Are You Juice-Confused?

I juice and when I’m not juicing I’m spending (too much) money on juices from juice shops or taking pictures of my juices. In this juice-centric universe I live in it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that when most people think juice it’s still apple/orange/cranberry that come to mind. A client asked, “what do you mean when you say green juice” uh oh I assumed (remember the grammar school spelling trick- don't assume  it makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”). 

Since I'm an ass, I asked Joanna our Snack Queen to morph into a juice queen and answer some questions:

For my client and the others out there who are juice-confused, what is a green juice?

 It is exactly what it sounds, a juice made from greens. In the same way you get orange juice from an orange, green juice is derived from kale, spinach, collard greens, chard, watercress etc.

Ha, I always thought it sounds like a juice that is the color green. Greens are healthy but oftentimes there are other ingredients lurking; some juices are actually chock full of fruit, how do you pick a good one?

To steer clear of sugary green juices, your best bet is to choose a concoction with max ONE fruit per green juice not counting lemon or lime. You said in June’s Allure magazine that green juices can contain 6 teaspoons of sugar and that was shocking to me but sure enough options from Blue Print and Evolution have 19-24 grams of sugar (there are four grams of sugar per teaspoon).

How come people don’t think about organic when it comes to green juice and why is it especially important?  

Because so much produce (up to 6 to 9 cups) is used to make juice, you don’t want to be drinking a glass of pesticides. Some favorite NYC options to go for organic juices are One Lucky Duck, Gingersnaps Organics and Organic Avenue. And a great resource is Living Maxwell’s PressedJuice Directory that lists locations where you can find pressed organic juice all over the world. He also interviewed you about your juicing habit.

We’ve been on lookout for less sweet green juices (especially since we quit sugar our month ends today but still) what would you say are our top 5 less sweet concoctions?

1. One Lucky Duck -Mean Greens 

2. Juice Press- Mother Earth this was the first all-greens juice I really enjoyed, love the dandelion

3. Organic Avenue - Mellow Love  this is Carolyn's favorite.
These two have 1 fruit

4. Juice Generation Supa Dupa Greens- we have made with ½ apple

5. Gingersnap Organics- Go Kick -the pear makes this delicious.

Thanks J, see you at the Fancy Food Show. 

Do you juice? What are your favorite combinations? Any favorite juice shops in your area? 

Juice and Smoothie Recipes on Instagram

I am fairly new to both the iPhone and Instagram but I'm having a lot of fun with them. I get a lot of questions about smoothies and juices mostly ..."what do I put in them?" It's funny, this is the one place this normally recipe-centric girl is creative. You can put whatever you want in them or whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

Tuesday something very rare happened, I found myself with no greens- we were kale, microgreen and spinach-less. This proved a delicious, refreshing combo.

Have I mentioned the puppy? Yes, it's been a little over a week. This was my effort to make up for sleep with juice.

I love Prince although I named this smoothie only after making it. Some of my favorite ingredients are used here.
Do you juice or smooth? What are your favorite ingredients or combinations? Do you use Instagram...it's fun.

Watch Sandy Candy and Hurricane Weight Gain

Wind? Rain? How about weight gain?

*Please note this was written before Sandy devastated the area, I would never make light of what's happening in our city. 
I would guess that, aside from water, our family could survive for a month with the items in our pantry, fridge and fruit bowl. Obviously, a loss of power would change those calculations. This knowledge didn’t stop me from hitting the grocery store. I felt compelled to get another bunch of bananas, milk (we had a ½ gallon and a spare), eggs, Mast Brothers dark chocolate with sea salt, you know “just in case”.  I was housebound during flooding in New Orleans, back in college, with carrots, tomato paste, ground coffee (not that interesting when there’s no water) and uncooked brown rice. Though I survived, it wasn’t fun. Clearly, I am not alone in my unfounded food panic Westside Rag reported a run on bagels, pasta, turkey burgers and scallions (scallions.. are people smoking them or something?). 

We are not in a low-lying area or “Zone A” so my Hurricane Sandy fear is not the legitimate concern for our home or property. We are not getting evacuated. If we were I’d be attending to all the goes along with that. Instead, I have the luxury of bitching about school being closed, my workday scrapped and hours upon hours housebound and sedentary. The idea of this makes my skin crawl. And compounding this there’s another source of anxiety, what will my cooped up clients be eating?  I want to grab the microphone away from reporters in windbreakers near beaches and scream "everyone knows that beaches during storms are unsafe, what about kitchens?" In the event that you’re inside contemplating cake or Halloween candy, some dietary sandbags:

Plan your food for the day.

