I wanted this topic to open discussion for people’s experiences/opinions of a juice based/plant based diet.
There may be a topic started somewhere else but I don’t have time to look.
My thoughts: I want to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Plant based all the better. I eat a regular diet at the moment (Lots of fish and chicken, lamb here and there) but having young children, and due to time constraints I’ve found we are starting to fall into the trap of convenience as a family.
I’ve been educating my daughter on the health benefits and how to juice etc and she likes the taste of them but If there’s anyone out there with young children trying to do the same, I’d like to know your experiences. My daughter isn’t a very big eater, but my son is (both under 4)
I just want to see how others get on, on this type of diet with and without children.
A very broad discussion welcome.
EDIT:
I lump juicing and blending together. My bad. I have a juicer and a Ninja and I juice and blend together.
Quick take - ‘juicing’ removes a lot of the good of eating a vegetable or fruit. Yes it is convenient and ok from time to time but I don’t see it as a sustainable option.
I’m personally more invested in a balanced approach to eating (I’m not gonna use the word diet here).
So I work in a slightly relevant industry, with a touch of nutrition experience.
Genuine thoughts;
Current UK population currently does not get it’s 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
Juice can be a useful way to get more portions of fruit and veg into the diet, if you’re not getting them, generally.
You tend to lose Fibre (some remains, but not as much as the whole fruit)
You also have a lot of ‘free sugar’ within Fruit Juice - admiteddly it’s the same amount of sugar you would get in the same quantity of fruit being blended, but as a juice it is easier to consumer a greater quantity (and therfore more likely to exceed your RDA of Sugar)
General sound advice; get more fruit and veg into the diet; using a mix of different coloured fruits/veg (tend to be high in different nutrients), Juice can be a part of that but it’s important to balance it with other key nutrients too.l
Are we talking liquid only diet? That’s not great for you for many reasons.
A plant based diet is fine just make sure you get everything you need as usual.
Good advice @BritishLibrary, this is similar to what I’ve heard from registered dieticians, especially in regards to over consuming to much sugar without realising it.
For me balanced eating is the old ‘five a day’ kinda thinking. I don’t believe any single ‘diet’ provides everything everyone needs and I think fixating on what you are eating is also a bad thing and can lead to negative associations and habits.
Essentially: Eat sensible portions of healthy food and treat yourself now and then. e.g. I had ice cream and churros this weekend, I’m having a big salad for lunch today.
I am trying to lose weight, which may not be the same goal as you and your family. I am following a very successful eating plan that is in summary, very limited amounts of fat, very limited amounts of non-fruit sugar and a limited amount of bread. You must have a third of your plate vegetables at each meal. But the most relevant part of the plan is that you can consume as much fruit as you like, but you can’t blend or juice them for the reasons given above.
I definitely wasn’t getting enough vitamins, and or eating enough fruits and veggies. I have sensitive teeth so fruits especially are very hard to eat for me for the acidic reasons. Blends and juices through a straw is definitely a lot easier than eating the fruit on its own.
I’ve been finding a good balance by eating cereals, nuts and a proper meal in the evenings which satiates me till morning. The evening meal is anything I fancy - again with a portion of veg, salad but a meat portion too.
I tend to struggle with snacks. I work shifts (drive trains) and it’s not possible to make a juice or smoothie at work. Soups are quite good but get boring very quickly and you’re limited by the amount you can take/carry.
If anyone had any tips for this area would be good to hear.
I’m a fan and have tried all of them - been a Huel customer since 2016 but Saturo is my favorite. Saturo and Huel both offer mixable powders, pre-mixed bottled meals, and snack bars that are all nutritionally complete. Soylent is the “original” company in this space but for many years was US only, so other companies sprang up in their absence before they hit the UK, but they now offer their bottled meals and powder via Amazon UK.
I’m a fan of saturo because it’s either that or a trip down to greggs, and for the same money I get something that’s balanced. Easy to count too… 1ml = 1 calorie.
I was on 2x500ml for lunch but am currently trying 2x330ml as it was slightly too filling.
