Fruits Vs. Vegetables: The Battle of Disguising the Vegetable

Photography By: Michelle Eisen

 Will the fruit succeed?

Sometimes you need to be sneaky…

It has come to my attention, on numerous occasions, that some people out there DO NOT like vegetables.  It doesn’t seem to matter if they are cooked, steamed, barbecued, or dipped; these vegetable haters will have nothing to do with them.  This post is all about being sneaky with vegetables- something I successfully accomplished when feeding the students from my nutrition study.  

Through my previous posts, and all nutrition-related research out there, we know that there are essential micro-nutrients that are only found in vegetables, such as vitamin K- essential for maintaining normal blood clotting, protecting your bones from fracturing, and for preventing calcification of your arteries. This means that we must find a way to consume them- even if in their many forms, they make some of us want to run away and hide.   

As promised, I have come up with a few juicing recipes which will fully disguise some of your most hated, but essential vegetables.  

For nutritional value, and contributions to our bodies for various fruits and vegetables, please refer to the post, Ready, Set, JUICE!

  

The Hidden Brussles Sprout

The Hidden Brussles Sprout

3 Brussles Sprouts

1 Orange

9 Strawberries

3 Kiwis

Where's The Broccoli?

Where's The Broccoli?

4 Broccoli Florettes (throw in some stem!)

1 Orange

1 Peach

1 Nectarine

1 Bunch Red Grapes

¼ Lemon

It's Only Kale

It's Only Kale

2 Bunches Kale

1 Mango

½ Lemon

¼ Pineapple

Carrots?! I Wouldn't Have Known!

Carrots?! I Wouldn't Have Known!

2 Carrots

1 Orange

10 Strawberries

**If you are still finding that you can taste the vegetables in your juices, and you don't want to, add more orange or pineapple to mask the taste further!**

Cost and Time Effectiveness of Juicing:

To prepare for this post, I bought the following:

1 cucumber, 1 bunch celery, 2 bunches broccoli, 1 bunch kale, 1 large beet, 6 brussels sprouts, 1 bag of carrots, 4 kiwis, 1 container strawberries, 1 bag grapes, 2 red plums, 2 peaches, 2 nectarines, 3 oranges, 2 mangoes, 1 pineapple, 1 lime, and 2 lemons.

Grand Total: $26.00

How did I do this?...

When shopping for produce, it is important to shop at the “cheaper” or discount grocery stores, or markets. It is important to find stores which carry fresh produce, without the high prices. When I purchased food for the students who were part of my nutrition study, I often shopped between Price Chopper (now Fresh Co.) and No Frills, as these two grocery stores often had fresh produce at a reasonable cost.  

The above grocery list, could potentially yield 14-18 juices, allowing each juice to cost between $1.44 - $1.86. 

How can you cut the cost even further?

Yes, it is possible! Buying fruits and vegetables, which are in season, helps to reduce cost tremendously.  Strawberries are in season in June and July, and pineapple in April and May, therefore, my cost would have been cut by at least $2.00 had I purchased these fruits during those months.  

Another great way to save money, is by juicing apples, pears, and oranges.  These fruits provide more juice than many of the other fruits out there, and are cheaper when bought by the bag, than most other fruits.

Make sure to keep these money-saving tips in mind when shopping for your produce, to ensure that juicing is helping you both nutritionally and financially.

How can you make juicing time-effective?

• After grocery shopping, wash and cut all of your fruit- when you are ready to juice, prep time won't be necessary!
• After juicing, wash your juicer right away- this can take approx. 4-7 minutes, as opposed to the 15-20 minutes it can take when the fruits and vegetables have had time to stick to the machine.
• Use a bag in the pulp recepticle- this eliminates cleaning of an extra part.
• Buy a travel mug, and take your juice in the car or on the bus on the way to work in the morning. By the time you arrive, you'll have a boost of energy and will have already consumed 3-7 servings of fruits and vegetables! 

I look forward to hearing about your juicing adventures, suggestions, and comments!

 
Please stay tuned for my next post on  

cost-effective, time-efficient,  

kid-friendly, healthy meals! 

FeedingTheNeedToSucceed@gmail.com

-Michelle Eisen BSc. MA in Child Study and Education

Follow @Feed2Succeed