It’s easy to use food to pass the time; however, if you’re less active and eat more you will roll your way into Halloween. You see where this is going. Make yourself a menu for the day. Maybe use up some perishable items or cook something healthy. Warning: cookie baking may lead to "storm surge" in unexpected places.

Juice

If you own a juicer, while you still have power, use the veggies you have lying around in a juice. Washing and cutting takes some time (you have plenty) and you’ll be able to start your Sandy day on a healthy note.

Don’t raid the pantry, organize it.

If you’re in the house for the foreseeable future and any of your shelf contents are unappealing, they will always be unappealing. Use the time inside to gather up giveaway items.

Carve

Do you have that pumpkin sitting around uncarved? Carolyn informed me pumpkins were sold out at Whole Foods yesterday so some of you snagged them. Maybe some Sandy-inspired art? While you’re at it, roast the seeds. What else do you have to do?

Dance

I’m the type who needs to move or I’m unpleasant to be around (my husband would likely have a different adjective than"unpleasant"). I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to risk my life to get to Flywheel at the JCC tomorrow (with a bike dangerously located near a window) but I will have a family dance party or we’ll shoot some hoops in my son’s room and I may even use some of the purged cans (hearts of palm that predate my children) for hand weights. Our intern Katelynn plans to embrace elevator-less-ness and she lives on the 19^th floor.

And when all else fails shop

We might not be able to get our Sandy Special to you during the storm but we can at least provide a light at the end of the hurricane.

Let’s have some fun with this.

As always you can #TIDEI (tweet it don’t eat it) if you’re tempted to eat any unnecessary Sandy snacks.

Post on our Facebook page how you’re “working out” during the storm. I welcome creativity but keep it PG rated (do what you want but just don’t tell me about some workouts) 

At the end of the day, Sandy may lead to a lot of devastastation; she doesn’t need to make you fat.

If you went to the grocery store before a storm, what would your essentials include? Why do you think we’re tempted to eat when stuck inside? Any idea about the scallion appeal?

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, Believe the Hype and Giveaway

I apologize if I’ve been somewhat inconsistent with my blog posts. I’ve been busy reapplying my natural deodorant, which I now do in plain sight like some would chapstick (only I don’t put it on my mouth, not yet anyway). I’ve also been spending time on another project that may or may not be my book proposal.I’m grateful writing has kept me primarily inside during this heat wave. I started a list of other things that make me happy when it’s hot as hell out.

Beastly Weather Gratitude Journal

• I’m grateful for my tennis ball sized ice cubes.

I should note I’m also grateful for my jalapeno cocktail at Peels where I first learned of these cubes and for my friend Meg, a know-it-all in the best sense of the word, who was with us and sent me a link to the MOMA shop the next day.

• I’m grateful for being female and for the multitude of sleeveless options we have, many of which are work appropriate. I realize I cannot go for a run shirtless and I should say I’m grateful to the men who wisely choose to retain theirs.
• I’m grateful for the chocolate mint sorbet at ABC Kitchen, I may have said I’m not a dessert person, more salty than sweet…I may have lied.
• I’m grateful for tartare and all its relatives ceviche, sashimi etc. Nothing is better in the summer and my vote goes to the tuna crudo at Mermaid Inn.
• I’m grateful for cucumbers not only because they’re “cool” but also for the abundant juice you get from them. Anyone who has put a bunch of kale in a juicer knows what I mean.

• If there’s one thing, other than sleep away camp, I’m most grateful for this summer it’s Harmless Harvest’s Coconut Water. This coconut water is raw and organic. Most importantly it’s insanely delicious. If you’ve tasted other brands and think you don’t like coconut water, I vote for a retrial. This is different. We have a whole shelf of them at work, I stockpile them at home, add some to smoothies, green juices and rice water. Heck (did I say heck, interesting), I would bathe in it but it’s a little pricey. While I’ve tried, young coconuts and I don’t play well together and I’m grateful that I don’t need to wrestle with them anymore.

You’re going to be grateful too, you know why? Harmless Harvest is giving away ONE CASE of their liquid heaven and t-shirts to one of our lucky readers.

