Cold-pressed juice a growing health trend in Regina, Saskatoon

Juice bars are popular in big cities like Vancouver and Los Angeles, and now they have finally made their way to Regina and Saskatoon.

Cold-pressed juice is billed as a grab-and-go nutrient-packed alternative to eating whole fruits and vegetables or even junky snack food.

Danica Slattery started Thrive Juice Co. in Saskatoon with her business partner in January of last year because she felt there was a gap in the market for healthy options.

"I just found there was nowhere to grab something quick, easy yet healthy that you actually knew what was in the product," said Slattery.

Before they opened the storefront in Riversdale, they bought and remodeled their Thrive Juice Co. truck, which makes appearances at both the Saskatoon and Regina Farmers Markets.

One of Thrive's employees has been driving in the freshly pressed juice from Saskatoon to Regina every Saturday and Wednesday for the last three weeks. They are also looking at setting up a permanent location in Regina.

Cold-pressed juice unlike other juices

Slattery says cold-pressed juice is not like something you'll find in the grocery store and the pressing process is nothing like your mother's home juicer.

Cold-pressed juicing does not use a blade or any type of spinning process that would heat up the produce.

Instead, two large metal plates press the vegetables together to draw out the juice and nutrients.

"That ensures optimum enzyme activity with no damage and then there is no spinning blade, so it doesn't start oxidizing right away," said Slattery.

"So it allows our juice to have a four-day shelf life without losing its nutritional value."

Added expense

But at about $10 a bottle, some say cold-pressed juice pulls too hard on the purse-strings.

Slattery says when you factor in all organic produce, and several pounds of vegetable pressed into each bottle, quality is what drives the price up.

"That was definitely a learning curve for us. We do try to use as much local and organic as possible, so that doesn't come cheap," said Slattery.

Juice bars planned for Regina

Leslie Genoway, a personal trainer who owns LG fitness in Regina, is working on opening her own cold-pressed juicery off of University Park Drive in August.

She says she wanted to be able to offer her clients the nutrition side of health and wellness along with the fitness aspect.

And the idea for Glow Juicery came from a very personal experience.

Her cousin died of cancer last year, and she believes he would have lived longer had nutrition been incorporated into his medical plan.

"I wanted to be able to introduce another path or method to our pre-existing clients (of LG fitness) so that we could get down to those basics again going back to food is medicine and it heals from the inside out." said Genoway.

She acknowledged that there is a misconception that juicing is solely about weight loss, and she said that is not her focus.

"Our primary concern is being able to get the nutritional value out of our fruits and vegetables. Someone that is looking for weight loss, that is something they'd want to talk to a dietitian about," said Genoway.

Better to eat your greens, says dietitian

But while cold-pressed juice is touted as being a healthy alternative, experts say it may not be all it is cracked up to be.

The cold-pressed method removes the skin and pulp from the juice, which is where you find the fibre. Dietitians say that is problematic because fibre staves off hunger.

The Canada Food Guide does currently list half a cup of juice as an example of a serving of fruit and vegetables.

However, Health Canada is reviewing whether or not juice should be considered a fruit serving in the guide.

Kaylee Michnik, a registered dietitian who works for the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, says cold-pressed isn't bad for you, but it's not the best way to get your nutrients.

"If you bought that same produce for $10, it would probably feed you for a few days, versus having that juice for a mid-morning snack," said Michnik.

"Really there is no reliable scientific evidence showing that juicing our produce is more healthy than consuming fruits and vegetables."

Ultimately, Canada's Food Guide advises people to choose fruit and vegetables more often than juice.

Both Genoway and Slattery say their juice isn't supposed to entirely replace eating your fruits and vegetables.

Instead, they say, it's a convenient way to get some nutrients in when you are on the go.