Juice vs eating fruit

Minki1990

I have been wondering whether drinking 100% juice is just as good as eating the fruit? I know most won't drink their calories but I find juice to be cheaper and I solely want to have it for the vitamins and minerals instead of relying on supplements.

seabee78

I used to be a big morning juice drinker until I found out that a glass of OJ or AJ had just as much sugar as a glass of Coke. Nowadays I eat an orange or apple so I at least get some fiber with my sugar.

Minki1990

Is the sugar in fruit (fructose) really bad for you compared to normal sugar found in sweets?

katevarner

The sugar isn't any worse for you than what's in the fruit, but you need the fiber. And Seabee is right--you don't want to drink your calories. I lost 16 lbs. just cutting out regular Coke and fruit juice with my vitamins daily.

brevislux

If there's added sugar and preservatives then I wouldn't drink the juice. Also the juice wouldn't be as fresh as raw fruit unless you squeeze it on the spot, and then it's no different from just eating the fruit.

Also when you drink the juice you get a little too much without noticing it... A cup of fresh orange juice has about 2 1/2 oranges.

neanderthin

Is the sugar in fruit (fructose) really bad for you compared to normal sugar found in sweets?

About half the sugar in sweets is fructose anyway, so no.

Minki1990

Thank you all for your responses

FredDoyle

I like to get my vitamins/minerals from juice as well, so what I do is blend raspberries, blueberries, bananas, with a no sugar added pure juice like raspberry-apple which has added 100% daily vitamin C.
Best of both worlds.

erickirb

biggest issue with juice vs. fruit is juice is usually higher in cals (as it takes a lot of fruit to make a glass of juice) and you also don't get the fiber, which is a benefit of raw fruit.

alexbusnello

I know this isn't fruit juice, but since the topic of sugar is here...

I got two different kinds of chocolate milk:
1. silk's dark chocolate almond milk
2. silk's 85% organic chocolate soy milk

both have high amounts of sugar for one cup. I can't find them unsweetened in the chocolate flavor, but would it really effect me if i have a glass and a little bit sometimes if i feel like chocolate milk? I use half cup in oatmeal sometimes or post workout because i know those types of sugars are best for after you've worked out.

Tina2Cats

My Dr. told me that fruit juice is high in sugar and high in calories and is not really healthy for you. He also said that we are better off eating fruit so that is what I am doing.

DragonflyF15

Juice is higher in sugar cause it's usually concentrated. I would eat the fresh fruit. Actually, I like to juice my fresh fruit with a handful of kale or spinach (you really don't taste it with the fruits) and some flax seed or whey protein. I seem to get more fruit in without the full feeling of eating bulk fruit.

billsica

Its basically the same, as long as your drinking 100% juice. Only the fiber and such. That being said, I don't drink juice anymore because I'd rather eat the fruit and feel fuller.

MoreBean13

If you remove the pulp, you're taking out the fiber- so IMO it's not as good as the whole food.

If you're just blending it and keeping all the parts, then you've slightly reduced the TEF by predigesting the food, so the real food is still better, but only slightly. They're almost exactly the same.

The only benefit is that you can get a bunch of servings in quickly, and you can 'hide' vegetables in with the fruit if you don't like veg.

Moosycakes

Fruit has more fibre and is more filling. My rule is no drinking calories!

shandi_b

My naturopath put it this way......you get the fibre from eating the whole fruit compared to if you juice and remove the pulp.
Also it takes 3-5 apples or more to make a glass of apple juice (or orange juice etc and concentrates the sugar) and you can still be "hungry" after having a glass of juice, where if you ate the same amount of apples (or whatever fruit / vegetable) - most people wouldn't be able to and would be full quicker.

In saying that she has recommended if I did want to do a "cleanse" and give my digestive system a break, juicing fruits and vegetables (more vegetables than fruit) and only having that for 24-48 hours is a good way to do it, as you get nutrients without having an overload on your digestive system and liver........

honkytonks85

I have been wondering whether drinking 100% juice is just as good as eating the fruit? I know most won't drink their calories but I find juice to be cheaper and I solely want to have it for the vitamins and minerals instead of relying on supplements.

Fruit juice has a ton of fruit in it, and it won't fill you up like eating a ton of fruit will.

However I am of the view that if you want to drink juice and you are fitting it into your daily calorie goal it's not a huge deal having some now and then. Sometimes I'll have a freshly squeezed juice for afternoon tea or something and I find it enjoyable.

ktsmom430

I agree with Moosycakes. I prefer to eat my calories. It is more satisfying to chew, for me, than drink. So I eat fresh or frozen fruit (with no added sugar). Besides, as others have stated, there is a lot more calories in juice. Be aware of seving sizes for juice.

Tedebearduff

I have been wondering whether drinking 100% juice is just as good as eating the fruit? I know most won't drink their calories but I find juice to be cheaper and I solely want to have it for the vitamins and minerals instead of relying on supplements.

if your talking about actually jucing your own juice vs buying fruits and stuff its way more expenssive... if your talking about buying the **** on the shelves of the grocery store it's not 100% natural or all juice or all natural or unsweetened or omega 3,4,5,6,7 loaded every one of those terms is just a marketing gimick to get you to buy there ****ty juice. its loaded with perservatives and allot of other crap i would read the bottle then goggle all the words you don't understand that are ingrediants.

if something is 100% natural the only ingrediant should be Oranges for OJ ...

glowgirl14

I know you're probably talking about the bottles of premade juice from the store, and agree with everyone else that the fiber from fruit is a good thing, and most of us struggle to get enough as it is. But raw juice is wonderful. You're drinking calories, yes...but the nutritional benefits are amazing. You don't lose any of the nutrients like you do when you have to digest the fruit. The key here is not to drink an entire glass of apple or orange juice. Veggie juice needs to make up most of what you're drinking. If you don't have a juicer, there are a few brands out there that have pure carrot juice - admittedly not a super yummy thing on its own - but if you add an ounce of raw apple and orange to 6 ounces of carrot juice - it's good, and great for you. There are also a few of the "green" juices out there that are super good for you. I was nervous about juicing at first, drinking calories is usually bad...but when I juice, I have so much energy...and feel great - and yes, lose weight...not hungry...the key, as with anything, is read the labels, and everything in moderation.

JustJennie1

If you're going to buy bottled juice read the labels and make sure that it's just juice with nothing else added like sugar, HFCS, and other crap. Bolthouse Farms brand has juices that are just 100% fruit juice and they're pretty good.