There are select times I find dealing with the juicer worth it:
Hangovers
Mid-summer refreshers
An abundance of cucumbers
Illness
Thus, in an attempt to get a high dose of nutrients for my sleepy immune system, I juiced.
3 carrots, 4 celery stalks, 1 beet, 1 nub ginger, 1/2 lemon. This was my first time juicing a beet at home. Beets are actually a new acquired taste for me, and I’ve warmed up to them in salads and things. I’ve also tried a few beet juices at juice bars and liked them OK.
This was……medicinal.
I think I will roast my leftover beets!
On the side, Dakota toast with crunchy sunbutter and chia
And a clementine!! Just bought a bag of them yesterday. Love clementine season!
Minty tea
And that’s breakfast!
{ 108 comments… read them below or add one }
Can’t get much healthier than that! Beets are so good for you and ginger is too with all its antioxidants!
That juice has quite the strong color! Hopefully it works its magic and makes you feel better soon!
I’ve considered buying a juicer, but I’ve held back–do you really find them to be a pain to deal with?
Hope you feel better soon! What a perfect day to curl up inside and nurse a cold with soup, blankets, and a book (or trashy TV…).
I wouldn’t buy one. Because the produce is often MORE expensive than if you bought a juice in a juice bar!! I would get one if: 1) you juice everyday 2) you have an overflowing garden 3) you live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have access to a juice bar
Thanks! Do you have any recommendations for juice bars in Charlottesville?
Integral Yoga!
Get a Vitamix. It is expensive, but totally worth the money. It make juice out of the whole vegetable, therefore, no waste. I hated cleaning my juicer. I still have it, though I use my Vitamix everyday. There is nothing better than a smoothie or juice from fresh ingredients. I agree with Kath, if you want JUICE alone, go to a juice bar and save yourself the hassle.
I agree – I’d rather have a Vitamix. Maria, what kinds of veggies do you smoothie-ify?
I love fruits and veggie combos, like carrots, sweet potatoes, baby kale, baby spinach, mango, blueberries, pineapple,tomatoes, ginger, apples, parsley, celery…anything I can!!!!!
I love mixing them as a cold juice or smoothie or hot as a soup. I use leftover veggies and the end of my tub of spring mix salad to make blended lettuce soup. It tastes like cream of broccoli.
Smoothies are also great because you can use frozen fruit and vegetables that were picked at their peak, and they often cost less.
Savory soups I can do, but I’m not sure if I could stomach a tomato in my breakfast smoothie!
ok, question…
Do you REALLY feel a difference when you drink these? Like is is REALLY noticeable? I wonder about these things as I am on my path to a “better me”…
No definitely not!!! I’m just hopeful.
I juice many times per week (every day if I can), and I DEFINITELY notice a difference. LOVE GREEN JUICE!!
I used to drink fresh juice almost every day for years back in the mid to late 90′s when I first started working in the health food industry, because I thought it would be good for me. I managed to tint my skin orange, which was hilarious, and at the time I didn’t mind consuming so much sugar so frequently, but I never noticed a real difference in my health. (I was vegan/vegetarian at the time, though, and I definitely know *that* wasn’t good for my health, unfortunately) Unless you are juicing mostly greens, though, you are ultimately consuming a lot of sugar along with everything else, and to me its just too much now, especially to consume on a regular basis. I would rather eat the produce, consume the fiber and not produce waste, unless maybe I had a vitamix. I know a lot of people like it, but I wonder how much anyone actually feels from consuming it aside from the immediate sugar spike.
the only fruit in my drink comes from a green apple and/or lemon/lime. the rest is celery, cucumber, greens, ginger, etc… no carrots or beets!
*and I too was vegan, and unfortunately realized that wasn’t good for my health either!
Sorry you’re not feeling well! The juicer is a great idea though, and the beets sure do make it look pretty! Maybe not so tasty though, eh?
I wish I had a juicer for all of those purposes too! I used to think veggie juices were gross but had an apple, carrot and ginger one at the Ferry Building in San Francisco and now I’m a total believer!
An apple (or three) makes juice with beets much more palatable! I’d say “next time…”, but sounds like next they’ll be on your salad. That works too.
