Something to know about Juice
Is 100 Percent Juice Healthy?
A glass of 100 percent fruit juice is a healthier drink than soda or fruit-flavored beverages, but that doesn’t mean you should have as much as you want. Even 100 percent fruit juice contains calories, though it also supplies essential vitamins and minerals. That means you can enjoy your favorite juice as long as you drink it in moderation.
Healthy Juices
Fresh-squeezed juice with pulp is one of your healthiest options because it doesn’t contain added ingredients and the pulp increases the fiber content a tiny amount. An electric juicer is a simple way to juice many kinds of fruit such as oranges, grapefruits, apples, berries and melon. Bottled and canned juices can be a nutritious option, as well, as long as they’re 100 percent fruit juice. Read nutrition labels carefully to find 100 percent juice options. The label will tell you how much of the drink is actually juice. The ingredient list is another clue. If you see ingredients other than fruit juice, water and added vitamins and minerals, it’s not 100 percent juice, which means it isn’t as nutritious.
Tips
A 4-ounce glass of juice is a nutritious accompaniment to your breakfast or lunch. You can also 100 percent fruit juice to smoothies or use it to make tasty marinades for chicken, pork and steak. Squeeze fresh lime juice into homemade salsa to add a bit of vitamin C. Replace your usual salad dressing with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. The combination is healthier than most dressings and the juice adds a small amount of potassium and vitamin C to your salad. Freeze 100 percent juice in frozen pop molds for a nutritious dessert, or drizzle a tiny bit of juice over a serving of yogurt to enhance the flavor and increase the nutrition.
