Trader Joe’s Tangerine Juice

Price: $2.49
Serving: 1/2 bottle, 8oz
Calories: 110 per serving
 Calories from Fat: 0
Fat: 0%, 0g
 Saturated Fat: 0%, 0g
 Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 1%, 15mg
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrates: 8%, 25g
Fiber: 2%, <1g
Sugar: 23g
WW Points: 2 per serving
WW Points: 4 per bottle

*****

Trader Joe’s says: Fresh from California

Abi says: There was a time in college when I was depressed but I didn’t know I was depressed and all I did was drink juice. No food, just juice. My favorite juice was Naked Tangerine juice. It was both sweeter and tarter than regular orange juice.

Fortunately, that experience with vast amounts of juice drinking has not scarred me permanently. I remembered the amazing flavor of tangerine juice while I was at Trader Joe’s the other day and decided that since I’d taken a bus to Wal-Mart to get a car battery (I kid you not) I would treat myself to some expensive juice. Yes, my Trader Joe’s is next to a Wal-Mart. And yes, I carried a battery home on a bus. A car battery. It was really, really heavy.

This tangerine juice is just as good as I remember the Naked Juice being, and remember, I wasn’t eating back then, so juice was A-MA-ZING. This juice comes in the standard ‘two servings per bottle’ size and requires shaking before drinking. In a lot of items I don’t enjoy separation (cheese sauce, for example), but in juice it says to me ‘This is real juice with real fruit ingredients’. If you don’t like pulp and having to shake your juice, this may be a problem.

I’ll probably buy another bottle of this juice the next time I go to Trader Joe’s. It is healthier than chocolate milk, even if it is not shelf stable, and the package is totally recyclable.

December 11, 2008 | 2 Comments 
Filed Under 2 Points, 4 Points, All Natural, Cholesterol Free, Fat Free, Five Stars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Juice, No Preservatives, Tangerine, Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's Defense UP

Trader JoePrice: $2.69 plus tax
Serving: 1/2 bottle, 8 oz.
Calories: 120 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 1%, 15mg
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 10%, 29g
Fiber: 4%, 1g
Sugar: 28g
Caffeine: 0mg

***

Trader Joe says: A blend of juice, herbs & vitamin C combined to fortify you.

Abi says: Unsaid on the bottles, but definitely implied is that this beverage will protect you from colds and flus and all-around general illness. Check out this list (by the way, this product is NSFV or Not Safe For Vegans):

While I’m familiar with Vitamin C and highly skeptical (rightly so according to the National Institutes of Health) of Echinacea, I have no idea what Royal Jelly, Bee Propolis, and Lemon Bioflavenoids are supposed to do for me during cold and flu season.

I remember Royal Jelly from a Nancy Drew book that involved some runners and a Russian athletic diva (after considerable internet research it turned out to be Nancy Drew No. 96, The Case of the Photo Finish). Bee propolis is a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. The example in Wikipedia notes that it would be used if a mouse or lizard crawled into the hive and died there. Unable to carry out the invaders, the bees would seal it in with propolis. Yum!

I can’t find any literature on Lemon Bioflavonoids that isn’t produced by a Vitamin company, but it appears that a study performed in 2007 showed that the antioxidant properties of flavonoids so loved in test tubes didn’t actually perform in the human body. It appears that Trader Joe’s is actually selling us tasty juice full of wishful thinking.

Don’t worry, this stuff won’t hurt you. Plus, the juice tastes pretty darn good and completely lacks any ‘herb’ flavors. If you’re in the mood for some orange juice and your mom is in town and you’d like her to think that you’re taking good care of yourself, put a bottle of Trader Joe’s Defense UP in the fridge.

If you’re not that worried about appearances, regular old orange juice is just as effective as the additives in this beverage.

October 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment 
Filed Under All Natural, Apple, Fat Free, Four Stars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Juice, No Preservatives, Orange, Pineapple, Trader Joe's

Columbia Gorge Organic Apple Cider

Columbia Gorge Organic Apple CiderPrice: $2.50
Serving: 12oz., 1 bottle
Servings Per Container: 1
Calories: 180 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 3%, 67mg
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrates: 15%, 43g
Fiber: 7%, 2g
Sugar: 39g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 Points

****

Columbia Gorge says: Unparalleled in the world of apple ciders. We blend several different kinds of apples to achieve the tart yet sweet flavor of this cider. Making it from soil-enriched grown organic apples is the best way to taste the real apple flavor.

Abi Says: In Washington State, Fall means apples and apples mean cider. Okay, cider and apple sauce and deliciously cinnamony pies. But this is not a pie blog.

During a six-day visit to Seattle I figured that I’d just drink my way across every coffee shop in town. This is a good idea in theory, but in actuality it means jitters, possible tooth stains, and peeing all the freaking time.

