Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Now in Liquid Form

I love liquid sustenance: soups, teas, mate, coffee, milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, smoothies, milkshakes, slushies...you get the idea. But when it comes to juice, I'm more picky. I barely tolerate citrus juices in paper cartons, and I almost never drink any other kind of packaged juice (Mott's? Ick.)

But I do love fresh fruit juice, whether it's from a market or homemade. I recently started juicing at home, and it's been a nice addition to our meals and as part of snacks. Here's a simple recipe for about two and a half cups of juice (three times what's in the photo):

• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 large cucumber
• 1 small apple
• 1 small beet

Scrub everything very clean and juice everything--skin, seeds, and all. The above is my standard combination: an apple, a carrot, a beet, and something green. It's a nice balance of colors and nutrients, and results in a drink that looks and tastes pleasant. No matter what people tell you, no one likes drinking green or brown sludge.

If you have a hard time wrapping your mind around vegetable juices, use a large apple or add some other fruits. Pears and oranges work nicely, or make your juice and throw it in a blender with a banana to make a smoothie (but please don't put a banana in your juicer).

If, on the other hand, you're feeling adventurous, add more vegetables. I've used celery, broccoli, or a very (VERY) small amount of bittermelon without J detecting it. He's very picky about odd combinations, but if you have a ripe apple it pretty much masks all strange flavors.