Our feelings for Starbucks just got turned up a notch. Make that a bunch of notches.

Why, you ask? Because Starbucks has a new healthy option on their menu that we fully support, and that we are dying to try –  raw juice. Exciting! 

This is one of the first coffee shop superpowers to get in on the growing market for unprocessed and whole foods. In fact, this is their first big move in developing product offerings for all of us health-conscious customers.

Health food has become an industry worth billions of dollars, which is great news since that means we’re all making efforts to eat healthier! We love that the fresh fruit smoothie sector has blossomed. However, remember to ask questions before you buy so that you’re sure you’re getting good quality juice.

Don’t worry though, because it looks like this coffee giant is doing the juicing thing right. A few months back, Starbucks bought the juice company Evolution Fresh. What’s great about this juice company is that instead of using pureed or powdered ingredients, it uses natural, slower methods of cracking, peeling, pressing and squeezing its own fruits and vegetables. The juice is kept raw and isn’t heated, since a new preparation process called high-pressure pasteurization is used.

So now when you go to Starbucks, instead of getting those high-sugar drinks with fancy names, get yourself a nutritious fruit and vegetable based smoothie! You’ll be getting lots of great dietary fiber, Vitamin A, D, E, and those wonderful antioxidants we always talk about. We love turning a smoothie into a meal, especially for breakfast. All you have to do is make it a bit thicker by adding protein ingredients, which Starbucks will also offer. Go for some juiced wheat grass or almond butter.

But don’t grab your wallet and run to your nearest Starbucks for your smoothie just yet! Right now there’s only one juice bar in Washington, and it will take a bit of time to get more juice bars going. So be patient! In the meantime, why not head to your kitchen to make your own smoothie or juice?

Every food and drink purchase you make is like casting a vote. The companies will supply what we demand so let’s make the right choices. So make healthy purchases, and soon enough more and more businesses will come to see the value of whole foods. It’s great to see that so many companies are realizing that consumers are more concerned about their health these days. Not only that, they’re acknowledging that “whole health” isn’t just a trend. It has become a movement, a way of life. And it’s here to stay.