How I got my OJ back

Almost 15 years ago (yes, that long), I left home for the first time to be an art student in New York. Without my mom and her cook to feed me, I found a most efficient way to nourish myself.

For breakfast, I bought Coke and Kitkat from the school’s vending machine.

Lunch was usually chicken wings and fried rice from the Korean deli across the campus, consumed while sitting on a fire hydrant with my classmates.

For dinner, I sometimes had a slice of typically huge and floppy New York cheese pizza from Venezia near my home. At 65 cents/slice, how could you go wrong?

If I was particularly homesick, I took out fried fish from Elvie’s Turo-Turo on 13th and First and hid it under my coat on the bus.

There were certain supermarket staples I got used to, like Häagen-Dazs Coffee ice cream, Kelloggs Strawberry Pop-Tarts (no frosting), and Tropicana Grovestand Orange Juice.

Sadly, none of these were available when I went back home, so adjustments had to be made.

Venezia pizza was substituted with Shakey’s. Strawberry Pop-Tarts were frosted, so forget that. Häagen-Dazs ice cream became available many years later.

And orange juice was something I became picky about.

I’m an orange juice person. If I could have it every day, I would. I like my orange juice fresh, chilled, and pulpy.

I get ecstatic when it’s free and abundant, like at certain events in Hong Kong where fresh orange juice flows from silver pitchers.

Back in Manila, fresh orange juice became a luxury. If my dad was paying, I’d order it in a hotel restaurant. I’ve tried different brands from the supermarket but none have been good enough for me.

Recently, my editor asked if I would check in at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a weekend getaway. All I’d have to do was drink juice. I thought the Mandarin had concocted a special drink of the month. No problem.

When I arrived for lunch, imagine my surprise when I found out Pepsico was hosting the weekend event to introduce Tropicana Pure Premium to the press.

After how many years, Tropicana Pure Premium is here! This is not to be confused with the ultra-sweet Tropicana Twister being sold in bottles. Tropicana Pure Premium comes in cartons and is 100 percent all-natural orange juice without the addition of sugar, water, artificial coloring or preservatives – nothing added, nothing taken away.

For me, it’s the next best thing to having a freshly squeezed glass of OJ.

At lunch, chilled Tropicana Pure Premium flowed and was served in tall glasses. We learned about the facts and health benefits:

• Tropicana Pure Premium is the third most-sold item in American grocery stores.

• Each carton of Tropicana Pure Premium contains 20 oranges from Florida, where oranges are handpicked, washed, sorted, and graded before the juice is extracted, filtered, and blended.

• They are processed for pasteurization to control any harmful microorganisms.

• In flash pasteurization, natural orange juice is rapidly subjected to high temperatures and then quickly cooled prior to packaging and storage. This helps preserve the fresh flavor compounds found in freshly squeezed orange juice.

Health Benefits

• If you’re lactose intolerant, you can turn to Tropicana Pure Premium for your daily calcium needs. Calcium and vitamin D help prevent osteoporosis.

• It is a good source of potassium which can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

• Pregnant women need all the help they can get. Folate-enriched Tropicana may help reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects during pregnancy and help build healthy red blood cells.

• A tall glass of Tropicana delivers a full day’s supply of vitamin C, an essential antioxidant that protects from cancer, heart disease, and various inflammatory conditions caused by free radicals.

• Fiber in Tropicana Pure Premium helps the digestive system stay healthy and regular.

• It is the perfect drink for people watching their weight because it is fat-free and contains no sodium. It will boost your metabolism.

After the press briefing we were taken to our rooms which were loaded with orange-scented products from L’Occitane, an orange fruit basket, a wooden crate with Tropicana glasses (love this one), a snack assortment from Pepsico products, and a minibar stocked with drinks, compliments of Pepsico.

I started to drink my daily OJ again after the Mandarin weekend. I prefer the Grovestand with lots of pulp in my tall Tropicana glass with ice cubes. Tropicana can be found in leading supermarkets like Shopwise, SM, Robinsons, Rustan’s and Cherry Foodarama.

There will be no more Coke and Kitkat for breakfast.