DeRusha Eats: Juice So Good
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Earlier this week, WCCO showed your pick for the Best Juice Bar in Minnesota.
No doubt in the coming days, you'll hear from friends or family who are going on a juice cleanse for the start of the New Year.
But one local company says you don't have to go all-in to get the benefits of juicing.
Jason DeRusha introduces us to the entrepreneurs behind Juice So Good.
Jason was a bit skeptical of the juicing trend, the idea of drinking his vegetables kind of grossed him out.
"Is introducing juice into your diet an extreme thing?" DeRusha asked.
"Absolutely not. It's probably one of the healthiest things you can do," Rita Katona said.
Rita Katona is the co-founder of Juice So Good.
They have a cafe in the Baker Building skyway.
"We spend a lot of time educating the consumer on what are the benefits of this product," Katona said.
They also have a wholesale production operation, pressing fruits and vegetables into 16 ounce bottles.
"What makes them completely unique is there's nothing in them except the fruits and the vegetables. We cold press them on a large industrial machine, it's the size of a car," she said.
Juice So Good has eight different varieties, each with many pounds of produce. That's why they can cost $7 or $8.
"This is called radiance?" DeRusha asked as he tasted one juice.
"Yes. Sunshine in a bottle," Katona said.
Some are stronger than others.
Kale, celery, dandelion, greens and lemon combine for "Fierce Greens."
"This is definitely more aggressive. It still tastes good. It tastes good, but it tastes like a salad," DeRusha said.
DeRusha worked up to the greens, mixing it with the beet-based "Juicy Roots."
"They're actually a performance enhancer, so they help increase your blood-oxygen levels," Katona said.
Katona used to be a health/nutrition buyer for Home Shopping Network and Target.
Owning her own brand was something she had dreamed of over the years.
"I've learned a lot over the years from the successes and mistakes that I've seen other brands make. So, it's been incredibly rewarding to do it myself," she said.
The science is mixed at best on the health benefits of a juice cleanse.
But there's no doubt that introducing fruits and vegetables, whether as a snack or a substitute for a meal, is so good.
"My career. It's definitely been the most challenging thing I've ever done, but it's also the most rewarding," Katona said.
DeRusha says if you do want to do a juice cleanse you can get a three-day kit for $135.
And you can find Juice So Good in the skyway, but also in several Kowalski's, Lunds and Byerly's.
To learn more, visit Juice So Good online.