As a kid, I was notorious for asking for completely random presents on Christmas and my birthday. One year, I got a microscope. Not a kid-friendly little kit, but a real, useable microscope. For my seventeenth birthday I asked for a culinary torch. For my sweet sixteen, I received rock climbing shoes.
So it likely came as no surprise to my Mom when I asked for a fruit and vegetable juicer sometime during my teen years. I loved the thing, using it constantly for several months until it lost its excitement and was sent to the back of a cupboard.
Now that my step father is moving out of my childhood home, I’ve spent several weekends clearing out all of my old belongings. One of my finds was the juicer. After dusting it off and giving it a new home on our current house’s kitchen counter, he is back in action and once again one of my favorite kitchen appliances.
One of my goals is to focus way more on vegetable juices this time around- they are packed with nutrients but don’t contain nearly the sugars that fruit does. Not only is it healthy, but it is so much fun to browse the produce section, buying things you’d never think of buying, and making endless combinations.
Some of my favorites so far have been carrot/celery/apple/beet/ginger, pineapple/mango, and spinach/celery/orange. Of course, Brian is disgusted by the whole thing and will only drink solid fruit juices. His favorites have been plain apple juice and plain orange juice. How boring.
I mean, really. You can literally put a whole garden into a glass!
I know that I do not eat nearly the number of vegetables I should, not because I don’t like them, but I have trouble incorporating them into my day. But now I know that I am at least getting some of their nutrients, in a far easier to consume fashion. I am drinking far more veggies than I could eat in any given day. Yum.
Do you juice? I haven’t done a juice fast, nor do I think I would, but this is definitely a great addition to my regular diet and it is far more affordable than most of the pre-bottled options.
What are your favorite juices?
