Honestly, What’s the Difference between a Juicer and a Blender? And Which One’s Better for You?

Ah, two important questions that come up a lot when people begin walking down this wonderful road that leads to good health. Is there really a difference between a juicer and a blender?

The short answer is yes. But the longer answer? I’ll need to explain that in good time.

First, let’s go over the most basic difference between a juicer and a blender. If you place fruit into a machine and you’re wondering whether it’s a juicer or blender, just look at the end result. If there is pulp left in the juice, then you’ve just used a blender. If there’s nothing but smooth savory juice, then you’ve used … you guessed it … a juicer.
Sounds simple enough, right? It is.

But that’s not the end of the story. Many people then try to figure out which one is better for their needs. After all, when you want to improve your health, you know the value of adding more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. A quick, hassle-free way of doing that would be to get yourself a blender or juicer.

It’s not always the easiest thing for people to eat more fruit on a daily basis. You can pick up some apples and oranges and throw them in with your lunch that you take to work, but are you really going to get around to eating it? Maybe once during the day, but you’re supposed to get a lot more fruit every day.

Why? That’s because of all of the nutrients your typical fruit contains. Your vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and so much more – all packed into one tiny fruit. Even though you may have gotten into the habit of taking vitamin supplements through the years, that’s not really doing enough for your body. That’s because your body isn’t actually absorbing all of those nutrients because of the way it’s delivered.

The bottom line is this: unless fruits and vegetables make up a significant part of your diet, you’re not getting the proper level of nutrition that your body needs and that can lead to long-term health problems, including fatigue, low energy, more susceptibility to getting sick, and more.

This is why juicers and blenders have gained tremendous popularity in recent years. They’re being advertised as a quick and easy way to package everything you need into a nice drink, and boy do they deliver.

Try sitting down at your desk in the office and eating some kiwi, or an orange. You’re not going to want to touch that computer keyboard with those sticky fingers after a meal like that. Not very convenient! Also, do it long enough and eventually you’ll ditch the entire plan of eating more fruits.

What’s better, the juicer or the blender?

Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, really. Some people really enjoy the pulp that comes out of the fruit when they blend it. That pulp is insoluble, which means your body is not going to be able to digest it.

Okay, so why would you even want it? Well, first and foremost, all of that pulp also contains fiber – and fiber is incredibly important for your digestive tract. If you’ve ever seen a commercial for fiber-based supplements, you know that they talk about helping people become more ‘regular.’ That means if you’re not going to the bathroom at about the same time every day, then your body is not ‘regulated.’

Fiber helps with this. It also aids in constipation, so if you’re having a tough time going to the bathroom, then you’re likely missing out on some important fiber.

However, when it comes to pulp, it’s a unique taste in juice. Some people don’t mind it, some people absolutely love it, and some people simply can’t stand it. If you’re one of those people who enjoy the flavor of pulp, then you would do well to consider a blender when you’re planning to make juice for your daily diet.

If you don’t like pulp or ingesting all those extra fiber just isn’t your thing, then you obviously need to think about a juicer.

It’s basically that simple. Some people even buy and use both. Keep in mind that if you choose to go the juicer route, then you will need to consider supplementing your diet with actually eating more servings of fruit and vegetables throughout the day (at lunch and dinner, for example, with the veggies). If you go with the blender, then you’ll be getting essentially everything you need in that mixture.

What’s my personal take?

Personally, I actually have both and for good reason. There are certain fruits and vegetables that I love with the pulp, and then there are others that I can stand the taste with the pulp.

Having a juicer and a blender gives me flexibility on any given day. It’s worked wonders to help me improve my health, become more energized on a regular basis, and feel better overall.

So if you’ve been debating about whether or not you should get a juicer or blender and you can’t afford both right now, just think about how you feel about pulp in your orange juice. Yeah or nay? That should point you in the right direction.