The OC Juice Craze

We can’t ignore the juice craze, although we were more behind the fro-yo trend some years back, with fun toppings, like mini M&M'S, brownie pieces, popping bobas, and mochis. But, it is crazy how a concoction of super healthy ingredients can taste so good!

Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite juice bars so that you can get an occasional refreshing drink, a daily fix, or a full cleanse.

A few months back, SoCal-based Ritual Wellness and NoCal-based Project Juice joined forces and merged brands to bring their certified organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed juices, nut mylks, cleanses and plant-based foods to more fans across the country. The companies are now known as Project Juice, but operate as a team with Ritual Wellness co-founder Marra St. Clair and her partner Lori Kenyon Farley with Project Juice founders Rachel and Greg Malsin and Devon Briger.

Project Juice’s combined purchasing power allows the company to work directly with more California farms, rather than through distributors. The benefits include maximum freshness and quality while helping better support local growers. You can stop by one of the Project Juice locations for 100% organic, fresh-pressed, raw juices, as well as a line of juices for everyday nutrition on the go. Favorites include the Chocolate Protein with raw almonds, purified water, date paste, bananas, raw almond butter, cacao, ultra brown rice protein, kale, sacha inchi, vanilla bean, sea salt and stevia; the Get Up and Go with Cold Brew Coffee, raw almonds, date paste, vanilla bean and sea salt; and the Strawberry Chia with strawberries, chia seeds, lime, agave, and filtered water. Project Juice is at The Camp in Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar, and Laguna Beach. projectjuice.com.

At Pressed Juicery the secret to their cold-pressed juices is a custom hydraulic press that uses thousands of pounds of pressure to extract vitamins, minerals and enzymes without any heat that they claim makes the freshest tasting juice ever. You can choose from blends such as their signature Brazil Nut with dates, kale, romaine, sea salt, spinach and vanilla bean; a green coconut water with parsley, romaine and spinach; or a Roots 1 with beet, carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, romaine, and spinach. Pressed Juicery is located at Fashion Island next to SoulCycle, at Westcliff Plaza in Newport Beach, and coming soon to Irvine Spectrum Center. pressedjuicery.com

At one of our favorite new restaurants in Orange County, Babette’s in Newport Beach, you can refuel in the morning with a fresh pressed juice and delicious homemade pastry. They offer a refreshing mix of watermelon and lime, or a green-themed drink with kale, cilantro, pineapple and lime. Babette’s mixologists also create original cocktail and aperitifs using fresh pressed juices from seasonal produce. There’s a Bella Rosa, handcrafted with muddled strawberries, Dolin Bianco Vermouth infused with wildflowers, Campari, strawberry, lemon, ginger beer and an orange twist. Babette’s is at Crystal Cove Shopping Center.

At Nekter Juice Bar, you can stop in for fresh juices and smoothies packed, as well as snacks, acai bowls, bottled Nekter Grab n’ Gos and the popular 1,2,3 & 5-day Nekter Cleanse Program – with 15 lbs. of cold pressed fruits and vegetables packed into a day’s cleanse. There’s also a Toxin-Flush, with apple, ginger, parsley, lemon and spinach to boost your immune system; and The Glow, a sweet concoction of carrots, celery, ginger, parsley, lemon, kale and spinach specifically for your skin.  Necter Juice Bar has many locations in Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim Hills, Brea, Bella Terra in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Irvine Ladera Ranch, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Yorba Linda, Orchard Hills Village Center in Irvine, Quail Hill Shopping Center in Irvine, and University Center in Irvine. nekterjuicebar.com

Raising Backyard Chickens

At the Center for Living Peace in Irvine you can learn about all of the benefits of raising backyard chickens at a workshop offered on Saturday, June 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Turns out chickens can make great pets and you’ll get better tasting organic eggs. Chickens make great composters for your kitchen scraps, and they’ll gladly get rid of unwanted insects and pests in your yard. You can register for the class for $12 here.

All monies collected help support the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

The Center for Living Peace is at 4139 Campus Drive in Irvine.