picture from missclinic.com
Over some time, juice has gotten a bad rap. The professionals are now saying to choose whole fruits over juice and if it’s a must, try to only have one serving of fruit juice per day. This recommendation is a good one, because juice can tend to have a good bit of sugar and calories.
BUT…..
In my household, we buy juice. If we did not, my husband would have zero hope of getting his recommended servings of fruit each day. Whole fruit just isn’t much of an option for him- it seems more like torture. So the way I look at is- it’s better to get some vitamins and minerals in him through the juice, rather than not get any in him at all. I am not saying this is the right way to go about it, but it’s the way things have to go in my household. So if you are like me dealing with a picky child or husband or if you just enjoy a glass of juice every now and then (I know I do), I want to offer the best methods for choosing a juice brand that will provide the most health benefits, resembling whole fruit.
How to choose your juice at the grocery store:
-Look for 100% fruit juice on the label. Avoid all juices that are labeled with terms such as “fruit drink” “fruit juice cocktail” “from concentrate” or “made with real juice.” Unless it says 100%, it’s not likely to be 100% and you will be getting less of the fruit juice and more of the JUNK.
-Check the ingredients. The ingredients list should only be about 3 ingredients long, max. If you are not buying a Calcium or Vitamin D fortified juice, then the ingredients list should not even contain 3 ingredients.
-Choose a juice that is rich in color. Typically the color rich juices are the ones that contain more antioxidants and phytochemicals. Blueberry, Cranberry, Pomegranate, etc.
– Be careful with juices advertising less sugar, or lower calories. Usually, if it is some form of a “diet” product, more additives have been put in to compensate for what was taken out!
The Dainty Dietitian 