See How Evolution's Sweet Greens Juice Compares to a Homemade Version

When I'm on the go or out of town, I turn to trusty Starbucks to pick up my favorite bottled green juice: Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Lemon Juice. With that bottle of the slightly sweet, definitely green, and perfectly smooth stuff, I always feel like I'm doing my body good when I invest in a $6 bottle. The back of the bottle showcases the fruits and vegetables used, and on a recent day, I thought, "Hmm, I'd like to try that recipe out at home."

Upon closer look at the ingredients list, I was a little disappointed by the actual amount each bottle provides. While there is a sufficient amount of celery, apple, and parsley, other ingredients have oddly minimal amounts: 1/8 of a cucumber, 2/5 leaf of romaine lettuce, and 5 leaves of spinach? As an avid juicer, I felt a little ripped off.

I tried to stay as true as I could to the amounts listed on the back but did make a few tweaks so each ingredient makes a significant presence in the juice. (My grocer doesn't carry fresh sprouts or wheatgrass, so I didn't include those in the recipe, but that's not to say you shouldn't add them.) I was worried that with so many ingredients, the juice would take a long time to make, but start to finish, it took 15 minutes to chop the vegetables and process them through my Omega Masticating Juicer. Interestingly enough, the juice yields at least twice the amount of juice you'll find in the bottle, if not more.

When I bought the ingredients, I was curious to know if it would be cost-effective, compared to the Evolution juice. When I broke the price down based on the recipe I developed, the total amount of organic ingredients was $5.14, so not much less than the Evolution bottle. For the recipe, and a side-by-side taste comparison, read more.

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