To be eligible, leave a comment telling us why you like or want to try Harmless Harvest

OR retweet this post and include “@Foodtrainers @HarmlessHarvest #giveaway

OR tag @Foodtrainers on Facebook and spread the word about this post.
You have until Sunday July 22nd to enter, winner will be announced Monday July 23rd. 

What’s on your hot weather gratitude list?

Check out our "Drinks Around the Clock" July Newsletter for other refreshing ideas.

Top 10 Healthy Food Trucks

We sent Lisa to scout out the top 10 healthy food trucks in NYC and figure out what the truck fuss was all about.

Many of us grew up with ice cream trucks, hot dog stands, and the occasional bake sale wagon. Aside from that “mobile food” didn’t have much meaning, or glamour for that matter. Today, you can’t walk three blocks without noticing that gourmet food service on wheels, in the form of “food trucks,” has taken over. New Yorkers now have pedestrian curbside access to healthy meals, fresh squeezed juices, gourmet salads, and grilled falafel. NYC tour companies are even offering food truck tours of Manhattan highlighting lunch spots in midtown and the financial district.

So what makes standing on the sidewalk on our tippy toes to order from a truck so appealing? Are we nostalgic about the excitement that came with lining up for the ice cream truck? Do we like the idea of convenience and perhaps “fast food?” Is it because we want to be part of the foodie scene buzz? Or is there something cool about the idea of getting a meal outside your office door that you would other have to travel deep into Brooklyn for? Although the answer may be a combination or all of the above, the bottom line is that much of the food offered is good – healthy and delicious – and oftentimes better than the brick and mortar deli chain competition.

I think the main reason why the quality of the food is better is because the food truck menu options are limited. These food trucks are niche, and when you walk up you pretty much know what you’ll be ordering based on the name of the truck. Whereas other establishments may spread themselves (and the quality of their ingredients) thin with trying to make everyone happy, food trucks aim to please the fans of their “one hit wonders.”

We scouted the best (and healthiest) food trucks in the greater NYC. Here are our favorites:

NY Dosas: With a line wrapping the corner of Washington Square Park, this truck is impossible to miss. You may have to elbow some NYU students to get to your Roti Curry, but it’s worth the wait. (Please, please steer clear of the Vegan Drumsticks) @nydosas

Green Pirate: This sustainable food truck runs on bio-diesel fuel and composts all production waste. They even trade fresh squeezed juices for whatever services you may be able to offer to their business… This truck bounces between Brooklyn and Soho. @juicepirate

Food Trucks parked at Tavern on the Green: Rickshaw Dumplings, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Pera Turkish Tacos are conveniently parked in Central Park, right across from the Foodtrainers office. We’re sad to see Ladle of Love have to go, but still love Rickshaw’s organic edamame dumplings.

@RickshawTruck

Rouge Tomate: We are so excited that one of Foodtrainers’ favorite restaurants has gone mobile by entrance to the Central Park Zoo. Not only is the food cart environmentally friendly, powered by solar energy, they serve items like farmhouse yogurt with local honey and delicious chilled white gazpacho. @rougetomatecart

Luke’s Lobster & Red Hook Lobster: The Luke’s Lobster Nauti Mobile offers the option for a half lobster, crab, or shrimp roll. We’ve tried most seafood rolls this city has to offer, and Luke’s is by far the cleanest with mayo optional. Red Hook Lobster also brings their Brooklyn based seafood joint to the streets of Manhattan. @LukesLobsterNY and @lobstertruckny

Crisp on Wheels: This mobile midtown lunch spot offers a variety of falafel sandwiches and salad bowls. Our favorite is the mama mia salad with sundried tomato spread. You’ll never know this falafel isn’t fried. @CrispOnWheels

Organic Carts NYC: Another favorite restaurant, GustOrganics launched the first certified organic street cart in NYC, located in front of MoMa. They have a great breakfast menu with a juicer on the cart. At lunch they serve salads, hummus, and homemade soups and stews.

Cinnamon Snail: This vegan truck caters mostly to Hoboken and Red Bank. Their breakfast menu features dishes from the likes of fresh fig pancakes with pine nut butter and chamomile blood orange syrup, while their lunch menu offers a wide variety from raw pizza, to red curry, and maple mustard tempeh. @VeganLunchTruck

Calexico: This Brooklyn restaurants can now be found parked as a food truck in Soho and Flatiron. They serve clean Mexican food, and we love the naked frijoles negros “burrito.”  

