Adventures at the Smoothie Stand

[Werevegan]

We were shopping at the mall today. Everyone went for burgers, I went for the smoothie stand.

Me: "The Cooler is without dairy, right?"
Her: "Uh...yeah, no dairy."

Me: "Whats in the "10 Juices," listed as an ingredient in the Cooler?"
Her: "Uh.. its the base for the smoothie." Shows me empty gallon jug with a huge label full of ingredients in tiny print.

Me: "Can I get a smoothie with just the fruit, just the mangoes and stuff? Without the juices?"
Her: "Without the juices??? Well if I just put fruit it wouldn't be a smoothie, it'd be all crunchy and hard and stuff. It has to have the juice."

Me: "Can't you mix it with water instead?"
Her: (with look of abject horror on her face) "WATER?? JUST WATER???"

By this time everyone in line behind me is showing signs of aggravation, so I took the Cooler as is. I watched her pour some kinda funky golden colored liquid from a jug with that long label into a blender, add a few scoops of various fruit, then squirt 3 gobs of thick yellow syrup (I think it was mango flavoring) into the blender, before mixing and pouring into my plastic disposable cup.

I wanted to tell her I make smoothies with fruit and water all the time and they taste fine. I wanted to say whats the point of having a fruit smoothie if you have to add artificial syrups, flavorings, and extra syrup? But I didn't... I took my smoothie and trudge back to the table, consoling myself that it still had to be better than a burger and fries, and promised myself that I would eat first or bring my own food next time. :(

[Jamie]

I wish there were more places where we could get a real fruit smoothie.... I just don't get why there isn't.

I have had the same experience with a local "juice bar". I wanted just fresh fruit but they didn't understand and kept telling me that they had healthy fruit juice mix stuff.

My 10 yr old son wants to open up a raw restaurant,, I tell him that would be just too much, but a real smoothie stand would be great! I think it would do really good especially if advertised as healthy whole fruits.

Sometimes I feel so left out when with my friends and they are drinking coffee or fraps or other stuff and I can't get anything! There is something comforting and cozy about holding a drink to me. :)

[RawTruth]

I know just how you feel. When I first went raw, I took Victoria Bouteko's advice and avoided restaurants, foods courts, and other places where SAD food lives. Then, after a few months, I felt prepared for them. My best girlfriend wanted me to walk my 10,000 daily steps with her at the mall, but, even then, the smell of the food court was so seductive. So, I always blended up a smoothie at home and brought it with me in a thermal cup and made sure I had fudge balls or flax crackers or a LaraBar with me even if I'd just eaten. And, I made sure to have just eaten! It made a huge difference. After a while, I discovered that I could get a fairly decent salad there and, miracle of miracles, the smoothie stand has a real juicer - an industrial Champion - and apples, celery, cucumbers, beets (!!), so I knew I had it handled after that. However, what I've had to learn to accept is that those aromas are still seductive (even though it's been 8 months now with barely a slip ... and I have no intention of eating those things.)

You should be glad those ingredients were too teensy to read -- they'd have given you a heart attack!

A close friend who is also all raw always says: Our worst eating is so much better than their best eating.

By the time your son opens his raw restaurant, I'm sure it'll be in such demand that he'll be a huge success! (Two that are near me have people waiting for tables many nights already. I think it's just a matter of time until the living food enthusiasm filters into the heartland and south.)

[kel]

The living food idea will make its way to where it is needed.

I was in Vancouver BC yesterday for a business trip that I had to take a ferry to get to. Now I love the 1 1/2 hour drive to the ferry,2 hours on the ferry and several hours in traffic ( not used to traffic at home) I was almost prepared with dried dates & apricots, some real fresh fruit and a green juice before I left the house in the morning, at 7:45. By 8:15, 12 12/2 hours later I was still in Vancouver waiting to get on the ferry and famished. Low and behold there in the Market for a government ferry, was a "Starbucks" a "Salty Dawgs" that sold hot dogs and a organic food stand. I had sprouted quinoa with dill and currants. Not bad, eh?

:)

[RawTruth]

Low and behold there in the Market for a government ferry, was a "Starbucks" a "Salty Dawgs" that sold hot dogs and a organic food stand. I had sprouted quinoa with dill and currants. Not bad, eh?How fabulous. You so lucked out.

Even when presented with less than such an ideal situation, we can usually still duck into a 7-11 or other brand of mini-mart where they usually sell bananas or other fruit. Yes, it may look sad and forlorn and definitely not organic sitting by the cash register, but it's still better than eating SAD.

