What price fruit? Photo: Sue Jefferson
How much should it cost for a few swigs of fruit juice?
Last week at Dundrum, I craved something healthy to see me through the tedious torture of a day’s shopping in this oddly alluring hellhole. I got a perfectly fine smoothie, full of kiwis and various healthy fruits. But as I queued, I was nearly bowled over by the price of the pure juices. It cost €4 for an apple juice. Four euro! I know the usual arguments about high rents, wages, insurance etc, so please, don’t: this juice price just didn’t tally with the rest of the menu. Is it a rip off record?
At Zumo juice in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, an energiser juice (€3.85) was slurped down in the sun. Delicious though it was, I suspect the mark-up was similarly quite high.
I used to make smoothies every day, until last year I reverted back to my natural state of skipping breakfast or just having natural yogurt with honey and fruit. Now I tend to part with far too much cash if I’m passing a juice bar and the urge takes me. They seem even more appealing in summer time.
Do you buy juices and smoothies, or is it better to make your own? And can you share any good fruity tips?
Thursday 24 June, 2010 at 6:31 am
I used to think you needed fresh berries to make smoothies until I discovered that frozen berries work even better. Check out Lidl and Tesco for good deals on both summer and winter berry packs in the freezer. I can’t eat too much dairy so just whizz apple juice, a banana and and the berries in the blender, you could add some honey also. It is so quick I often wonder why we don’t make them more often!
Thursday 24 June, 2010 at 7:39 am
I never buy them anymore for 2 reasons. 1) They are a complete rip off, much cheaper to buy your own and 2) no matter what flavours I get they always end up tasting of either orange or banana and not much else!
Thursday 24 June, 2010 at 9:43 am
I once got a lump of the yogurt they use in zumo that had not been blended properly. It was ridiculously sweet! Loaded with sugar. So while technically they are using juice, fruit and yogurt, in reality there is a lot of added sugar.
Thursday 24 June, 2010 at 10:54 am
CeeGee – you’ve hit the nail on the head! Even the apple based juices do indeed seem to taste of orange or banana!
Thursday 24 June, 2010 at 11:30 am
I am usually full of good intentions when I see a nice fruit stall (especially if the price is reduced) but as soon as I get home, the ide of washing, peeling and chopping just seems too hard.
One easy way to make a healthy and cheap smoothie is to get a pack of frozen berries (or pick your own, wash them and freeze them) and mix them with banana, milk and honey or experiment with the cheap juices from Lidl or Aldi. Last September after picking lots of (free) blackberries, I froze them and blended some with orange juice; they have a lot of pips so maybe not great for young children but thet are yummy this way.