People Suddenly Love V8? What?
An article in Newsday asks the question: "Why are Campbell's V8 juices suddenly selling?" We didn't even realize they were.
Supposedly, a new distribution deal with Coca-Cola combined with a cute advertising campaign featuring people getting smacked on the forehead for not drinking V8 has sent "sales soaring."
Weird. We seriously thought we were the only person on earth who drank V8. No one else we know likes it. We've actually been made fun of for drinking it.
Oh well. V8 is being marketed as a healthier alternative to sodas and even orange juice, because it has less sugar and calories than those drinks. What it does have, however, is lots of sodium: 480mg-710mg per 8 oz, depending on the flavor.
It's also being touted as a veggie substitute, which it really isn't, unless you're one of those people who think of french fries and ketchup as a "vegetable." Then by all means, drink more V8. Buy a case. We recommend the spicy one.
A veggie tale: Why are Campbell's V8 juices suddenly selling? [Newsday]
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You're not the only one. I love the stuff. Always have.
V8 is awesome and if you get the plain kind the sodium level isn't too bad. It is much better than drinking soda. Now it does have veggies in it, but you should eat the real thing as well. I love tomato juice as well and that is even better because it pretty much has no salt at all. It's not for everyone but for guys it's a great thing to drink more often as you get older. It helps alot with keeping the prostate healthy. Also eat lots of tomatoes they are awesome and do great things for your general health.
I enjoy V8 about as much as I enjoy Moxie... old socks in a can.
Seriously - have you had the V8 Splash? It's got the serving goodness of vegetables and fruit. Fantastic and delicious.
Much as I love fruit-vegetable juice blends, V8 Splash is gross: it's made largely of juices from concentrates and high fructose corn syrup. Carrot juice is sweet enough as it!
Seriously??? people really drink that crap?
I seriously dislike the V-8 Splash, but the Spicy V-8 has always been the best stuff on the planet. It has like 50 calories for an 8 ounce glass & helps you feel full longer than other drinks. There is a Low-Sodium type if that is your thing. It isn't an issue with me, but probably isn't a bad idea - I never paid attention to the sodium levels until I read it here just now, so maybe I'll buy the low-salt kind next time.
My employer has cans and cans of it for us to consume when ever we feel like it. Yum!
I love V8, always have (especially spicy). Aside from the salt, it is definitely healthy, and should count towards your 5-a-day. Eat raw fruits and veggies too, but counter-intuitively, processed veggies like tomatoes and carrots can be more nutritious than when raw. As I understand it, the cellulose in raw veggies can lock up the nutrients so they are not absorbed.
@marsneedsrabbits: Ah yes, I do commend the spicy and low-sodium versions of V-8. The latter is great because it retains some of the natural sweetness of tomatoes.
yuck
I'll admit it, my favorite use for V-8 is as a base for spaghetti sauce.
V8 splash is EXCELLENT, especially the diet Tropical flavor. V8 regular is fairly disgusting to me but it makes a very good soup base.
+ vodka
+ tsp horseradish
+ splash of tobasco
+ splash of worcestershire
+ dash of celery salt
+ grind 'o pepper
+ more vodka
+ celery stalk
= g'morning!
I grew up on V8. My father and I were the only ones in the family that liked it. Whenever I am sick the only thing I want is some V8. V8 is my favorite drink :)
Spicy V-8 is one of the best bloody mary bases I have found. :)
The spicy v8 is a great thing to use in your chili..
Isn't it like 120 calories for 8 ounces?
@Yep: Was that recipe supposed to include V8? If so, how much?
(btw I prefer Zhitomirska Herb Flavored Vodka in my Bloody Marys - though ABSOLUT PEPPAR also works)
I think one reason V8 may be doing well is they sell it at Cosco which makes the single serve cans fairly reasonably priced - especially stacked next to various gourmet waters that don't really offer much for you health=wise that a vitamin tablet can't. As to the sodium levels, unless you are on a sodium restricted diet there is no reason to be concerned about 700 mg in a serving - with a normal daily allowance of 2-3 grams you could have that much sodium at each meal - and a bit more than that (within reason) isn't going to hurt you (note: I said if you aren't on a restricted diet).
Spicy V8 is one shot of grain alcohol away from being a quick-and-dirty Bloody Mary.
The V8 Splash is gross, but they've got this "V8 Fusion" stuff that's sort of the same "fruit-flavored V8" idea but with 100% actual juice. It's pretty good (though a couple of the flavors are heavy on melon and peach, neither of which I like much).
