The celery juice trend is hot right now – but is juicing celery healthy? Here are some other ways to eat celery other than juicing it, with recipes and information from registered dietitians. 

Celery Juice Trend

The celery juice trend first started gaining momentum last summer (can you believe it’s been that long already??) and I first caught wind of it when my friend and fellow dietitian Kelly Jones did this news segment.

From there, it’s really blown up, especially on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. It traces back to a health guru (big shocker, I know) who…wait for it…has no actual medical training or a license to practice medicine. So, there’s that.

But the celery juice trend is popping up everywhere because of the apparent benefits of celery juice. There are some pretty outrageous claims out there, ranging from a “miracle superfood” to something that will cure a host of ills. Dietitian Sally Kuzemchak shared more about the health claims of celery juice on Web MD and laid it out there if you want to read more.

Feeling extra nerdy today? Learn more about the history of celery in this podcast from America’s Test Kitchen

At the time of this post, there are nearly 90,000 posts for #celeryjuice and one account about celery juice benefits (which I refuse to name) that has over 196,000 followers.

WHAT? Is it really that good for you? (spoiler alert: maybe not)

Is Juicing Celery Healthy?

Well…I guess that depends on what you mean by asking, “Is juicing celery healthy?” It’s not inherently unhealthy by any means. Celery is basically tasteless (which is why I’ve never once listed it among my favorite vegetables) but does provide some nutrition. You get some vitamins and minerals like folate, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin K. Add in a little fiber, water content, and crunchy texture that maybe helps you register that you’re actively eating something, and yeah, you might argue there are some health benefits of celery.

The caveat: you have to actually eat a LOT of celery for any of that to add up.

Perhaps one reason why the celery juice trend has exploded, since juicing any vegetable will reduce it’s volume and yield a more concentrated version of whatever nutrition it contains.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”What’s up with the celery juice trend? It’s the epitome of The Wellness Diet (aka, might indicate an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating)” quote=”The celery juice trend is basically the epitome of the wellness diet”]

It enforces orthorexic and disordered eating behaviors because the health claims have been completely blown out of proportion. Like, yes, eating celery or even drinking celery as part of a smoothie can be a healthy choice. But the mindset and motivation behind our food choices says a lot about our total health and wellbeing, and if someone is choosing to down glass after glass of celery juice because they’re fearful of chronic disease or worried about being less healthy, it starts to become problematic.

The truth is, there’s no quick fix for good health and celery is no more, no less healthy than any other vegetable. I would actually argue that from an intuitive eating standpoint, an obsession or fixation on the celery juice trend might indicate some disordered thoughts and behaviors around food.

Chalk it up to another extreme version of diet culture based in pseudoscience and unbacked claims from unqualified “experts”.

But I’m not saying we shouldn’t ever eat celery. Not at all. That’s why I collected a few examples of other ways to enjoy celery without juicing it.

Celery Recipes

If you’re a fan of the blue cheese + wing sauce combo washed down with a little crunch, you’ll love these options. For the seafood fans, try the Sriracha Salmon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery from Healthy Aperture. If you prefer a plant-based option, check out the Buffalo Chickpea Stuffed Celery Sticks from It’s a Veg World After All.

And speaking of seafood…I got so excited when I saw this creative pairing. Snapper Fillet with Celery Parsley Salad sounds like such a refreshing dish. Perfect for summer when you want something easy to prep without overheating your kitchen!

Even though I personally am not a big fan of celery, I can appreciate how it adds flavor to other dishes. I featured it in a holiday side dish for this Apple Cranberry Holiday Stuffing and it was a big hit for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Another classic flavor combo is carrots + onions (or leeks or shallots) + celery to build up a strong base of flavor for various dishes. Annemarie Rossi from Real Food, Real Deals does just that with her Vegetarian Cassoulet. It would be perfect for these last wintery days while we wait for the spring thaw!

There’s also the soup option, like this Cream of Asparagus and Celery Soup from Fab Food 4 All. Just look at that amazing color!

Celery is also a major flavor component in this Amish Bean Soup from Farm Wife Cooks. She also has this Hot Chicken Salad, which sounds like the only version of chicken salad I’ll be craving until the summertime (if you’re totally over this winter weather, raise your hand).

And let’s not forget the crunch factor: this celery recipe will make you feel like you’re actually eating something, not just munching on air. Triad to Wellness highlights celery in their Chickpea Salad recipe. The crunch factor is also high when you add celery to a slaw for a sandwich topping. That’s exactly what fellow blogger Brandie from The Country Cook did with her Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders.

And if all else fails, there’s the classic veggie platter that’s not a celery recipe per se, but is a perennial favorite at office parties, potlucks, cookouts and BBQs, and just about any social gathering you can imagine. This one from dietitian Amy Gorin is a festive turkey theme for Thanksgiving, but you can get creative with how you use celery for entertaining.

Feeling ambitious? Try making your own celery powder at home using a food dehydrator

So hopefully this opens some more possibilities beyond the celery juicing trend. To each their own, but for me, I’ll stick with the science and trust that I’ll feel more full and satisfied with celery recipes like these.

Have you tried celery juice? What do you think of the celery juice trend?