In order to avoid the uncomfortable side-effects of diuretics, every noontime I switched to juices. Sometimes it was the blackberry version of an Izze sparkling soda and other days I turned to one of these adorable bottles of juice from the Columbia Gorge Juice Company.

The organic cider was lighter and clearer than I expected, a forewarning that the drink would exhibit few of the qualities of farm-fresh pressed cider. Columbia Gorge delivers a refreshing drink, made simply with organic apples. However, their cider walks a line between juice and true cider.

So, if you’re looking for something to mull with spices and wine, or spike with a bit of Jack Daniels and you have lots of cash to burn, you can’t go wrong with this cider.

October 2, 2008 | 3 Comments 
Filed Under All Natural, Apple, Columbia Gorge Organics, Fat Free, Five Stars, Four Stars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Juice, Juice Cocktails, No Genetically Modified Organisms, No Preservatives, Organic, Three Stars, United States, Vegan

Naked Just Juice Orange Juice

Naked Just Juice Orange JuicePrice: $3.58 (including tax - yikes!)
Serving: 1/2 bottle, 8 oz.
Nutrition info below is per serving, not per bottle
Calories: 110 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 0mg
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 8%, 25g
Fiber: 0%, 0g
Sugar: 25g

*****

Naked Juice says: Okay, so our OJ is just OJ, as defined by: Just the gorgeous, pristine, oh so sweet juice of the amazingly perfect orange, with tons of Vitamin C and sensational antioxidants to ruin a free radical’s day. It’s also just O-J, as in 9 oranges just picked, squeezed, bottle and rushed to your eager, orange-juice-loving but preservative-loathing self. So just shake, just chug and just say “I just love this stuff.”

We say: We had a brief moment of worry upon consuming 9 ORANGES in twenty minutes. My God, if the people who ran those eating competitions also allowed juicers, we might be able to beat the Black Widow of competitive eating, Sonya Thomas. Of course, if she also had a juicer than the edge would be moot.

While it seems a bit cliché to rate the first drink review a 5-star drink, we have to say that the only way you could possibly get better orange juice would be to travel to Florida and drink freshly-squeezed juice. Oh, you say that you can make better fresh orange juice at home? Well, you are wrong because it is not possible.

September 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment 
Filed Under All Natural, Fat Free, Five Stars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Juice, Naked Juice, Orange

Port City Java Lemonade

Port City Java LemonadePrice: $3.50
Serving: 16oz.
Calories: 140 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0.3g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 7mg
Protein: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 11%, 33.9g
Fiber: 2%, 0.4g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 points

****

Port City Java says: You won’t believe how this one is made. Apples and lemons, all-natural.

Abi says: For the last couple of weeks, Washington, DC has experienced some of the most glorious autumn weather imaginable. While I loved such a delightful send-off, wearing shorts in October felt a bit amiss. And avoiding coffee in the morning because, hello - freaking hot - also meant that I arrived at work sans-caffeine buzz. It was great to go for evening walks in little more than a sun dress, but during the day it was evident that warm days ≠ gorgeous fall foliage.

All of this insane weather has me craving summery foods and beverages. I’m not ready for root vegetables and pumpkins! Give me sno cones, hot dogs, lemonade, and cold beer! Basically, I want to live in a baseball game. And that baseball-game inhabiting self just about drooled when I saw approximately 18 people drinking tall, icy glasses of lemonade outside of the Eastern Market Port City Java.

“Ah!” I thought with glee “That’s just what I need! Lemonade!” Yes, my mind is that exclamatory.

While my friend Lisa checked out one of the myriad clothing sellers, I braved the line in anticipation of a tartly sugarrific expression of the last days of summer. And then waited some more for them to make my lemonade. And after about 5 minutes I started thinking “Where the hell is my lemonade already?”

“One lemonade on the bar!” called the person who could only be described as ‘The Juicer.’ I took one look at the bar and thought “That cannot possibly be my lemonade.” Scroll back up the page and take a look at it: opaquely cloudy, decidedly non-yellow, and definitely not containing a lemon wedge.

“Is this the lemonade?” I asked the barrista, who assured that yes, it was indeed the lemonade. I took an exploratory sip, worrying that I was about to experience a horrific meeting of dairy and unknown orangey fruits, when the taste of fantastically tart lemon zipped across my tongue. This was lemonade. Real lemonade. Really good lemonade.

I have a feeling that this drink consists solely of apple cider and lemons. From that sentence you might think that I didn’t like the drink. But then you would be wrong. It is everything you’d expect from that fresh-squeezed stuff you pay big bucks for at a ballgame, but instead of using sugar, or (God forbid!) high fructose corn syrup, Port City Java uses apples and lemons.

I don’t know exactly how they do it, but this drink it magical.

September 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment 
Filed Under All Natural, Fat Free, Five Stars, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Juice, Lemonade, Port City Java, United States, Vegan

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