Low Sodium V8 juice instead of veggies?

jordanhillary

I can't STAND eating vegetables. I literally choke and gag them down, even chase them with something to drink. Is it ok that I replace all of my vegetable intake with the low sodium version V8 every day?

honeymaid

I hate them as well, and I'm not sure if I'd rather drink them or chew them lol
I'm interested to see the answer to this question!

jordanhillary

Anyone??

I realize this is a pretty boring post but i just want to know what people think, is it the exact same as eating vegetables? Same benefits? Pros, Cons?

IvoryParchment

Vegetables are juice plus fiber. V8 is the juice of canned vegetables.

It's not the same as vegetables, but it's better than no vegetables at all. But lots of things you probably like are vegetables, too, like pasta sauce.

Lesa_Sass

It is not as healthy as fresh veggies, of course, but it is better for you than no veggies at all. V8 is loaded with vitamins and minerals

artcaro1972

Check the fiber. If there is little or none, then it's just the juice with salt added and you won't be getting the fiber from vegs.

Try making a green smoothie. It's SO much better tasting than you think and you can adjust the taste as you like.

Start simple: 1c fresh spinach, 1/2c berries, 1/2c water. Blend for 30 seconds and drink it.

You will be surprised how much it does NOT taste like vegetables.

psmd

Check the fiber. If there is little or none, then it's just the juice with salt added and you won't be getting the fiber from vegs.

Try making a green smoothie. It's SO much better tasting than you think and you can adjust the taste as you like.

Start simple: 1c fresh spinach, 1/2c berries, 1/2c water. Blend for 30 seconds and drink it.

You will be surprised how much it does NOT taste like vegetables.

Totally agree with this. I add banana and milk and a sweetener to above recipe. Or try to roast vegetables and blend them into a soup. V8 is okay I guess but you can't beat all natural veggies!

jordanhillary

My dietician is asking for me to eat 2 servings of vegetables at each meal, so I was hoping one V8 each would do it.

I recently tried juicing my vegetables and it really wasn't that bad at all! What I'm also wondering with that is.. Am I still getting two servings of veggies if I measure out 2 cups of raw veggies, juice it, then there is left over "mush" inside of the juicer and i'm only getting what is liquified? Do I need to add more veggies for it to even out?

vjrose

Well it would be better than nothing at all. Even the low sodium has 140mg of sodium per 4 oz serving and lots of other additives. One drawback is that it is cooked, reconstituted veggies so who knows how much of the original value is still available. Have you consider a juicer, they aren't terribly expensive these days? That way you get everything but the fiber. Hmm, not sure what to say, also V8 is 87% tomato juice and 13% other juices, lol.

Pebble321

Ask your dietician - I suspect that she would highly recommend actually eating veggies - you get so much more (fibre etc) when you eat them in a less processed state.
I bet there would some veggies you would eat - what about putting grated zucchini in rissoles (hamburgers), grated carrot in pasta sauce, pumpkin puréed into soup etc. or just start experimenting with new veggies and new recipes? There are so many options and combos out there, I can't believe that there is NOTHING you would eat.

IvoryParchment

Make a vegetable soup and puree it after it cooks. The "mush" that would have been left in the blender will turn into smoothness. Then you can vary the seasonings and vegetables so not every soup tastes the same.

wftiger

Not a solution for everyone but have you looked into a Vitamix or Blendtec? They will processes veggies so much you don't have to worry about the "mush". I don't personally have one (lack of funds) but know someone that does and they love their vitamix.

I hate veggies as well but have started hiding them in food -- I use spinach and cabbage in meatloaf, put zucchini in spaghetti sauce, etc. As long as i don't overdo it or go with the really strong veggies (broccoli is just gross) I can seem to handle it. And I do fall back on tomatoes a lot as my daily veggies (I know they are technically a fruit but it works for me).

vingogly

8oz of V8 has 2g of fiber, by the way. A cup of cabbage or broccoli has 2g of fiber, so V8's fiber content is significant. For those of us constantly on the run, a can of V8 isn't a bad compromise ... I'll toss one in my backpack for a morning snack. I like it with a teaspoon of grated horseradish and a little lemon. Yeah, I would love to make my own but I can barely find time to work out, do my laundry, and toss dishes in the dishwasher.

Evelyn Tribole, by the way, has a book called "Stealth Health" which is about sneaking healthy things like veggies into foods for those who don't like them.

Lesa_Sass

A Vita Mix is the best alternative for a person who can not eat straight up veggies but, it is around 400 dollars, then you have to purchase every thing to make the drinks. Why is it that a bag of potato chips costs less than a bag of salad? But I digress....

V8 is a good start, and not a bad source of nutrients.

minnesota_deere

I slam 11.5 ounces low sodium v8 just about every day, seems to work for me. it is healthy and it could be worse like slamming a coke.

zahra51

Try some Greens First or Nano Greens. You get more vitamins & minerals and 15 servings of Vegetables. It is a little more expensive, but very healthy. Look on line. The least I've paid is 30.00 for a 10 oz container of the greens first. It tastes like mint. The Nano Greens, more expensice, tastes like apple juice. It is best mixed in a blender bottle.

