Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

During the  fifteen day juice fast, many of you inquired about my juicer of choice. At that time, my broken juicer was barely hanging on and I was researching new juicers. After all the searching, reading and comparing, I decided that I was most inclined to the Omega brand.  They have several different varieties of low RPM, masticating juicers which  are ideal for juicing vegetables and greens.

I didn’t  realize this at first,  but not all juicers are capable of handling wheat grass and leafy greens like kale. Therefore, when I was looking for a juicer that would produce the greatest yield from vegetables, my search narrowed to a higher caliber machine that would also juice wheat grass.  I saw this as a bonus because purchasing a new one is a big investment and when and if I decide to juice wheat grass, mine is ready for the challenge.

We decided on the Omega VRT350. It is a slow speed, masticating juicer that has a cool, contemporary, vertical design.  It is a quiet and  efficient juicer that was much easier to use than I had even expected.

My old juicer worked like a tree splitter. It was loud and fast. It obliterated the produce and spit out a pulpy, angry juice. I did however appreciate the fact that it juiced so briskly, even though I knew that essential enzymes and nutrients were being lost in the process.

My desire to be on time for work is ever present and sometimes in conflict with my desire to have the healthiest juice available. Most of us are short on time and patience.  Suffice it to say, I was a bit worried that the type of juicer I needed…ie masticating, low RPM single auger, would require more time than I had to give and more patience than I have to spare.

The VERT exceeded my expectations, soothed my fears of being chained to a languid juicer and produced bright, vibrant juice in a flash.  Because the chute is generously sized, you may feed it larger pieces than most juicers which significantly reduces your prep time.  The VERT is self feeding which means that you simply dangle a piece of kale into the chute and it will grab it and begin to chomp and masticate it like a hungry but polite monster. No need to stuff your apples and curly kale into an inflexible chute with a plunger when the machine will graciously feed itself.

The juicer comes with a pulp container and a 32 ounce pitcher to catch and measure your juice, which I absolutely love. It requires no effort to put together and is disassembled easily for speedy cleanup.

Using the VERT 350 compared with my old juicer, felt like the difference between staying in an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean and rustic camping in Michigan in January.  Both are doable but one option is clearly easier and for many of us….more pleasurable.  It is a beautifully made machine and I have used it at least once a day since I liberated it from its box.  The VERT comes with a more than generous 10 year warranty, one of the best in the industry I’ve seen so far.  Good news if you happen to need a new juicer too.

Here are three juice combos that I created and have really enjoyed with the new juicer.  Each recipe makes approximately 32 ounces of juice. If a juice needs to be thinned, I add unsweetened coconut water. I will also add Stevia when necessary if the fruit is not particularly sweet that day. I always enjoy my juice over ice.

Powerful Purple

4 C eggplant

3 C fresh black figs

4 C blueberries

Melon Patch

4 C  honeydew melon

8  carrots

1  head of romaine lettuce

Peach and Basil Cooler

6 C peaches

3 C packed Basil

1 head celery

Stevia to taste

Have a delicious day.

Tags: compassionate eating, juicer, juicing, juicing recipes, masticating juicer, Omega juicer, Omega VRT 350, plant based diet, single auger juicer, trying vegan, using a juicer, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe