Vegans: What are some everyday foods for you? (corn, tomatoes, vegetables)

[Jellybean50]

Originally Posted by plain and simple

WAIT! The VitaMix is a blender, NOT a juicer! You're going to be really disappointed if you buy it for juicing! The point of juicing is to remove the pulp and fiber and give your body the direct concentration of the vitamins and minerals from the juice alone.

You can make smoothies and soups with the VitaMix, but not juice. I used to want a VitaMix for a long time until a friend showed me that you can do the same thing with a good, regular blender at a fraction of the cost.

But someone who recommended it, told me that if you ONLY juice the stuff - then you lose the fiber and pulp, which your body also needs

[CocoaNut]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

But someone who recommended it, told me that if you ONLY juice the stuff - then you lose the fiber and pulp, which your body also needs

I know it can seem confusing. Juicing does remove the pulp and you only get the "juice" of the fruits and veggies. But if you are industrious, you can use the pulp to make dehydrated crackers!

The Vita-Mix is perfect for smoothies which can use the same fruits and veggies as a juice recipe but retain the pulp. You can also make all kinds of cool raw foods with your Vita-Mix.

I find both juicing and green smoothies to be equally beneficial; however, when I do a 30-day juice fast, I lose weight. When I do a 30-day smoothie fast, I do not lose weight... just sayin.

I use my juicer and my Vita-Mix pretty much equally. I don't think you can go wrong buying a Vita-Mix and then you can save up for a juicer. Heck, you can get a Juiceman juicer for $80 at Target for starters to see if you'll even like juicing. Also, check garage sales. I got my first juicer - an Omega 1000 (WITH the citrus attachment) - at a garage sale for $12!!! It lasted me several years before I upgraded to my Champion that I got from a friend. I just checked Craigslist and someone is selling a Jack Lalanne Power Juicer for $55. There are great deals out there ... just have to find them! lol.

My advice: start out with the Vita-Mix and keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on a juicer.

[Jellybean50]

Hmmmm... i'm not really sure what to do.

I have a "decent" blender that i make smoothies with.

I really want something that will JUICE greens, vegetables, and fruits - has a strong motor to take A LOT of juice out of them... and IF there is pulp, it should be DRY pulp. This is what i've read in reviews, etc.

I cannot see myself being very industrious and making things with the pulp, or using it for much else. Just bein honest

[plain and simple]

Jellybean, let's try to make this a little less stressful and confusing for you. Rather than trying to figure out which machine to buy, let's look at the most important factor.... what is your goal in all of this? What do you need/want the machine for? That will dictate which machine is better for your needs, instead of altering your needs to fit a machine.

I want to clarify one thing. I will say it again. I don't care who is telling you otherwise, the VitaMix is NOT a juicer. It's a blender. It's simply a commercial grade blender instead of a standard home use blender. Ever go to a juice bar and buy a smoothie? It's that type of blender. It's main use is to make smoothies and some soups. I went to the VitaMix website and they're calling it a "juicer" and saying that it "juices." You'll see below why this is not true. I'm NOT against the VitaMix but this is false advertising by bending the truth for their own marketing purposes.

Blenders make smoothies and Juicers make juice. I do both. What's the difference and which one is right for you?

Juicer:

- Separates the fiber and pulp from the juice. (Still contains small amounts.)
- Concentrated nutrition that's absorbed immediately into your body.
- Most veggies taste better juiced.
- Gives the body a rest from digesting the regular consumption of processed and genetically modified foods. (Fast food, junk food, processed food, and even fresh fruits and veggies that have been genetically modified and treated with poisonous, chemical pesticides and fertilizers.) These foods cause a large build-up in your stomach, the digestive tract, and your colon. This build-up becomes toxic and makes the body sick and sluggish. This is why people have any number of stomach illnesses like GERD, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, etc.,


Blender:

- Blends the whole fruit and vegetable, retaining the pulp and fiber. That's why smoothies are thick like a milkshake.
- Smoothies are mostly made with fruit. I'm sure there may be a few smoothies made from vegetables, like the green smoothie (which is very good for you) but, for the most part, people like and make fruit smoothies. I've never heard anyone putting a beet or carrots into a smoothie. But, if you make a lot of fruit smoothies, you're getting a large concentration of sugar from the fruit. Still, that's better than eating traditional snacks.
- The fiber is good because it helps move your bowels. (You get the same effect from a juicer, though.)

