The Roanoker November/December 2023 - 49

Squeeze
WORTH THE
written & photographed by Layla Khoury-Hanold
Fruits & Roots is providing your daily servings of
fresh fruits and veggies in delicious new ways.
I
AT LEFT: Juices, smoothies and
wellness bowls await at Fruits &
Roots in downtown Roanoke.
ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Two early
favorite signature juices include
Beet Vitality and Sweet Green.
Owner Christy Dilcher blends up a
creamy base for a wellness bowl.
Fruits & Roots' cheery space
includes cafe tables and window
nooks.
AT RIGHT: All juices are made
without water, letting produce like
this carrot-forward number shine.
t's 8:30 a.m. on a Wednesday and downtown
Roanoke is humming to life. Part of the buzz is
emanating from Fruits & Roots, a juice bar and
smoothie shop on Campbell Avenue SE, where
owner Christy Dilcher is slicing bananas for a
Banana Bread Bowl while answering a customer's question
about the benefits of turmeric. The shop is just steps
from the Roanoke City Market where Dilcher first began
selling her organic juices last May, growing a following
for signature flavors like Beet Vitality and Sweet Green.
Since officially opening its doors on June 13, 2023, Fruits
& Roots has firmly cemented its status as the go-to spot
for juices, smoothies and wellness bowls in downtown
Roanoke.
What makes Fruits & Roots' juices stand-out is that
they are made with all organic ingredients using a coldpressed
commercial juicing machine, which is vital for
retaining nutrients (heat diminishes them). " From the
beginning to the end everything stays cold, so it extends
the shelf life and gives a better quality juice, " Dilcher
explains, who produces the juices with her husband,
Jimmy Dilcher. In addition, the juices are made without
the addition of water or artificial sweeteners, letting
the natural sweetness and flavors of the produce shine
through. The Carrot Refresh, for example, features an
earthy-sweet mix of fresh carrots, apple, lemon, ginger
and turmeric, while the fruit-forward Mango Tango stars
mango, pineapple, apple, orange and lemon.
The use of top-notch ingredients extends to the
smoothies and wellness bowls too, which are made without
ice and are chockful of nutrient-rich ingredients such
as organic fruits, veggies or plant-based proteins. Most
smoothies and wellness bowls have at least one superfood,
like the Blue Wave smoothie which is crafted with blue
spirulina, a detoxifying algae with anti-inflammatory
properties, or the Chocolate Peanut Butter bowl, which
contains maca, good for regulating hormones and a good
source of vitamin B and fiber. There's also a menu of
add-ons, like the popular ashwaganda, a root and adaptogen
that Dilcher says relieves stress and boosts cognitive
functioning.
The genesis for Fruits & Roots started with Dilcher's
sister, Tracey Bryant, who also eats a plant-based diet and
founded the original Fruits & Roots shop in Pennsylvania
four years ago. Inspired to learn more, Dilcher spent the
last couple years voraciously consuming articles about
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 49
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The Roanoker November/December 2023

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