Hahaha – I laughed out loud at “This was…medicinal.” At least you got plenty of vitamins in! I hope you feel better soon!
Beets are one of my least favorite vegetables, but I do love the color and know they must have lots of good nutrients. Maybe if I mask their flavor with ginger & lemon it would help!
I love clementine season too -they travel so well!
My folks juice. I have always hated it. Feel better!!!
First time I leave a comment on your blog… but I read it every day ! Your breakfast look amazing as usual
I need your help!! I’ll be moving to the US (I’m from Canada) on January with my husband for a couple of months. We’ll be living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was wondering if you know any bloggers/friends living near that area that have interests in healthy living. I’m a RD too (and a foodie/runner as well) and I would like to meet new people! I don’t have a blog yet but, I can easily be reached with Twitter(k_cloutier), Facebook (Kathleen Cloutier), FoodBuzz (Kath_RD) or email (k-cloutier@hotmail.com). Thanks in advance
Hopefully some Pittsburgh people will read this!
And as Kath _RD we could be twins
We could really be.. my husband’s name is Mathieu, so we’re Kath & Math too… Strange coincidence!
I let you know if we’ll visited Charlottesville ! I would love to taste those good looking breads
Kath’s dad and I lived in Pittsburgh when we were first married. It’s funky and fun in it’s own sort of way. I think you will like it. (I imagine it’s gotten even more fun!) We loved going into the city. Way cool bridges.
My hubby is actually a civil engineer, he was pretty enthusiastic about your comment on cool bridge
Thanks for sharing!
Oh fun. I got in big trouble on one of those bridges. I had on a skirt and a crosswind caught it and the skirt went up over my head. It took me a while to get it down. When I did, I looked up and about ten businessmen were crossing in the other direction. I just kept on walking! (But I was mortified.) I take comfort now, in later years, knowing at least my legs were quite good back then.
I grew up in Pittsburgh. You can check out my friend Katie’s blog at http://www.healthydivaeats.com !!
Thanks, it’s really nice
I’ll try to contact her soon!
Oh hilarious!
Hope that juice kicks your immune system into gear!!
My little sister just loaned me her juicer (my parents just reclaimed their VitaMix they let me borrow) and I have been intimidated to start using it. I’ve juiced before, but it’s been years. I am trying desperately to acquire the taste for beets, but still failing.
I’m not a big beet fan either, although they do make the juice a pretty color.
I hope you feel better soon!
I’ve never had beets before. I’m nervous to try them. Although in juice form they might taste better.
add an apple and half an orange with your beet-not medicinal at all. Beet juiced raw without them tastes exactly as you mentioned-medicinal.
feel better! my dad would juice beets, greens and fruit for us when we were little. i always dreaded when he put the beet in! but he did a good job masking it with tons of apples and carrots haha
I asked for a juicer for Christmas and cannot wait to start juicing at home, but have no idea where to start. Guess I will be experimenting for the perfect combo!
I would love to invest in a juicer! I would love to be able to make fresh juices!
Kath, you take the nicest pictures when it comes to your food! It always looks delicious!!
On a side notes, I’ve heard juicing vegetables isn’t healthy because its all sugar and it has lots most of its fiber. What do you think? I think its okay once in a while but maybe not a daily routine for myself.
Have a great day!
Generally I agree with you – although with some of the smoothie concoctions, it would give you a big stomach ache to digest all that fiber, so the idea is to concentrate the nutrients without the fiber. But yes, I’d rather have a spinach smoothie than spinach juice.
Sorry Typo. I meant Side note and lost not lots
did you peel your beet before juicing? the first time i juiced a beet i didn’t peel it, and it tasted like dirt. since then i’ve been peeling them and it tastes much better!
I didn’t…maybe I just ate dirt!?
Never had beet juice, but I love steamed/boiled beets with evoo, vinegar, salt and pepper. It makes a pretty colored juice anyway! Feel beeter, err, better, Kath.
Pairing beets with apples works really well! The apples make the beets taste almost sweet.
my cousin and sister-in-law both have juicers and love them! I need to get on this bandwagon!
I can give or take citrus fruit but clementines? LOVE them. Also, I want a juicer. Like, really bad.