I think that even if a lot of people aren't wild about the taste of V8, if you advertise it right they'll realize "hey, I can just chug it and then have a coffee afterward, it'll be fine."
Spicy hot V8 is the best stuff ever. I recently started redrinking it after driving to a shop one day and being hit with a craving for it.
Of course, it's too spicy for everyone else I know, or they don't like v8 because it's yucky... more for me!
I drink the low sodium version regularly -- it's a grower, kind of like how coffee was when I first started drinking it. And the VG fusion smoothies are amazing.
I can't decide on "putrid" or "vile". So I'll go with "putrile".
Love it. I only like the tomato-y kind, I think the fruit ones are gross.
There's just something about a fruit-y tasting V8, that's just not right to me.
I use V8 to make vegetable soups and stews, and very rarely a Bloody Mary. Otherwise, never touch the stuff. V8 Splash is nothing but fruit punch, with the first two ingredients being water and HFCS, yuck. V8 Fusion is good, but at almost $4 a jar, too expensive for my juice chugging kids. Plus, letting them drink that much juice is too much sugar.
@khook: I like it too, but the vegetables are potatoes, carrots, and pears. Not exactly all the vitamens you need. Plus, it has the HFCS.
BTW, does anyone know if it's true that HFCS damages your organs?
V8 is a great addition to a "trying to lose weight" diet. I don't know what it is, but it has something my body wants - I know I'm less likely to be randomly and nonsensically hungry if I have V8.
It may be an acquired taste. I don't think I could have sat down to a glass when I was a kid. Now I like it a lot. I don't drink it cuz it's way expensive. :(
It's the perfect recipe for feeling better: a can of V8 and a power bar. Gets the blood sugar right and I feel great.
My other half is from Spain.
When we visit in the summertime, it's not unusual to pack a thermos full of Gazpacho for the afternoon picnic. I always give them a hard time by telling them, "In the U.S. it is called it V8". They even respond now and ask me, "Quieres Sopa de V8?".
Funny thing, last time I was there (June 07), I started seeing many advertisements for Gazpacho "in-a-box". Virtually unlimited shelf-life and zero clean-up. My brother-in-law scoffed at the idea, but did not hesitate to use the prepared Paella powder seasoning.
Anyway,a great way to use surplus tomatoes.
Ew.
@CumaeanSibyl: I kinda like V8 Splash, but it has to be super cold or you can really taste the carrots, which puts me off.
Clamato is the best on earth in blody marys! v8 is like taking a spoon full of salt with a bunch of crap---but it sure tastes pretty good.
I grew up on V8 too. I recently bought two flats of those little cans of it at costco. I'm down to a quarter left and I'm starting to slow down. What is funny is I've noticed a lot of my friends drinking bloody marrys lately.
I was about to comment on the sodium when you brought it up.
On the other hand, as others have said, the plain one has less sodium than the cutesy ones.
On top of that, there's a low sodium version of the plain one. I've only been able to find that one in the little 6 (8?)oz, aluminum cans, though.
@nardo218: HFCS allegedly effects calorie metabolism jacking up insulin and causing an increase in the creation of fat and cholesterol blood levels in the long run. If I remember correctly.
The Splash ingredients aren't so good.
I've been drinking the low sodium V8 for years, the only aggravation is that the low sodium only comes in small cans or big jugs. I've never seen it by the flat at Sam's or GFS either, only the spicy or regular. Hey V8, if you read this, please make the low sodium available in the larger cans.
My friends and I drank v8 for years. I think we referred to it by it's other name though, the bloody mary.
instead of spicy v8, i just put some tabasco in it
Clamato juice is where it's at; soooo much better than V8.
I stopped drinking it as a kid before they said they made the tomato taste less intense/tart/whatever but I haven't tried it again yet.
@InThrees: That makes me think I really need to buy some but...
@RandoTheKing: makes me think I need to stay far, far away.
It's the flavors! I love the spicy V8.
Don't confuse real V8 with V8 Splash. Sure, the latter tastes good (to many of us), but only because it's chock full of sugars and syrup. Don't drink it because you think you're getting something healthful.
Man, V8 is some good shit. I used to buy the cans and drink one for breakfast every day.
The peach-mango V8 Fusion is the best juice for making homemade smoothies--a cup of that, a little yogurt and frozen fruit makes for a very healthy, little-sugar-added snack. But it is expensive to drink on its own.
Is it still good for you if you only drink it in blody marys? 3 times a day?