But, what do YOU want to accomplish? I'm assuming that you're interested in re-gaining and boosting your health. Right? For the sake of simplifying, let's call it all "juicing" for a moment. Are you interested in juicing a wide array of fruits and vegetables? Fruits do make great, healthy, smoothies! And green smoothies are very healthy. But, if you're interested in incorporating more veggies into your diet and want to juice them, most veggies taste better when put through a juicer, not a blender. I've never heard of a beet or carrot smoothie. But, when you juice them, it's a powerhouse of nutrition.

I know it sounds like I'm trying to sway you into getting a juicer instead of a blender but I'm really not. I just want to make sure you're getting the right piece of equipment for YOU! I LOVE my juicer and use it daily. I use my blender to make smoothies about once a week. If finances are a concern (which I don't believe it is if you're looking at the VitaMix), then go with a good blender. Any healthy change to your diet, no matter how small, is going to benefit you. If you're just looking to add some healthy fruit smoothies to replace other snacks (or to include the occasional green smoothie to add nutrition to your diet) then a blender is all you need.

The VitaMix is a great machine, no doubt. But, for that price, I think getting a juicer is smarter (and cheaper). Simply for the reason that you'll consume more veggies with a juicer than you will with a blender. I have the Ninja blender that I bought on Amazon for $35. It does everything the VitaMix does. I use it to make dips, smoothies, soups, etc.,

(And, for the record, I don't do anything with the pulp that's extracted from my juicer either!)

[CocoaNut]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

Hmmmm... i'm not really sure what to do.

I have a "decent" blender that i make smoothies with.

I really want something that will JUICE greens, vegetables, and fruits - has a strong motor to take A LOT of juice out of them... and IF there is pulp, it should be DRY pulp. This is what i've read in reviews, etc.

I cannot see myself being very industrious and making things with the pulp, or using it for much else. Just bein honest

Sounds to me like you know exactly what you should do!

[plain and simple]

Originally Posted by Jellybean50

Hmmmm... i'm not really sure what to do.

I have a "decent" blender that i make smoothies with.

I really want something that will JUICE greens, vegetables, and fruits - has a strong motor to take A LOT of juice out of them... and IF there is pulp, it should be DRY pulp. This is what i've read in reviews, etc.

I cannot see myself being very industrious and making things with the pulp, or using it for much else. Just bein honest

I don't know how I missed the middle part of this post. From what you said here, you're definitely looking for a juicer. The pulp issue you mentioned (about it being dry pulp) is what the juicer ejects into a container after it juices the produce. You throw that away or compost it. (Some make other foods with it but since the majority of nutrition was extracted from it, what's the point?)

I started out looking at juicers by price. Then I read the reviews on Amazon. I went to raw foods forums where juicing is really a staple and read what they thought about all the different juicers. You'll soon learn to tell the difference between the fluff and nonsense and the serious and helpful comments.

Personally, I came to learn that a juicer is as good as it's warranty. I love mine. (The Breville I linked to previously.) It's mid-range in price, has an amazing warranty, juices very well and is ridiculously easy to clean.

Again, I highly recommend getting it from Bed, Bath and Beyond, if you have one. Their 20% off coupon is a huge help! $159 after the coupon!

[Jellybean50]

Thanks again to all!

I have read quite a bit, read on here too of course!, and watched demos and (bad) infomercials lol...

That's how i learned to make sure i get something that will give me DRY pulp. (I wont waste it - it will either be mixed in with my dog's food, or composted - i compost heavily.)

I DO understand now about the smoothie-type juice/drink (which is what i'm able to make now with my blender), and the OTHER type of juice - that is actually ONLY juice. And i believe it's true - that i dont need a Vita-Mix for that. I just need to make sure the motor is strong.

I was studying reviews online and on Amazon about the Jack LaLanne one and the Montel one - and i was getting discouraged and just wanted to go with the expensive one! (Vita-Mix) But now i see the difference. I have often gotten discouraged by reviews of other things online - but i try to remind myself that i REALLY think people tend to be more anxious to write bad reviews than good ones... IOW, bad news gets reported more often than good.

Thanks again, Jill

(And PS. i dont mean to seem THICK (lol) - i really DO get it, it just takes me a while to figure out which purchase to make!)

[sidrah]

I am saving for Vitamix and have been using Ninja with good results until I can afford the Vitamix. Seem sot do the job for me. I use a paint strainer bag to strain and freeze pulp. I have days where I do juices and others where I do frozen and fresh fruit/veggie smoothies

[Jason28]

Vitamix smoothies, pumpkin seeds, fruit like an apple or kiwi, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, walnuts, bananas, salads, etc...

[JoeHenry]

In the winter I eat hot soup with Tobasco or beans with Tobasco.So I dont have to turn the heat on.