I seriously miss my juicer. Mrow.
I started doing a shot of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and it relieved my cold symptoms so fast. I do the shot of it, but did try the tea with AVC, lemon and honey, but I couldn’t take it. I hope your juice helps and you feel better soon!
I really don’t think I could drink vinegar…
A couple days before I ran my one (and only) marathon, I thought I was getting sick so I gargled, gargled, gargled tons of a one-to-one mix of apple cider vinegar and hot water. Does that sound more appealing than drinking vinegar? I’m not sure if it helped or not, but I wasn’t sick marathon day.
Woman, you eat sardines! You can do vinegar. Besides, you could put it on your greens or in a bowl of chili. I put a splash of ACV in my chili and it brightens the flavors! Trust me, you would love it.
HAHA!! I could definitely put it in something. And Carrie, gargling would maybe be a good compromise.
I’m with Sarena and Carrie- ACV is what’s up! I am about to make myself a “cocktail” right now, I can’t kick this cold I’ve had for a week. I pour a tall glass of ice water, and mix in 2 tbsp ACV and a bit of honey. I like the taste in a weird way, kind of how I like Kombucha!
Oooooo if I think about it like kombucha it sounds palatable!
Beets are my favorite veggie to juice…but mainly because of the pretty color they make my juice
Roasted beets are also delish!!
I like the colors of your juice–there are layered colors
It is very medicinal, indeed!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Add half an apple or one of your tangerines and I’m sure that will take away that medicine-y taste. When I lived in Buenos Aires, I loved the ‘beet, carrot and orange’ juice they served at this little café. It helped reverse all the damage done …and kilos gained… by guzzling red wine every single night. And it was delicious!
mmmm that juice sounds super delicious! I love a good nutritious b-fast to get the day off on the right foot!
I LOVE beets! I’ve never tried them fresh but my grandmother makes homemade pickles and when she’s done with the jar, she dumps a can of beets in there. They are SO DARN GOOD. I grew up eating them and she always has them ready for me when I go over there! I also enjoy putting a little salt on the canned ones and eating them.
Oh man, I would not have the energy to juice if I had a hangover! lol I suppose all the extra nutrients would be helpful, though.
I love the color of your juice. Hope you feel better soon!
I hope you feel better soon! I love how you eat for your health.
Citrus fruits and veggie juice are my go-tos when the flu hits…hope you feel better soon
I’ve heard beets are kind of root-y tasting when you juice them but it sure looks pretty!
I’m hot and cold when it comes to juicing beets. I love the color it makes the juice (so pretty!), but they do tend to overwhelm the other flavors. One of my favorite combos is carrot, orange, beet, lemon, and cucumber. Very refreshing.
I hope you feel better!
Everyone is making juice today! I’m envious – maybe Santa will bring me a juicer.
Hmmm…not so sure about beet juice, but your toast looks delicious!
Hope you feel better soon!
I love the color of that juice! (need to get me a juicer). Sounds delicious, too! Love all those ingredients. Hope you feel better soon.
Ahhhhh the joys of clementines
I look forward to them every year!
The less you process your beets, the more nutritional benefits you’ll reap. Beets lose some of their nutritional benefits when you cook them. Roasting them especially for long periods of time can drain them of their antioxident and antiinflammatory properties. Beets, in their natural raw form will provide you with the most support–I’d recommend them grated on top of your salad.
I find preparing beets at bit of a cumbersome, and leaves stains all over my kitchen. But I do think that it’s worth it sometimes to prepare it.
Is there a trick in making it less messy?
Not that I know of…other than wearing rubber gloves!
I try so hard to like beets…but they just taste like dirt to me. When I was a kid I’d eat pickled beets like they were going out of style (my grandparents grew them in the garden then canned them) but now…ick. I keep trying though!
I do love clementines…I have 4 in my lunch today!
I know everyone’s all about the green smoothie monsters, but red/pink/purple smoothies just look so much more appetizing! And I love beets….yummy!
I should juice today as I am sick with a cold too and need to fight it off!
Love beets in juice, so good. Clementines are one of my fav fruits too.
Roasted beets are the best, especially with lentils, greens and goat cheese! Yumalicious!
