With ingredients like carrots, kale, blueberries, and beets, baristas at Stacy’s Juice Bar create colorful smoothies and juices that rival any painter's palette. The booths and tables feature splashes of juicy hues like fuchsia, azure, and violet. The Juice Bar is the newest project in Stacy Madison’s “multi-decade passion” for healthy food, and lucky for us, it's right in Needham. Stacy co-founded Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, but since then has wanted to focus on doing something local. So she opened up shop in 2014 and has been serving a spectrum of juice, smoothies, and entrees to locals ever since. The veggies are sourced from nearby farms when possible. Often, you can find Stacy behind the bar welcoming patrons and mixing the vibrant elixirs herself.
Though I've often popped in for a quick smoothie, I recently decided to try the juice cleanse. There are two cleanse programs: the Traditional Cleanse and the Cleanse Plus 1. The Traditional Cleanse includes a daily lineup of four juices, one nutmilk, one juice infused with coconut water, and two herbal teas. The Cleanse Plus 1 offers three juices, one nutmilk, a snack, soup, and salad, plus the herbal teas. Stacy added the Cleanse Plus 1 as an option because, “There’s all kinds of external life challenges… and not everybody’s in a position where they can do just a traditional cleanse.”
That was enough for me to sign up. To give you an idea of what the program is like, here's my experience from Day Two of the Cleanse Plus 1 program.
Off to a Green Start
I start the day with Mint Green Juice. The fruits, plus cucumber and mint, create a smooth and frothy emerald mixture. An invigorating way to start the day, it sure beats my usual bran flakes! Mid-morning, I slurp the tangy Xtreme Green Juice, an iridescent blend of veggies and spices, including kale, parsley, lemon, and ginger. The baristas label each glass jar with a number to mark their order for the day. I'm not just drinking veggies, I'm munching on them, too. My snack of crisp carrot and celery sticks are an essential ingredient in staving off hunger.
Mid-Day Array of Colors
For lunch, I have a cup of veggie soup. They rotate out the soups daily, and today I have the hearty zucchini soup. When I ask about the fresh quality of the soup, Stacy says, “All of our broths and the bases of the soup are made fresh… that one is made with zucchini, garlic, and fresh herbs, and it’s blended together with some onions.” I can taste the homemade flavors, and the thicker broth is a nice change from the light juices.
My afternoon snack is a sweet V-6 Juice that glints ruby red. It's crafted from a kaleidoscope of energizing fruits and veggies, including beets, carrots, and orange turmeric root, creating a balance of brilliant, but simple flavors. It's not just about a beautiful color palette. “All those things have different nutritional values and different benefits in your body to help with the cleansing,” says Stacy.
Ending on a Raw Note
For dinner, I have one of their “signature dishes” — the raw veggie lasagna. Layers of sliced zucchini and tomatoes are topped with dollops of green, tan, and red: a crunchy kale pistachio pesto, lemony cashew nut ricotta cheese (no dairy), and a tangy sundried tomato paste. The rich toppings pair well with the more mellow vegetables. The whole ensemble is further brightened, in flavor and in appearance, with a single basil leaf.
At night, I sip on the last item of the day, homemade nut milk. The creamy tone is created from a milky blend of almonds, dates, and just the right amount of cinnamon. “The nut milk has a little bit more fiber and protein, so it does fill you up a bit more,” says Stacy. “That’s why psychologically we put it in there... you’re not going to go to sleep feeling so hungry.” It's also worth noting that although the juice bar is not a nut-free facility, the nut blenders are segregated, and they are very willing to work with any allergies.
I feel like my body and my taste buds are “reset” to crave healthier foods, and I've continued eating more fruits and veggies in my normal diet since the cleanse. All in all, the cleanse is both delicious and good for you. Many patrons stay on the program longer than intended, according to Stacy, “just because it’s simple, it takes all the thinking out of it, and it gets them on track.” I can’t think of a better and more colorful way to kickstart a healthy eating habit!
The Traditional Cleanse and the Cleanse Plus 1
$70 for one day, $175 for three days, $275 for five days
$55 per day for anyone who’s completed a three-day cleanse
They also offer a group discount, so get your friends involved and save a little green on your green juice!
Stacy’s Juice Bar - 1257 Highland Ave., Needham, 781-444-5842,
stacysjuicebar.com
