And - Introducing unfamiliar raw food kitchen appliances to loved ones
And - Nutrient analysis of the ingredients in celery, cucumber, carrot juice
Rick and I gave my dad a juicer for Christmas, so today we set it up and made a couple of juice recipes. He was very excited to use the juicer, since he loves fresh vegetable juice and finds the operation of the juicer to be relatively simple. Last Christmas, we gave dad a high powered blender, which he does not really use all that much, except when Rick or I make him smoothies or salad dressings with it. Today, he told me that the blender is a little challenging to clean, and he would prefer a smaller machine. This illustrates some notable points for introducing unfamiliar appliances to loved ones:
1. Operation of the machine has to be simple in the eyes of the beholder – this means set-up, clean-up, and everything in between. Different machines may be easier for some people versus others. For example, I find the operation of the high powered blender to be easier than the juicer, but my dad finds the opposite to be true for himself.
2. The person has to be really interested in actually using the machine or the final product has to be tasty or otherwise inspiring enough for the person to spend time making the recipe :). My dad loves fresh vegetable juice – celery, cucumber, carrot. Great recipes that showcase the flavor of healthy foods can make all of the difference in how much motivation someone has to use the appliance, but dad and I have found simplicity of operation to be just as important.
3. Used machines in good working order can be a good option to see if the person is interested in the machine. Last year, Rick and I purchased a used high powered blender for sale locally at a great price, rather than buying a new one. This way, dad was able to try out the blender without a large financial layout. We may end up purchasing him a smaller blender, but since we were able to find such a good deal on the used high power blender, we could actually sell it for more than the purchase price. However, we have no plans to sell this blender because even though dad may not use it, Rick and I certainly will when we are visiting him.
Additionally, it is our opinion that one cannot put a price on personal health, and we have found that kitchen equipment that we have purchased over the years, new and second-hand, has been well worth the investment.
Here is the simple juice recipe my dad made today:
Two carrots
Three stalks of celery
One cucumber
Here is a nutrient analysis of the ingredients in the juice:
| Carrots, celery, cucumber | Adult Daily Values | |
| Calories | 136 | |
| Calcium | 165 | 1000 – 1200 mg |
| Iron | 1.95 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Zinc | 0.85 | 8 – 11 mg |
| Magnesium | 6.25 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 1442 | 4700 mg |
| Vitamin C | 26.4 | 75 – 90 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.61 | 15 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.12 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.21 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.91 | 14 – 16 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 1.25 | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 | 1.3 – 1.7 mg |
| Folate | 90.2 | 400 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 654 mcg | |
| Protein | 5.3 mg |
This nutrient content is notable for 136 calories. Where are the dark leafy greens in this recipe? Well, dad is not a huge fan of dark leafy greens in juice, yet. The good news is that he does like them in green smoothies.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2013! Cheers!
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