8 Delicious Fresh Fruit Juices
By: Wendy Wu, R.D., M.S.
How many packs of sugar are in commercial juices?
A toddler size Mott’s 100% apple juice (4oz) contains 15 grams or ~4 packs of sugar. That’s quite a bit of sugar for a little kiddo, no?
A tall size Mott’s apple juice (8oz) contains 28 grams or 7 packs of sugar.
What about our other favorite Tropicana Orange Juice?
A Tall size Tropicana orange juice (8oz) contains 22 grams or 5.5 packs of sugar.
How much do you usually drink?
The best way to get nutrients from fruit is to eat them, but blending them up to make yummy juices is a great alternative. Fresh fruit juices are far more superior than its commercial version because they hold the benefit of their wonderful nutrients in the purest and most digestible form. Since the commercial juices are pasteurized for a longer shelf life, many of the nutrients are lost in the process. Therefore, they are “enriched” with synthetic vitamins and minerals. It’s always better to go natural. Yes, there’s still a lot of sugar in fresh fruit juices but it’s the natural kind from the fruit itself. Adding some ice into the juices can dilute them which reduces the overall sugar content. Another tip is to mix sweet fruits with vegetables. If you can buy organic (no pesticides!) even better, but I know they’re pricy so just go with whatever you can find in your local market. The following is a list of my most favorite fruit juices. Enjoy!
1) Fresh Ripe Banana and Strawberry Juice. Mix banana and strawberry with ice in a blender.
2) Mix Watermelon and Cantaloupe with ice in a blender.
3) Mix Pineapple and Banana. Use a fruit juicer for the Pineapple to create a smoother texture, then blend with banana and ice.
4) Carrot and Orange Juice Mix. Add ice after to make cold. You’ll need a juicer for both. This is delicious, try it!
5) Watermelon Juice with Ice.
6) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice. A little ice after. You’ll need a juicer or citrus fruit juicer. Limit to using just 3 oranges per serving.
7) Fresh Strawberry Juice. Just fresh strawberries and ice.
8) Apple and Carrot Juice. You’ll need a juicer for both.
These are my favorite fresh juices. Do you have any other suggestions?
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OMG OMG! My old roommate used to drink about 6 HUGE CARTONS are orange juice a week… Seriously, this boy was CRAZY! And every time he drank the stuff all I could see was him guzzling clumps of sugar. Made me wanna gag.
Its best to make your own juice drinks.