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Juicing Up: Juice Bars Sprout Tasty and Healthy Treats

If you have ever had trouble getting your share of fruits and vegetables, some new spots in Door County may be your solution. Juice bars have popped up throughout the peninsula and they’re sharing the secrets of enjoying these easy and healthy options at home.

“Juice is kind of an IV of nothing but goodness,” said Veronica Ripp, chef and owner of Get Real Cafe in Sturgeon Bay. “Basically when you juice, all of the vitamins and minerals come out as juice and all the fiber goes out and a lot of times people will get upset stomachs because of fiber.”

Simple combinations of ingredients can be a way to hide bland or unpalatable vegetables in tasty concoctions.

At Cloud Nine Juice Bar and Cafe just south of Sister Bay, ginger is a favorite addition for owners Miranda Olson and Taylor Mueller. They say the spice not only adds flavor, but comes with added health benefits such as calming nausea, increasing nutrient absorption and helping the digestive system.

“Beets are another thing that I just hate to eat because they don’t necessarily have the best flavor,” Ripp said. But she likes to throw beets in with carrots, apples and ginger for a delicious health-boosting snack.

Along with The Kitschinn Juicery in Sister Bay, these three juice bars have all sprouted up in the past four years, but Ripp said the area still lags behind the national juice movement.

“I think we’re about 10 years behind the rest of the country,” Ripp said. “You go to San Diego, there’s a place like this on every corner.”

But their popularity in Door County so far will ensure they stick around for the long haul.

If you don’t have a juicer at home, mixing the ingredients in a blender is a great alternative, even if that means you don’t get rid of the fiber. You can also run the ingredients through a fine mesh strainer after blended. Most juicers can handle things like seeds and rinds on their own, but if you are using a blender, it’s best to peel or cut away any part of the food you wouldn’t normally eat.

A juicer removes most fiber from fruits and vegetables, which some people have a hard time digesting, while holding onto all the important nutrients. (Above) Miranda Olson at Cloud Nine Juice Bar outside of Sister Bay started juicing to improve the health of herself and others. Photos by Len Villano.

Juice ingredients

1 beet, peeled

3 whole carrots

1-inch piece of ginger root, skin removed

1 apple

Optional for added flavor

1 pinch of sea salt

1 splash of apple juice

½ tsp lemon juice

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