Grapefruit on its own is a bit severe first thing in the morning. Two sweet apples and a squeeze of lemon soften it into something I actually look forward to. This is the one I make when I have eaten too well for a few days and want something sharp and clean instead of another coffee.
Ten minutes, one grapefruit, two apples, half a lemon. That is the whole thing.
Why these ingredients work
Pink grapefruit is mostly water, and it carries around 45mg of vitamin C in this glass along with a decent amount of potassium. The reason people reach for it before a meal is simpler than any fat-burning claim. It is low in calories, it takes a while to drink, and it takes the edge off hunger before you sit down to eat. The apple does the sweetening, and a Gala or Fuji has enough sugar to balance the grapefruit without tipping the glass into syrup. Lemon keeps it from tasting flat, and it slows the apple going brown if you are making it ahead.
One thing here is not optional reading. Grapefruit interacts with a fair number of common medicines, statins and some blood pressure tablets included. If you take anything daily, have a word with your pharmacist before you make this a habit.
FAQ
Does grapefruit juice help with weight loss?
Not by itself. No juice burns fat, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. What a glass of this does is put something filling and low in calories, around 125 calories, in front of you instead of a biscuit. The weight loss comes from what you stop eating. Grapefruit earns its place because it is bulky and slow to drink, not because there is anything magic in it.
Can I use white grapefruit instead of pink?
Yes, though it is sharper and more bitter. Taste the first glass before you pour a second and add half an apple if it is too bracing. Pink and ruby red are the sweeter ones, and they carry more vitamin A.
Do I have to peel the grapefruit?
For a juicer, yes. The pith and the membrane are where the bitterness sits, and they clog the basket as well. If you are blending, peel it right down to the flesh for the same reason, then strain it through a nut milk bag. Skipping that step is the difference between a nice juice and a bitter one.
More weight-loss juices: see the full Weight Loss collection.
Grapefruit Apple Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating if you have one, it handles citrus and apple better
- 1 Budget cold press juicer the cheaper slow juicers do this one fine
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag to strain the blended juice
- 2 Airtight glass bottles if you are making it a day ahead
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 large pink grapefruit peeled, all pith and membrane removed
- 2 apples sweet ones such as Gala or Fuji, cored
- 0.5 lemon peeled
- 1 cm fresh ginger optional, peeled, if you want it hotter
Instructions
Juicer method
- Peel the grapefruit properly. Take off the skin, then the white pith and the membrane around each segment, because that is where the bitterness lives and it also clogs the basket.
- Core the apples and cut them into wedges that fit your feed chute. Peel the lemon and the ginger if you are using it.
- Feed the apple through first, then the grapefruit, then the lemon. The apple coats the basket and stops the grapefruit pulp sticking to it.
- Drink it straight away. It separates if it sits, so give the glass a stir and finish it within the day.
Blender method
- Peel the grapefruit down to the flesh, removing all the pith and membrane, and cut it into chunks. Core the apples and cut them up too. Peel the lemon and the ginger.
- Tip everything into the blender with 100ml of cold water. Blend on high for 45 seconds until there are no solid pieces left.
- Pour the lot through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve over a jug, then squeeze the pulp with your hands to get the last of the juice out. Do not skip this bit, the pulp is bitter.
- Pour into two glasses and drink it the same day. It keeps in an airtight bottle in the fridge for 24 hours at most.