Today I want to share with you my 7 best smoothie and juice recipe books (+ giveaway) that I could never live without!  I found it so helpful to have a trusted stack of recipe books by my side especially when I was a beginner, and even now as a juice and smoothie junkie.  When you search for smoothie or juice books online, it's really hard to decipher which books will rock your liquid nutrition world, and which ones are just sugar in a glass and which ones will actually taste good!

It may seem like creating nutritious smoothies and juices without a recipe is easy, but really there is a formula, plus you have to get to know which fruits and veggies blend or juice well together and which ones cause you to vomit a little in your mouth.  You don't want to be that person that says "That smoothie or juice I just made was so rank, but I drank it anyways because I spent money on all the produce" (multiple times a week).  That's totally fine, if this is you in the beginning, but if that is consistently happening, then you are creating them wrong, and there IS a better and more delicious way.

Side but inspirational Story: We were just learning about smoothies, juices and David Wolfe the king of holistic nutrition at IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) and I knew this was my jam.  And when I first started I was just blending fruit and non-dairy milks.  I didn't quite yet grasp that liquid nutrition is about nutrition, NOT sugar.  But hey, we all start somewhere right?

When I first started making smoothies, I used a lot of recipes off Detoxinista.com and believe it or not, Laurenconrad.com.  Both sites were dedicated to easy and yummy smoothie recipes that would make anyone, myself included swoon into nutritious deliciousness.  I started out using their smoothie recipes while experimenting with plant based proteins, alternative milks and superfoods while learning which veggies and fruits were friends and which weren't.  It was only then that I was able to start making my own recipes.

So without further ado, here are the 7 best smoothie and juice recipe books I want you to know about!  These are my go-to, the ones I reach for on the shelf if I get bored of my own creations, need some help or just need something different.

Don't forget to scroll down and see who's book I'm giving away for FREE signed and autographed by the author!!

Nominated by me as The Smoothie Bible:

Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris
This author is the chef at Navitas Organics, (formally known as Navitas Naturals) the Superfood Brand, and blogs amazing recipes on the superfood brand's site.  She uses the most unconventional fruit and vegetables combinations like cauliflower and mint, broccoli and apple to pumpkin and Acai powder with cashews.  I love her book is because her concoctions make my imagination run wild, while they are packed with nutrition and lower in sugar then most.   Julie also gives a rundown on how to make nut/seed milks, soaking length, and a glossary of all superfoods; how much you need; and what they are used for.  This is the type of book you will end up saying " I never thought to use THAT in a smoothie" or "I can't believe there is cauliflower in that!  It tastes like chocolate!".

Juice It, Blend It, Live It by Jamie Graber
What I like about her juice book is that she uses functional nutrition.  She focuses on herbs, spices and sweet veggies to sweeten up her juices.  Her recipes are about detoxing, nourishing and feeling energized.  She categorizes her sections by Root Juices, Juices with Fruit, Juices without Fruit, Detox Juices, Juices with Citrus and Savory juices.  I enjoyed reading this entire recipe book because of the way the chapters were organized.

But that's not all you get in this book.  You get so much more.  First there are tons of nut and seed milk recipes and you know I love those!  She also talks about cleansing and why it is important, as well as what cleanses are right for each person, plus substitutions, learning about the clean fifteen and the dirty dozen, herbs, why too much sugar and fat is not a good idea and SO much more. Overall, I think this book deserves a shiny gold medal for the creative juices that don't use a lot of fruit, and some don't use any!

The juice I cannot wait to make is called Green Candy and that is made with 1 stalk celery, ½ pear, 1 bulb fennel, 1 handful mint and 5 chard leaves.  That's it and it tastes sweet!

Superfood Juices by Julie MorrisIf you ever wanted a super creative juice recipe book, this book is your number one lady!  Just like her smoothie book, this book's main feature is creative concoctions.  While Julie focuses also on liquid nutrition and detox, a lot of her juices use many types of fruits and superfoods.  Some are very green, but most juices created have fruit.  So it's all about what type of juice recipe you are looking for.  If creatively sweet with a side of superfoods is your jam or you do not have any restrictions then you will be pleasantly surprised with this gem. Although I rarely use fruit in my green juices, her book inspires me to be able to play.

In some recipes she uses green grapes, or Mangosteen juice (which I learned about in her book), Acai powder, or blueberry juice or even Maqui Berry Powder (which I also learned about in her book).  I never would have thought to juice a parsnip or a zucchini!  And I never would have thought that a chocolate mint juice recipe would include kale, or that you could juice red bell peppers and have it taste sweet.  I am inspired by her use of spices, herbs and mostly superfoods.

Simple Green Smoothies by Jen Hansard & Jadah Sellner
Have you ever followed Simple Green Smoothies on Instagram?  If you don't then get on the smoothie train!  You will be blown away by these awesome nutrient dense smoothie recipes made for 2, and guess what?  They give free recipes in every post!  

Their focus is on 1 smoothie a day, melts the weight and fat away. Simply, by choosing to swap 1 meal for something natural even it it's loaded with fruit is a healthier option then the processed food we currently eat.  These two friends and authors are all about keeping their kids and their family healthy.  They speak about smoothies as a lifestyle.