[Leiloshka]

Werevegan..I understand exactly. I live near Fort Worth and the only "juice bar" that has something is Jamba Juice. But, it's ONLY oranges and carrots. However, it's raw, it's fresh and that's the best I can do around there some days. And, it may depend on the place. At the one downtown (the first time I had ever been) I was asking her whatever fruits/veggies they had besides the oranges and the carrots I saw. I was telling her I just wanted real fruit, no juices. Anyway, she suggested the orange/carrot from the menu. I saw people using bananas and berries, but it's like the juice people don't get it. They CAN deviate from the menu and create something! They even had a raw book for sale on a bookshelf along with other things and I just wanted to say...LOOK!! Like this!! Just mix up some real fruit and water! VOILA! :rolleyes:

However, I went to a Jamba Juice at the Whole Foods market in Arlington and that guy had more imagination and threw some more fruits in there. I've gone to a Smoothie King once and that girl didn't have a clue either. I pretty much had blueberry and pineapple there and I still wasn't sure the pineapple was fresh. Oh, well, like RawTruth said...surely, eventually, this living food thing will filter to the south. Can't wait!!

[hotgugon]

yeah, whenever i go places, i bring my own food...and at the mall, my own smoothie in a nalgene...its great :D

[Pailani]

I had a similar experience at the mall--the girl behind the counter told me, "If I just make your smoothie with fruit and water, it won't tase good, and I can't give you your money back if you don't like it." I told her it was okay, to go ahead and do it anyway. The smoothie was fine.

[rawmom]

I read the ingredients at the smoothie counter of my local mall-didn't have time to order as the little ones were getting restless, but next time I go am going to get one-without the mixture-it of course contains dairy and I am allergic to it so usually people are receptive to leaving things out if you tell them you are allergic-so maybe you could say the old "I'm unable to have dairy" and maybe they will comply with your request!

Rawmom

[HappierNappier]

Hi there! I am new here. I am a Vegan Chef and an Aspiring Raw foodist. I have been on the path now on and off for about ten years. My mother recently died of breast cancer in March and it has dawned on me that the path to help her heal was in front of me all along.

I own Baltimore's only Vegan Cafe and I specialize in Raw and Live Food Preparation.

We make smoothies with fruit only and what makes them "smooth" is bananas. I was amazed to find a new juice bar downtown that I took my kids to and when my daughter ordered a smoothie, they sweetened it with white sugar. It was SOOOO sweet and was very disappointed.

Anyway, I hear you all. This is it. The REAL Life for me. I just got Alissa's raw book. I am very excited to be here.

Do any of you feel like now that you are on this path the people in your circle of friends seems to change? I now we were talking about eating out here but......maybe I will post this as it's own thread.

Peace

Skai

[Werevegan]

Do any of you feel like now that you are on this path the people in your circle of friends seems to change?

They haven't for me, and thats one of the reasons it is so difficult to stick to the raw diet (for me at least.) Everything is about food - dinner dates, barbecues, 'going for ice cream', wings and beer for sporting events, popcorn and coke at the movies, food food food!

I feel like an inconvenience to others if I don't want to go to the local joint for wings and beer, or to an Italian restaurant for dinner with the S/O. Most restaurants do not serve a salad, or if they do its a small plate of iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato on top, and piece of carrot if you're lucky. :rolleyes: Plus the smells and aromas make it tremendously difficult to stick with it, even if you eat before hand.

Any tips or suggestions from others on how you've handled socializing in your old circle of friends as a 'raw vegan?'

[Jamie]

Werevegan,

I personally love my friends and don't want to change friends!!! I think we just have to keep working on ourselves and trying to change OUR outlook on eating.
I agree that it is totally hard to smell the cooked food at restaurants. It is so tempting. But I guess for me, I figure that each of us has to come to a place of wanting to eat for our health, and if my friends are not at that place, then it is not for me to make them get there. I would just go and have the small iceberg lettuce salad then have a great leafy salad or a yummy smoothie when I got home!!!!!
I mentioned in an ealier post an old friend who turned raw and judged others. Well she would never go to dinner with others cause it grossed her out to see them eating. Well guess what,, she has no true friends anymore. So sad.
So I think that we just keep trying to be good witnesses for raw and in the mean time love our friends and gently tell them how good raw is working for us.!!!

Raw is such a journey!! Good luck and blessings to you!!!!