What to Look For When You Buy Fruit Juice

by Shereen Jegtvig

Looking for a beverage that is both good for you and delicious? Try one of the many types of fruit juices that are available in every grocery store. A high-quality fruit juice is chock-full of vitamins and phytochemicals that have extra medicinal qualities that can improve your health. And since fruits are naturally sweet, they don’t need any extra sugar to make them taste good.

In fact, enjoying a glass of fruit juice every day is a great way to get one serving from the fruits and vegetables group. Why is this important? Because, according to the American Dietetic Association, fewer than 14% of Americans eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. One small glass of fruit juice (about 3/4 cup) is equal to one serving of fruit. The drawback to choosing juice over fresh fruit is that you usually lose the fiber, so be sure your diet is filled with lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Choosing Fruit Juice

One way to get your fruit juice is to squeeze the fruits yourself or buy a juicing machine. In each case, you know exactly what goes into your juice, but both are inconvenient – it’s much easier to buy juice at the grocery store. But is the fruit juice at the store as good as fresh? Yes, it is, as long as you keep the following ideas in mind:

Look for ‘100% fruit juice’ on the label. Many juice drinks contain only about 10% actual fruit juice, the rest is just plain water and added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Naturally, juice drinks contain much less nutritional value too. Be sure to read the label to find 100% fruit juice so you get the most nutritional benefit.

Check the ingredients list for extra preservatives, additives and colorings. Many brands use ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or citric acid as preservatives. Some use beta-carotene as a coloring agent (which is just vitamin A), but some use artificial colorings that nobody needs.

Is it a juice blend? Some fruit juices are expensive or just not that sweet, so some companies add sweeter juices, such as apple or grape juice, to their product. Most of the time, that’s OK, because apple juice and grape juice are good for you too. However, if you’re looking for a more exotic superfood fruit, like pomegranate juice for the specific health benefits, you want to buy 100% pomegranate juice.

FoodEssentials Lists to Help You Choose Fruit Juices

Sweetener Free Fruit Juices or Drinks

Preservative Free Sparkling Fruit Juices

Color Free Orange Juice and Drinks

Apple Juices Containing Sweeteners

Resources for Fruit Juices

CBS News This article describes the healthiest fruit juices. The winner? Pomegranate juice, which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that help protect the cells in your body.

Mayo Clinic Fruit juices are full of nutrients, but they’re not always low in calories. This can be especially important for children who are overweight.

WebMD Some of the phytochemicals in fruit juices can interact with medications. Grapefruit juice is one example. It contains a substance called naringen that, in large amounts, can alter how your body metabolizes some medications.

MyPyramid.gov The USDA’s Food Pyramid shows you just how many servings of each type of food each day. Learn more about fruits and how to get more fruits into your diet.

What’s your favorite juice?

Shereen Jegtvig has a masters degree in human nutrition and 16 years clinical experience in nutritional counseling. She writes about nutrition for About.com and TypeAMom.net. She is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Superfoods For Dummies.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Lower Cholesterol Through Diet
• Mexican Foods – Ready To Go
• Research: Orange Juice – What people are looking for
• Choosing Canned Meat
• The Goodness of Grapes