of fruit. As you adjust to that flavor profile, work on 90-percent vegetables and then try some juices that have 100-percent green vegetables.

Examples include:

80/20

• One cup of apple + four cups of cucumber
• One cup of pear + two cups of celery + two cups spinach

90/10

• One half cup of apple + four and half cups of cucumber
• One half cup of pear + two cups of celery + two and a half cups spinach

100/0

• Five cups of cucumber
• Two cups of celery and three cups of spinach

High + Low Volume Green Juice Ingredients

Different types of produce will produce varying amounts of juice. When it comes to greens, it's not about shunning kale or other low-volume greens, because they are packed with nutrition. Instead, find balance by mixing your greens or pairing them with other higher-yield fruits and vegetables so you can enjoy all of their benefits.

High Yield Greens

Cabbage

Celery

Cucumber

Romaine Lettuce

Medium Yield Greens

Spinach

Chard

Collard Greens

Low Yield Greens

Arugula

Microgreens

Dandelion Greens

Kale

Grow Your Own green Juice Ingredients

Spring is the season to start a garden, big or small, and because leaves are the first part of a plant to emerge, growing your own leafy greens is a great way to begin. Not only are they easy to grow, but you can also enjoy your first harvest in just a few weeks (or less with microgreens) and taste the difference in homegrown greens.

Choose Your Greens

• Leafy greens: spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or lettuce
• Microgreens: arugula, radish, or sunflower

Select a Growing Method

• Garden: Ideal if you have space outdoors with good sunlight. You'll want a sandy loam soil for growing greens.
• Containers: Perfect for small spaces like patios or balconies.
• Trays: Work great for microgreens.
• Indoor setups: Use pots or hydroponic systems near a sunny window or under grow lights.

Find the Right Location

Most greens thrive in 4–6 hours of sunlight daily; some work in partial shade. Check on the seed packet or with your garden store for specific recommendations.

Plant Your Seeds or Seedlings

• Follow spacing instructions on seed packets.
• Try fast-growing varieties like arugula or baby spinach.
• Seeds are more affordable than seedlings (or starts), but will take longer to harvest. Choose based on your specific needs and timeline.

Tending To Your Plants

• Give your plants a good bit of water when you first plant them in the ground or pot and water consistently.
• Most plants need to be watered every day unless you live in a rainy climate or you notice that the soil looks damp
• Feel free to add nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer or compost as needed to help boost the fuel for your plants to grow.

Harvesting Tips

• Greens like lettuce and kale thrive with a cut-and-come-again approach. Snip leaves from the outer edges, allowing the plant to continue growing throughout the season.
• For microgreens, harvest when they're 2-3 inches tall using a clean sharp knife or pair of scissors.

Joe Cross and His Love For Green Vegetables

Joe Cross is an Australian entrepreneur, author, filmmaker, and advocate for plant-based diets and juicing. He is the founder of Reboot with Joe and a good friend to Nama and our juicing community. Joe shares his wellness journey on Instagram @joethejuicer and is a frequent guest on many podcasts. Learn more by watching his feature-length documentaries.

Q: People still debate the benefits of juicing versus eating whole vegetables. What would you say are the main benefits of incorporating green vegetables into juice, versus consuming them whole?

Joe: Like most things regarding diet, it is specific to the individual. If you consume 99 percent of your calories from plant-based food, then the benefits of drinking green juice are not going to be as impactful as it is for someone that consumes most of their calories from processed foods and animal products.

The data shows us that the majority of people only get 5 percent of their calories from fruits and vegetables. This is one of the main reasons we have so much chronic illness in our Western societies. Consuming more vegetables and more fruits should be at the top of the priority list. But it's not. So if you fall into that group and want to avoid visits to the doctor and would like to live longer, healthier, and happier then drinking green juice is just what you need. Chewing four large sticks of celery and one large cucumber is going to take you a lot of time and a lot of energy. And most of what you're going to consume is the fiber that is the delivery system for the micronutrients that most of us are not getting enough of.

However, taking that produce and putting it into a Nama juicer and adding some lemon and maybe some apple is really going to supercharge your micronutrient intake. There's a simple test you can do to see if this works for you. Just add a green juice to your existing diet first thing in the morning. Do it for at least five days, and it would be even better if you could do it for a month. See for yourself if you feel the difference. If you don't feel better, stronger, and have more vitality after a month, then it wasn't for you. But chances are you will feel like the tens of thousands of people around the world over the last 15 years that have taken this challenge and have seen incredible improvements to their overall vitality.

Q: Do you have a favorite green vegetable that you recommend for juicing? What makes it stand out in terms of health benefits or flavor?

Joe: My favorite green vegetable for juicing is cucumber. It makes sense for me, because I love cucumber salad. Cucumber also offers an enormous amount of volume, and I think it's a good bang for your buck. Cucumbers are rich in antioxidants and particularly good for hydration, which is important since so many of us are chronically dehydrated. Some studies report that cucumbers help with weight loss, and they also help manage blood sugar levels. A glass of pure cucumber juice is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. That's true vitamin water!

Q: Many people say they don't have enough time for juicing or preparing green vegetables. What advice would you give to those with busy lifestyles to make green veggies a part of their daily routine?

Joe: I'm a huge proponent of batch juicing. I make enough juice to last me for three full days. That means I am basically batch juicing twice a week, and it takes me about 25 minutes. During this time I'm either listening to music, a podcast, or will catch up on a phone call with friends. I multitask when I batch juice. The team at Nama have made this easier by providing batch juice accessories and beautiful glass bottles. Most mornings I just open the fridge, grab my green juice, give it a shake, and chug it. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Q: For someone new to juicing, what do you think are some of the best green vegetables to start with?

Joe: Juice the green vegetables you like to eat the most. If you don't like any green vegetables then I would suggest you start with cucumber, celery, and some baby bok choy.

Q: What are some common mistakes people make when incorporating green vegetables into their juicing or eating plan, and how can they avoid them?

Joe: Some common mistakes can be as follows: the produce wasn't fresh to begin with. The produce wasn't washed properly, and it may have some dirt on it. Drinking green vegetables on their own is an acquired taste. Make sure you add some lemon or lime. You can also add a fruit of your choice. I personally like adding fresh pear or green apple. Another common mistake is that people are used to cold drinks, so I add ice or leave my green juice in the refrigerator in a glass jar. To me, it makes a big difference.

Q: Can you talk about some of the long-term health benefits you have experienced from consuming green juices for so many years?

Joe: Well, I started this journey because I had chronic urticaria angioedema. I had this illness for more than eight years, and it was debilitating. Drinking green juice and supercharging my micronutrient intake by eating and juicing changed the trajectory of where I was heading with respect to my health. It has now been 18 years since I had that illness, and I've had no relapse.

I had my overall physical last week and my calcium score, which is a measure of plaque around the heart arteries, was zero. That means there is zero plaque detected from the CT scan. I'm 58 years of age, and I'm super happy that my heart health is where it's at. I put this down to my lifestyle and how I changed 18 years ago not by becoming a vegan or a vegetarian but to just increase my overall consumption of plant foods, and I do this mostly by juicing. If I can do it, you can too.

Q: Do you still make your "Mean Green" juice or have you edited the recipe in any way?

Joe: Yes I still make it! It's my favourite green juice. Sometimes, I swap out the green apples for green pears. Other times, I might add grapefruit or orange juice freshly squeezed. Pineapple is also one of my favourites to add in. But I try to stick with the 80/20 rule which is 80 percent veggies and 20 percent fruits. Honestly, I don't need any more than that to make my green juices taste delicious.