Do you like fruit juice a little, a lot…or by the litre?
Personally, I’m not a big fan of fruit juice. In the morning, I’m more of a café au lait or smoothie person. And what I like during the day, when I’m thirsty, is water. Still, though, I know lots of people who just love their morning glass of orange juice and couldn’t do without it. But is fruit juice a helpful part of our diet? Is it really all that nutritious ?
Fruit juice means sugar…and plenty of it
One small glass of apple juice – 125 ml or ½ cup – contains 15 grams of sugar. I don’t know if it’s occurred to you already, but that amounts to 1 full tablespoon of sugar. It’s like adding 15 ml of sugar to 125 ml of water. Which could be very bad news, especially if you’re someone who happens to love fruit juice. Some people will say there isn’t just sugar in fruit juice, there are vitamins too. And yes, of course there are vitamins in commercial fruit juice, but not nearly as much as in whole fruit.
“When you drink juice, you’re drinking as much sugar as you would in a soft drink”
Think about it. To make commercial juice, fruits are pressed to extract the liquid. As a result, there’s no fruit pulp or peel left, though that’s where the most nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre – are found. Which is why the nutritional profile of fruit juice has little or nothing to do with whole fruit. All the experts agree that eating whole fruits is preferable to drinking juice. And many would say that the “natural” sugar in fruit juice is comparable to, and just as bad for your health as, the sugar in sweetened beverages like fruit punch or soft drinks.
Do we have to get rid of fruit juice in our diet?
No way! Every food type can be part of a healthy diet, including fruit juice. However, it’s a food source we should enjoy in moderate amounts. The experts recommend limiting our juice consumption, no matter how “pure,” to one small glass daily – 125 to 190 ml. Also, I’m sorry to say, homemade juice isn’t any “better.” If you throw away the pulp and peel, you’re also throwing away a major share of nutrients. For fluid replacement, there’s nothing better than water, and that goes for children as well as grown-ups. If you really like fruit juice, try thinning it with a little water. Then gradually add more water than juice, over time. You can also replace your morning juice with a small but nutritious smoothie (made, for example, with frozen strawberries, Greek style yogurt, and vanilla extract). By keeping the entire fruit, you’ll benefit from more food value than you’ll get with fruit juice.
Changing our eating habits takes time and patience. So if you’re in the habit of consuming a lot of calories in liquid form every day (such as juices or soft drinks), set realistic goals to reduce your consumption gently and gradually. For example, take smaller-sized glasses, or switch from 4 to 3 glasses daily. Remember, those small changes often get the biggest results!
