The answer is two-fold.
100% fruit juice has a lot of the nutrition components of actual fruit and you are getting various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which are great for you. If you love juice then you should stick to 100% fruit juice – avoid any fruit drinks that are artificially flavored water instead of actual juice. Check out the ingredient list. The first ingredient listed is always used the most in the bottle. If you don't recognize some of the ingredients - skip it! There’s nothing wrong with 100% fruit juice you just have to keep an eye out for those calories!
Calories in 1 cup of juice:
- Orange Juice: 110 calories
- Grapefruit Juice: 100 calories
- Apple Juice: 120 calories
- Cranberry Juice: 140 calories
- Grape Juice: 160 calories
Juice is great for athletes to get in some extra calories and those looking to gain weight because you can add in a lot of extra calories without filling up. However, juice might not be the best choice for those looking to lose weight or those with diabetes.
Juice is missing the fiber that the fruit has! So you will not get as filled up by drinking juice. So the next time you have the opportunity to choose orange juice or an orange for breakfast, choose the fruit. You’ll feel more full and have consumed less calories!
Calories Saved If You Choose Fruit over Juice
- 1 medium orange instead of a 1 cup of juice: 50 calories
- 1/2 grapefruit instead of 1 cup of juice: 60 calories
- 1 medium apple instead of 1 cup of juice: 25 calories
- 1 cup cranberries instead of 1 cup of juice: 100 calories
- 1 cup grapes instead of 1 cup of juice: 60 calories
There’s a good chance you will save even more calories because it’s easy to drink more than 1 cup of juice! But you probably won’t sit down to 2 or 3 oranges at a one time!
If you have a really hard time giving up juice, my recommendation is to lighten it up. Take 1/4 cup of juice and mix it with 1 cup of water. You will get accustomed to the less sweet taste over time.
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