What do we think of V8 or other vegetable juices??? I must admit sometimes it's a bit of a chore getting enough veggies, so I wondered if this might be a good idea? is it worth the calories? I'm usually against "drinking" my calories, but like I said, some days I do not want to crunch any more!
Oh dear. I hate them. Really, I can't even choke them down without holding my nose. I can do tomato juice (with some hot sauce, vodka and a stalk of celery) but I really can't do V8s.
However, they have been part of the South Beach plan for years and I always thought it would be a good complement for breakfast.
I use to love them... Actually... I pretty much lived off of them when I was in College.
That and egg drop soup with veggies. Fastest weight loss month I ever had was back then...
Seriously though:
I think they are certainly a viable option if you are not meeting your quota and it is only from time to time. I wouldn't make them a habit as in more than one a day though.
The low sodium is terrible, because it uses potassium chloride, a salt substitute which has a metalic taste. So for me, it's still too salty with a bitter aftertaste.
I can't stand tomato and vegetable juices cold as juice, but I use them as soup base all of the time. I figure whole veggies are better (because of the water and fiber), but juice is better than nothing (which unfortunately sometimes is the alternative). Although since I love soup, I add chopped veggies to the juice and then add an equal part of low fat chicken broth, so I get the best of both worlds. I can get my five veggie servings in one nice bowl of soup. I do have to be a little careful though, as I love the stuff and can eat enough to cause temporary water weight gain (so I don't make soup within three to four days of weigh-in).
Sorry, I can't relate on this one at all. First off, I despise the taste of tomato type drinks and I would never, ever consider drinking one. And second of all, I eat vegetables literally all day long. I get in waaaay more then the recommended amount.
You said you drink when you get sick of crunching. How about cooking the veggies, so they don't crunch. I make a big, huge batch of roasted green beans. I then have them for a few days to munch on, even cold they're delicious. When I want a snack, I sometimes thickly slice a zucchini, sprinkle on a little sea salt, some garlic and onion powders and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes, turn over and put under the broiler for another couple of minutes. Great snack. Roasted peppers are also yummy and keep for a few days. Makes a great snack alongside an egg white omlette. Just a couple of ideas........
I personally love the Low Sodium V-8. A 11.5oz can is equivalent to 2 veggie servings. I wouldn't replace my veggies with this entirely, as alot of fiber gets stripped out.
Before I dieted I had tried to limit my sodium intake, as I had a severe edema problem. So, foods high in sodium tastes nasty to me now
V-8 is not high calorie, and if you are worried about salt you could always try the low sodium version. I drink the regular version. I like it now and then.
If you ever get leg cramps at night, a small can of V-8 before bed will eliminate them. It's the potassium (a naturally occurring nutrient in vegetables).
I drink a glass of V-8 pretty much every day. Sometimes I doctor it up like a virgin mary and I like the spicy one too. On South Beach we're supposed to have 4.5 cups of veggies a day, and that is a challenge for me some days, so I supplement with the V-8 to make sure I get the recommended amount most days. Fortunately, I like the taste, but the low-sodium is gross.
I love tomato juice, so I would probably like v-8. I haven't tried it in years, and I can't really remember. I just have this mental thing about drinking my calories (even low calories). If I do it, it is as a treat. Actually about the only time I get tomato juice anymore is on an airplane.
There are very few days that I don't get my veggie servings in. Usually hunger forces me to, even if I'm not in the mood. I just find the whole vegetable so much more filling than the juice.
I love V-8, but agree with the sodium issue. I do like the low sodium variety, but not quite as much as the regular one. I don't drink it all the time, but I really like it.
When I was growing up, a cup of chicken bouillon (made from those salty cubes) was a good, hot treat. Now I can't drink it because it's so salty. We used to can our own tomato juice, and it was lovely. Combine those two tastes (salty and tomato-y) and you basically have V-8. So yeah, I enjoy vegetable and tomato juices. I don't drink them very often (I'm the only one in the house that drinks it, and I seldom drink a whole bottle), but I do like them. And I like having the option for vegetable juice when I buy my lunch out. Most delis have v-8 or tomato juice.
I shoulda had a V8??
I mean, you've got tomatoes, celery, hot sauce (peppers!)...