Mdin1029

I like low sodium v8 but if you look at what's in it's just not enough. As someone mentioned, you miss out on fiber, but more importantly you miss out on a lot of green veggies and other nutrients that are not in v8. Here is what I have been trying to get more veggies in my diet:

1. Try adding a scoop of Amazing Grass green superfood powder to a fruit smoothie (adding a frozen banana and water makes it quite tasty, but frozen mixed berries are great as well). I got mine at whole foods.

2. Buy chopped frozen veggies and mix them in an omlet as well as pasta sauce (not together)

3. Juicing. Whole Foods and Pressed Juicery make mixes of cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, with pears and apples that sound gross but taste good. Or you can make your own.

4. Find a salad dressing you like that is not too unhealthy (lite ranch, extra virgin olive oil and balsalmic vinegar) and eat with a salad you can grow to enjoy at least a few times a week. Mine is romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and sometimes feta cheese, walnuts, avocado.

5. Make a dip with low-fat greek yogurt, garlic powder, dill, pepper and eat with raw broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

I know you said you hate them but they will give you more energy, a healthier heart, better skin, better focus, and a slimmer body so part of the battle is just getting used to them. Eat less unhealthy stuff and then the healthy stuff starts to taste better, I promise.

Good luck!

IvoryParchment

Anyone remember Vitameatavegamin?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rvxxa66Co4&feature=related

issyfit

On South Beach we can replace 1/2 Cup of veggies with V8 but still need to eat the other 4 cups per day, if that helps.

queeniex3bee

How about juicing? I like vegies but I still juice.I usually juice carrots with celery and apples or with beets and oranges...you can combine anything you like.I bought the cheaper Jack La Lanne after a friend recommended it,a little easier to clean and use.It comes with all kinds of combinations.You can google too.In one glass you would be amazed at how many vegies go in...and I really feel more energized.If you just want to try it,go to a local health food store and ask for a sample,its a good way to see if its something you want to do before investing in a juicer.

queeniex3bee

I totally agree with those suggestions.I havent made the dip of Greek Yoghurt and garlic but I am going to try.I usually dip in lite Ranch ..thanks for the yoghurt dip idea!

Fit2Fifty

There are tons of varieties now of V8 Fusion juices, which combine veggies and fruit, with a serving of each (in the non-light version, the light version is just one serving) AND they taste fabulous! This is how I am getting my teens to get some extra nutrition, especially in the mornings and afternoon!

HERE'S SOME V8 FUSION INFO: http://www.v8juice.com/FAQ_V8Fusion.aspx#fusionIncluded

reztib

I am currently doing P90X. I actually do like a lot of vegetables but I am trying to watch my carbs, especially last month. I do a lot of spinach salads with fat free feta and red onion. Some fat free balsamic vinaigrette to taste. With the feta I come out on top with protein. Here is the quick and dirty on the P90X nutrition plan.

Month 1: 50% Protein, 30% Carbohydrates, 20% Fat
Month 2: 40% Protein, 40% Carbohydrates, 20% Fat
Month 3: 60 Carbohydrates, 20 % Protein, 20% Fat

While I like my spinach salad along with other veggies, I can't eat it every day. It would get too old. If I haven't had any vegetables that day I do a low sodium V8 to make sure I get something. To echo other posters, raw veggies are best but a V8 is better than NOT having any vegetables in you diet. I actually don't like tomatoes in huge slices or pieces but I can eat them in salad and V8 just tastes like a cold tomato soup to me. Having a low sodium V8 means I only gain 8 carbs (10 carbs to 2 protein).

Anyone else have any low carb/calorie veggies that they like?

jenilla1

Anyone remember Vitameatavegamin?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rvxxa66Co4&feature=related

That's good stuff!

wonderwomanwannaB

This may sound lame, but try to teach yourself to like some vegetables. I always hated celery. For a month I made myself have celery as a snack (with 1 TBSP peanut butter) after my workout. Even if you can only take one bite. Then the next time 2. then maybe 3. Eventually you can train your taste-buds to many new things (I'll admit not all). It's like anything else you do, you practice until it's no big deal.

Keep trying things until you find one tolerable (luckily, most veggies aren't pricey so it's not likely you are going to blow a bundle experimenting) and also prepare it different ways. A good way to start, too, is when you eat out always eat 1/2 of the vegetables that come with your dinner or see how much of your appetizer salad you can eat before adding dressing.

In the past couple years I've grown to love carrots, celery, and asparagus. Still have a V8 sometimes, but that's just because I like it, not because I need it.

law5432

V8 Low Sodium tastes great if you add Franks' Hot Sauce and some Worcestershire sauce!

bcattoes

I can't STAND eating vegetables. I literally choke and gag them down, even chase them with something to drink. Is it ok that I replace all of my vegetable intake with the low sodium version V8 every day?

What do you mean by "is it ok"? The 11.8 oz can of V8 provides 2 servings of vegetables and is a healthy drink. But I'm not sure it's good to make that your only vegetable source. It's certainly better than no vegetables at all, though.

If you don't mind drinking your vegetables, then I'd suggest getting a nutribullet or vitamix or something of that sort and creating your own juices that include the whole vegetable. Don't get a regular juicer as they elimintate the fiber.

You might also try adding vegetables to soups, stews, sauces, etc. and using a blender to puree them.

These vegetables that you say you HATE, how are you preparing them?