Your pictures are gorgeous on the fancier work computers! Love the colors! Love that embroidered cloth.
Beets add such great color to juice! It looks so energizing!!
I think you need to jack up the lemon! I do carrot,beet lemon and I use 2 lemons. So good!
I would have thrown some goat cheese into the mix for a smoothie
But really, I love beets and goat cheese, the combo is amazing! I wonder if you could actually do a smoothie using fresh juice you make, I bet it would be great!
Quite the juice! Love the colour!
How did the juice turn out? Better or worse that other beet juices you have had?
Good!
I don’t own a juicer but love making green smoothies in my vitamix. I made one today (I’m trying to detox after a weekend of Thanksgiving indulgences) and blogged the recipe earlier today. Beets are an acquired taste for me, too. Even though I love them now, I don’t think I’d love them in my drink. Feel better soon!
This may seem srange but I was totally wishing I could have had breakfast with you this morning! I just flew in last night sohave no groceries. I thought: Kath is probably have a delicious breakfast. And low and behold you did, even with juice that my poor jet lagged body needs!
I like to do beets, carrots, cuc, apple and spinach or kale. The carrots, apple and cuc seem to water down the beets a little bit. I do however love beets, so maybe it is just my preference
Greg and I put a juicer on our wedding registry, just because… not really thinking someone would buy it. But sure enough, a juicer showed up on our doorstep one day, about 2 weeks after our wedding! I used it quite a few times in the beginning (made a lot of carrot/orange/apple juice), but it was SUCH a pain to clean that it rarely makes an appearance anymore. (I had a lot more time to clean during the summer when school was out!)
When will you share where you are going on vacation?
I’m not sure if I will share until we’re there..for privacy’s sake
Hehehe at “medicinal.” Sounds yummy
Hope it makes you feel better, though!!
I can’t help but emphasize how much I love fresh juice! I really do think it helps for feeling awakened, as well as speeding up cold healing process.
I also dislike beets – but have tried to acquire a new taste for them. No luck
We got a TON each week in our CSA and I was excited to try them new ways but I never liked them. I just left them with the CSA people each week so that they could donate them to the foodbank.
Yum – clementine season! Last year, WF had some awesome seedless variety (name escapes me) which were especially delish!
I LOVE beet juice! I do a bok choy, carrot, ginger, garlic, beet, green apple juice. It’s very cleansing, very delicious. In fact, I am totally going to the store this evening to get those items. Thanks for the motivation! Happy juicing!
That juice is such a beautiful color!! Hope you feel better soon!
I have not yet made the cross over into beet territory, alas…maybe someday
I absolutely loooooooooooove beets in everything (I’m half Russian, can you blame me?) but have never tried to juice them at home. I love having veggie juices with meets when I’m out & about but I fear that making it at home will ruin them for me. This is not proving me wrong… But hopefully there’s a way to do it so that they’re still really healthy and taste good, no?
I just can’t do the beet thing. Not a fan. I love drinking fresh juice but cannot bring myself to buy a juicer. I just don’t think I would get my money’s worth out of it plus we do not have our own garden. I will just stick to eating the fruits and veggies fresh and then buying a yummy juice from time to time when I am out. Your juice sure is beautiful though!
I love the rich color of the juice, it is SOOO good for you too! I did the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, reboot diet, I had a lot of beets and ginger… but I certainly felt amazing! Thank you for the reminder on staying healthy
That is one heck of a nutrient-rich breakfast–if that doesn’t cure a cold, I don’t know what will!
I made a juice once that was called a V28 and had 3 beets in it…it was 20 ounces and was rough to drink the whole thing, but I felt amazing the next day. Its worth it to juice some beets very once in a while.
I love the title to this post! My shampoo and conditioner is from a John Frieda product line called “Root Awakening.” I would recommend it
You can try pomegranate juice! It makes me feel better every time I get sick.
I know beets are very good for you, but I only like them in a “goat cheese-balsamic vinegar-rocket” salad (insanely good!!) Also, if you eat to much beets, you may “pee in red” (That was what happened to my aunt once. She thought she had a bad illness and almost went to a doctor when she realized she had ate too much beet the other day:))