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!

I don't drink them myself because I am not a fan of veggie juices. But I think it is a good option, I'd go for the low sodium variety though...

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.

Hey, that still counts as veggie intake, right? I mean, you've got tomatoes, celery, hot sauce (peppers!)...

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.

Aside from the ick factor for me, it's super high in sodium. My mom loves it, though, but says the low sodium variety is nasty!

Ok... Kinda odd but interesting none the less:

V8 has a diet plan on their web site... Not saying to follow it but some interesting ideas for tying it into meal plans.

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).

Jay

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.