Part of their book gives you a smoothie per day, while other parts are categorized by Energy, Beauty, Fitness Fueled, Kid-Friendly, Lean and Green, Desserts, Bowls and more.  These two gals are also awesome for kitchen tips, budgeting, washing produce tips, formulas, accessories, appliances, options, measurements, nutrition and why gluten-free and dairy-free matter.  You gotta love a smoothie that uses broccoli and beets and doesn't taste like ass in your mouth-seriously! Like give these girls a medal now!  Like most smoothie recipe books you are not just getting recipes, you are getting everything in between: the how's and the why's.  These two girls explain everything from direction to nutrition in an easy to understand beat.  You can make these smoothies because you already have the ingredients in your pantry, and isn't ease part of the beauty of making smoothies?  I think so. So is taste, so get this book or another one off my list, because I cannot promise you that all smoothie books are created equal.

The Blender Girl Smoothies by Tess Masters
Another favorite, and more minimalistic this book is a pretty simple.  Each recipe has description icons that give you information about the nature, flavor and nutritional benefits such as: detox, weight loss, immunity, energizing, protein rich, alkaline, inflammation, contains nuts and unsweetened.  Since all of the recipes are gluten-free and vegan, those categories are not necessary.  This recipe strategy is used to help you find your perfect blend fast.

Quite honestly, I love them all!  They are simple and delicious.  Note that many of these recipes call for nuts, while some use bananas and added sweeteners.  But also note that what asks for nuts can easily be replaced with various seeds.  She gives you the recipe plus optional superfood boosters and optional green boosters.  I like how she combines coconut water, beets, avocado, apples, lemon, cayenne pepper,  strawberries, chia and acai powder in Berry-Beet Bliss.  It's exotic, but you can bet it's delicious.  Another exotic smoothie is the Creamy Orange which has cauliflower, sweet potato and turmeric in it.

Check out Tess's Instagram or Twitter at TheBlenderGirl, because she always posts such educational plant-based nutrition advice and tips!  I am always retweeting her stuff.  And if you like apps, Tess has a smoothie app!  Just go to the apple store and search The Blender Girl Smoothies.

Best Green Drinks Ever by Katrine Van Wyk
I met this lovely lady at Dr. Frank Lipman's office while I was being treated by him a few years ago.  She was a Health Coach just like I was studying to be so I thought it was really cool that she was also an author.  Her recipes focus on green veggies, minimal fruit (really minimal fruit), stevia and green herbs.  Herbs are her superfood in these recipes!  She also uses nuts, but not often so if nut-free is your allergy, this book will work for you.  If you have ever heard the term "eat your greens" and like the sound of that in a juice, then this book is for you.

This book also has your name written all over it if you are battling Candida, SIBO or need sugar-free green juices to make your body less acidic.  I will always agree that a green juice is far better for you then a juice with fruit...why?  because when you juice, the fiber is removed and fiber slows down sugar consumption.  Since the fiber is removed, when you drink a juice filled with fruits it creates a blood sugar spike and a power punch of sugar straight into your bloodstream.  This is NOT the type of energy you want, and it's not the type of energy your body understands. Using various greens is a great way to get your energy and keep your body in check.

This used to be my favorite juice called Cucumber Cooler: 1 ½ cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, 1 lime peeled and 6 mint leaves.  That's it!  If you use a Nutribullet or a high speed blender use 1 cup of water or decaf green tea and drain with a nut-milk bag and then add ice.

Another favorite is: Jicama-Cilantro Slush: 1 cup peeled and cubed jicama, ¼ cucumber peeled, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup avocado, ½ lime, peeled.  Again if you use a Nutribullet or a high speed blender use 1 cup of water and drain with a nut-milk bag and then add ice.

Ok are you ready for the GIVEAWAY? Plus my last favorite juice & smoothie book?

Crazy Sexy Juice by Kris Carr
Known to the world as the CrazySexyWellness Revolution, her book is just that.  In this book you get 100 juice recipes, smoothies and tons of nut, seed and plant-based "milk" recipes plus a few plant-based snacks and a 3 day juice and smoothie challenge, complete with recipes and directions!

What I love about Kris is that she makes you excited to embark on a clean, healthy way of living and teaches you how to heal your body through the food and self-care.  She takes you through the basics, from the blender and juicer appliance options, pro's and con's to saving money, to the benefits and philosophy behind juicing and blending and the difference between the two.  She also teaches you and your family how to stick to incorporating this type of lifestyle into your lifestyle for good.  She teaches you how to make friends with all of these new types of superfoods, veggies and fruits and which ones are the best to buy and how to store them!  She was the one who gave me the idea to make crackers out of my juice pulp.  She also had a huge FAQ section of the book in case you have any questions.

There is so much I can write about Kris Carr but I am going to keep it short for your sake - because honestly?  I can ramble.  I found out about her a few years back when my cousin gave me another cookbook she co-wrote for Chanukah.  Prior to that, I had never ever heard of her and it wasn't because she wasn't around, it was because I wasn't a wellness junkie at that time.  For me it was just the beginning.  I started googling her, found her website and her Cancer documentary and fell in love with a woman who was diagnosed with a cureless stage 4 cancer and shared her journey to everyone through a documentary, blogs and lectures.  I fell in love with her light and her perseverance despite her limitations, despite her Cancer diagnosis.  Despite it all she created a wellness revolution that is almost 10 years old and still going.  She changed her entire lifestyle in a nanosecond for the sake of living.  It is above and beyond inspiring for anyone with illness or even without.  I adore seeing her at live lectures because she inspires my core.

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

I am giving away 1 autographed copy of Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Juice book to 1 lucky winner!   This book includes 100+ simple juice recipes, smoothie and nut/seed milk recipes, snack recipes to supercharge your health PLUS an energizing 3 day challenge.

This giveaway is on my Instagram & Facebook page at goodiegoodieglutenfree. Double entries are allowed.  Like the picture, follow me on Facebook or Instagram and tag 2 friends in the comments.  Good luck!

Love & Liquid Nutrition,