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck: Okay, so we don’t recommend you put this one on the regular lunch rotation, but with toppings like Wasabi Pea Dust, Ginger and Elderflower Syrups, Cardamom, and Pumpkin Butter, we couldn’t leave it off the list. @biggayicecream

Since these trucks don’t have permanent locations, the best way to figure out where they’ll be on a given day is to check their Facebook and twitter pages. Even more novelty in scouting out your lunch – it’s a social media scavenger hunt to get it! Although food trucks have become a popular lunchtime market for professionals, it doesn’t end there. Food trucks are swarming to parks, beaches, and college campuses in order to make themselves available in areas with less (than healthy) options. 

While a lot of fun is associated with finding and patronizing food trucks, we also want to mention that food trucks are serving an important purpose in terms of community nutrition – they aid in solving the problem of “food deserts,” or areas without access to healthy food. NYC’s Green Carts was instituted to serve this purpose andother initiatives have used food trucks as a means to deliver healthy (and free!) food to people in areas where it wouldn’t otherwise be available. Check out Dole Fruit Bowls on Tuesdays  and Go Healthy New York’s Free Fruit Fridays.  @GoHealthyNY

Have you tried any of the trucks we highlighted? Any personal favorite NYC food trucks? Do you have food trucks where you live? If so, what are they? And if you had a food truck what would it serve?

It Is Possible To Overfruit

Not long ago, I wrote a post for Blisstree (love Blisstree) entitled “Eight Things to Never Put in Your Smoothies.” I talked about sorbet (does this need to be in your breakfast?), soy protein and “too much fruit”.  Regarding fruit I said, “sure, smoothies seem healthy, but the problem is that calories add up, even from fresh fruit. So avoid smoothies that are bigger than 16 ounces or are made with more than two cups of fruit.” Let’s just say people didn’t like me saying anything negative about their beloved fruit. I was told, “too much fruit, really? With all the things wrong with the American diet, too much fruit isn’t what I would hone in on.”

If we’re talking about eating habits of Americans, I’d agree. Processed food, pesticides, food dyes, hormones in our food and heavily sweetened and salted foods are all bigger problems than fruit. Most Americans, after all, eat too little fruit versus too much (unless we count juice, fruity pebbles and “fruit” snacks). However, if we’re talking about the ideal diet or what to eat in order to lose weight, I’m sorry folks it is possible to overfruit.

Don’t get me wrong, I love fruit and think fruit is a part of any balanced diet providing fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Weight Watchers’ new points system allows unlimited fruit. While this may work for someone switching from the standard American diet (fast food, processed food, lots of food) to a healthier one or for someone with a significant amount of weight to lose, I think it’s a mistake for those with less to shed.

My reasoning is based on a few criteria. First, what would be a weight-related post without mentioning calories? Between breakfast, smoothies and snacks I see many new clients consuming over 400 calories from fruit. Second, this amount of fruit would contain over 70 grams of sugar or over 16 teaspoons. In case you’re shouting “but it’s fruit sugar silly” that’s part of the problem. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that fructose consumption reduces circulating levels of leptin (the hormone that inhibits appetite).  “the combined effects of lowered circulating leptin and insulin in individuals who consume diets that are high in dietary fructose could therefore increase the likelihood of weight gain and its associated metabolic sequelae.” Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics had this to say, “the metabolic problems that result from sugar intake are mostly due to the fructose content.  Less is better for health.  Fructose is sweeter than either glucose or sucrose.” Dr Nestle’s comments happened to be about soda and not fruit but fructose is fruit sugar. Speaking of sugar, the most alarming, must-read sugar article I’ve read recently was by Gary Taube’s in the NYT magazine.

If you’re just starting to make weight loss efforts or you’re losing weight and results have slowed try reducing your fruit intake. I would suggest two cups of fruit a day which is still four servings according to the USDA. If this is your current intake reduce further to 1 cup (or 2 small pieces) of fruit a day. The intention is not to eliminate fruit but just not to overdo it. And to be more of a buzz kill specific, stick to fresh or frozen fruit and skip dried fruit or fruit juice.

Do you think fruit plays a role in weight loss? How much fruit do you eat a day? Is it possible to overdo anything we eat? What is your favorite fruit?