Like most of you, I’ve had a sweet tooth my whole life that nearly drove me insane until I discovered health and nutrition.  I transitioned away from sugar at age 18 but didn’t discover juicing until age 25. It’s crazy to think that I went from eating boxes of cookies and Pop-Tarts everyday to pulling out my juicer and making green juice every morning. However, once I had my first taste of the green goodness, I was hooked.

Many green juices out there today include some kind of sweet ingredient like an apple, beet, orange, pear, etc. I’m not here to say there’s anything wrong with those ingredients, but drinking fruit juice or even beet juice isn’t the best way to ensure healthy blood sugar levels or tame your sweet tooth. Luckily, there are some simple flavor combinations you can easily use to make a delicious green juice that are all certain to satisfy your sweet tooth without any negative effects on your blood sugar. Give these combos a try and do be sure to eat your fruits whole instead of opting to juice them. This way, you retain all the fiber they contain to slow down the absorption of their sugars into your blood stream.

No juicer? No problem! Just blend these ingredients in your blender with ½ – 1 cup of water and strain with a nut milk bag or colander. It might not be exactly the same, but it’s close enough and will get you into the healthy habit of having veggies first thing in the day.

1. Lemon, Lime, Celery, and Romaine

Romaine lettuce is incredibly sweet in flavor yet it contains only one gram of sugar per head of lettuce. When combined with lemon and lime (which also only have 1 gram of sugar a pop), the juice becomes this wonderful tangy, slightly sweet glass of goodness. The celery adds just the right dose of sodium which balances your blood sugar and brings out the sweeter flavors in the other ingredients at the same time.

2. Carrot, Lemon, Romaine, and Ginger

This is my favorite juice to have when my sweet tooth hits. It’s packed with natural sweetness and includes a huge dose of magnesium from the carrot and romaine lettuce. Magnesium slows down your blood sugar, curbs your sweet tooth, and does a number of other things for your entire body. The best part about this juice is the ginger and lemon, which help to add just the right zing to your juice so it doesn’t taste like a boring vegetable juice.

3. Tomato, Celery, Fennel, Carrot, and Lemon

Tomatoes and carrots contain natural sugars, but are very low on the glycemic scale overall. This will give your drinks a sweet flavor without any of the negative blood sugar effects. Carrots and tomatoes are also packed with potassium which assists in healthy blood pressure. Fennel retains a naturally sweet flavor and it helps with digestive function incredibly well, while lemon and celery offer just the right amount of flavor to round out the taste of the entire recipe. Try this combo as a healthier option to packaged V8.

4. Kale, Lemon, Ginger, and Cucumber

Cucumbers are the easiest and most economical way to add lots of sugar-free, sweet flavor to your green juice. They yield more juice than other ingredients since they contain 94 percent water and they’re full of potassium to lower your blood pressure. Pairing them with bitter kale, tart lemon, and zesty ginger creates a low-glycemic green drink that’s easy enough for anyone to make.

5. Cucumber, Lemon, Lime, Romaine, and Carrot

Last up is my daily green juice that I enjoy almost every morning. It’s packed with nutrients, very economical to make, and it helps steady your blood sugar which is naturally a bit higher in the morning. It’s also extremely hydrating, which makes it perfect to have first thing in the day after a night-long fast.  If I’m out of carrots or romaine, this Green Mojito juice is my go-to juice to have instead.

I won’t lie – these green drinks are no replacement for dark chocolate or vegan coconut ice cream, but they are a healthy way to curb your sweet tooth and get your veggies in. Have your green juice first thing in the day for the best effects all day long. See  some of my favorite tips for making smoothies and check out these juice recipes below:

Beginner Green Smoothie

Green Fruit Smoothie With Wheatgrass Juice

Green Mojito Juice

Lead image source: Heather McClees