It's Time to Get Juiced

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While kale stole the spotlight last year, unexpected flavors like celery and prickly pear cactus are taking over today’s juice scene. North America continues to dominate the juice industry, as younger generations become increasingly health-conscious and seek out more nutritious alternatives to traditional snacks and sodas. These young consumers continue to buy certain foods based on convenience and innovation as well as nutrition, and companies can have a hard time meeting all of these demands simultaneously.

Many potential customers also believe the sugar content of fruit and vegetable juices outweighs the nutritional benefits. Companies are combating this by making more transparent labels that include phrases like “no sugar added”, aiming to dispel the misconceptions inherent to the juice industry. As a resident of the Golden State, you would like to know that the industry is booming, and there are no signs of it stopping anytime soon. Without further ado, here’s all you need to know about your favorite juices, and where to find them.

The Difference Between Raw and HPP Juices

The industry comprises two distinct categories: raw juices and high-pressure processing (HPP) juices. Raw juices are unaltered by heat, pressure, or pasteurization and are what you would expect when grabbing a fresh-pressed juice from your favorite juice bar. While this is great for juices meant to be drunk right away—pure raw juices have a max shelf life of three days—those meant to be taken home, stored, and used throughout the week can pose a safety risk when kept in their raw form. HPP juices are made via cold pasteurization, which involves taking already-bottled juices and submerging them in cold water under high pressures. This process kills potentially harmful pathogens and extends the shelf life to up to 45 days, without taking away any of the nutrients.

The term “raw” also applies to juices that do not have any added sugars or preservatives, so it is more confusing to discern what is really involved in the process. All cold-pressed juices go through the HPP process, which means they are not raw by way of processing. However, many also do not have additional ingredients (like sugar or preservatives), making them raw as far as ingredients are concerned.

Why the Juice Industry is Expected to Continue Growing

According to Million Insights, the global cold-pressed juice market is expected to grow consistently over the next several years. This trend is partly due to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. And instead of using Western medicines, some consumers are turning to the juice industry to provide nutritional value and healing. In addition, nut and dairy allergies are becoming more prevalent, urging consumers away from juice alternatives like smoothies, which may cause irritation and discomfort. The changing lifestyles of younger generations, the rising health concerns, the increasing popularity of plant nutrients, and the focus on nutrition as part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle are also contributing to the upward juice trend.

In fact, the fruit and vegetable juice market is the fastest-growing segment in the beverage industry, according to Grand View Research. Within this segment, the fruit and vegetable blends are becoming more popular and are expected to remain on this path for the next five years or so, as the blends bring together the taste of fruit juices and the benefits of additional nutrients from the vegetables. Combinations like kale-green apple and carrot-peach have found success in the past few years because of their balanced texture and flavors—not to mention the positive benefits of easily consuming more fruits and vegetables. According to Diane Welland, a registered dietitian for the Juice Products Association, research shows that more than 80 percent of Americans are not eating the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. In addition, consumers who regularly drink 100-percent juice consume more whole fruits and have a healthier overall diet than their non-juice-drinking counterparts.

Where to Get the Best Juice in the Golden State

Though consumers continue to visit juice bars like Pressed, Juice Ranch, Project Juice, and a slew of other storefronts, companies—including all of the aforementioned locales—are offering delivery options so it’s even easier for consumers to incorporate juice into their diets. And start-ups such as Good Use are on a mission to provide customers with juice so they can balance their diets while simultaneously supporting local community farms; the company also fights food waste by crafting its juices from ugly produce that would otherwise be thrown out.

With juices available in many grocery stores and online, making a difference in your diet—and in California—has never been easier. Just check out the best brands available in the Golden State and choose your own medicine.

Pressed 

For a health-conscious society, the best news is the existence of brands such as Pressed, which pay extra attention to ingredient quality as they do to taste. The healthy drink brand from the Golden State provides you with nourishing alternatives to more sugary drinks that do you more harm than good. The company started as a small “juice closet” in Los Angeles back in 2010, and has grown exponentially since then, all thanks to its vitamin-rich and delicious blends. Whether you’re looking for a quick and short detox, or are making a long-term commitment to healthy sips, Pressed brings you the best seasonal, fresh-pressed juices and nut-based milk. Celebrate Galentine’s Day with your besties or a romantic date with your boo at one of the many Pressed juice bars spread across the state, and feel as energized as ever afterward.

Juice Ranch

Getting a full detox is not a problem anymore for anyone living in and around Santa Barbara. Thanks to Juice Ranch, you can now up your juice game by shots. The company brings you the freshest green juices and the most delicious almond milk-based drinks that will cleanse your body immediately and make you feel better after just a few sips. Every Juice Ranch drink is fully organic, cold-pressed, and bottled in glass, so you don’t have to worry about quality. You’ll soon realize that every one of the company’s healthy and tasty juices will be slowly but surely creeping into your everyday life as well as all of your girl’s day plans — after all, healthy friends are happy friends. 

Project Juice

Project Juice is probably the most detail-oriented company you’ll hear of. Its attention to detail has turned it into one of the most reputable juice brands in the Golden State. Every cold-pressed juice and cleanse is guaranteed to be top-quality, extremely yummy, and fully nutritious. The company also offers a wide range of smoothies and bowls to choose from. What makes Project Juice extra special is that every one of the brand’s unique and healthy drinks and bowls is prepared with people with food sensitivities in mind. It’s about time you find your closest Project Juice store and beat the California heat with one of its refreshing drinks.