Cabbage juice has a reputation problem. On its own it tastes like a wet field smells, and I say that as someone who drinks it most weeks. What fixed it for me was cucumber and green apple. The cucumber waters it down, the apple brings just enough sweetness to make the glass drinkable, and the lemon keeps the whole thing from tasting flat. Four ingredients, five minutes, and about 118 calories a glass.
I make this when I want something in the afternoon that fills a gap without the sugar of a fruit-only juice. It is not a diet in a glass and I would not pretend otherwise, but a large glass of this instead of a can of pop is a swap I am happy with.
Why these ingredients work
Cabbage is the reason people make this at all. It is a cruciferous vegetable, the same family as broccoli and kale, and 220g of it gives you roughly 80mg of vitamin C, which is double what an adult in the UK needs in a day. It also brings vitamin K and glutamine, an amino acid that the cells lining your gut use for fuel. That is why cabbage juice turns up in so much writing about stomach trouble. I would call it a sensible drink rather than a treatment.
The cucumber does a quieter job. It is about 96% water and adds potassium, which matters more than most people think if you are cutting back on salt. The two green apples carry the flavour and a little pectin, and the lemon does two things at once. It lifts the taste, and it slows down the point at which cabbage juice starts tasting tired. Without it, this glass goes flat and slightly sulphurous within ten minutes, which is not something you want to sip slowly.
FAQ
Will cabbage juice actually help me lose weight?
Not on its own, and anyone selling it as a shortcut is overselling. What it does is hand you a 118 calorie glass that takes a few minutes to drink and puts water and volume into your stomach, which is often enough to stop you reaching for something worse at four in the afternoon. It works as a replacement for something else. It does not work stacked on top of a normal day.
Can I make it without a juicer?
Yes, and the card below has both methods. Blend the cabbage, cucumber, apples and peeled lemon with 150ml of cold water for a minute, then strain it through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve. Cabbage pulp is dry and hangs on to liquid, so press it with the back of a spoon instead of letting it drip. The blender version comes out a bit thicker and slightly more savoury, which I prefer in winter.
Is there anyone who should avoid it?
A couple of honest caveats. Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens, which can affect how your body uses iodine, so if you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication, ask your GP before making this a daily habit. Cabbage is also high in vitamin K, which matters if you take warfarin, because the amount you get needs to stay steady from week to week. And if you are not used to much raw cabbage, start with one glass rather than two. It can be windy.
More weight-loss juices: see the full Weight Loss collection.
Cabbage, Cucumber and Apple Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles if you make a double batch
- 1 Budget cold press juicer the cheaper option if you are just starting out
- 1 Budget blender works fine here, just strain it a little harder
Ingredients
- 220 g green cabbage about a quarter of a medium head, core removed
- 1 cucumber a long one, about 300g, peeled if the skin is waxed
- 2 green apples cored, skin left on
- 1/2 lemon, peeled pith removed
Optional
- 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled, optional a warm note under the cabbage if you find it too green
Instructions
Juicer method
- Cut the cabbage into wedges and slice out the hard core. You want about 220g of leaves, which is roughly a quarter of a medium head.
- Core the apples and leave the skin on. Peel the lemon and take the white pith off with it, because the pith is what makes a juice taste bitter.
- Feed the cabbage through the juicer in small handfuls, alternating with pieces of cucumber. On its own the cabbage clogs the basket, and the cucumber pushes it through.
- Follow with the apples and the lemon, stir, and pour into two glasses. Drink it within twenty minutes if you can.
Blender method
- Chop the cabbage, cucumber and apples, peel the lemon, and put everything into a blender with 150ml cold water.
- Blend on high for a full minute, until there are no cabbage shreds left and the mixture looks cloudy and even.
- Pour it through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve. Cabbage pulp is dry and hangs on to liquid, so press it hard with the back of a spoon rather than letting it drip.
- Divide between two glasses and drink straight away. The blender version comes out a little thicker and slightly more savoury.