All these times I keep trying - and failing - to come back to Ciao properly...
All these times I keep trying - and failing - to come back to Ciao properly...
Member since:30.10.2002
Reviews:168
Members who trust:141
SueMagee is going to be shocked, she thinks I live on chocolate...!
But it's not all true. I like something a little healthy once in a while, especially if it tastes good as well. No doubt you all had years of parents trying to force feed you greens when you really couldn't stand them, but shockingly, I've found a drink that makes greens taste good!
V8 vegetable juice is a concoction thought up by Campbells, those lovely people who bring us delicious soup. I absolutely adore their soup, so when I discovered this stuff a few years ago I decided to give it a go.
I don't really know why - the ingredients should definitely have put me off and made me think "how can they put all that stuff into a drink and get away with it?!" V8, you see, is a vegetable juice drink. It's based around tomato juice (hmm....I'm sure tomatoes are fruits...) but also contains carrots, celery, beetroot, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach, along with various spices to liven it up a bit.
So what made me originally buy the drink? As I said, it was the Campbells name. And the packaging isn't too bad either - the green and black V* logo on a white background adorned with pictures of the various fruits contained within.
You'll be happy to know that this stuff is nice and healthy for you - with only around 70 calories in a 330ml can, you can't complain. Less than 0.5g fat and 15% of your RDA of vitamin A add to the benefits of the drink.
The benefits are all very well, but how much are your tastebuds going to need to suffer to benefit? Answer: not at all. When opening the can, a strong smell of tomatoes hits you (ok, I take it back - anyone who can't stand tomato juice is going to hate it). The drink is thick and a reddish-orange colour, due to the vast quantities of tomatoes and carrots it contains.
As for taste...it's divine! The tomato taste hits you first, followed by the carrot and beetroot and the others can be tasted after you swallow. Except the lettuce. Why they put lettuce in this beats me - you can't taste it at all. Maybe V7 just wasn't catchy enough for them...
The aftertaste of the drink is also very pleasant - it's now that the taste of the spices they add comes out, and it's not a bad taste at all.
The drink can be livened up with Worcester Sauce, Tabasco or a whole host of other ingredients to give it a little more kick. You can also use it as a base for soups, sauces or marinades if you're lazy, and I've found a whole host of recipes using this stuff on the net.
I usually buy 330ml cans from Sainsburys, where they set me back about 55p each, which isn't too bad. V8 is also available in most health food shops, but the cans can cost up to about 75p. It is also available in 500ml bottles, costing around £1.20 each.
So, after my healthy drink, I have a packet of biscuits sitting next to me....should I or shouldn't I? :)
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