The turn of the Century has seen the Old Indian transform into a New Indian! This new Indian now knows that Health goes beyond just weight! He knows that apart from weight, health has many other parameters too! And that it’s not just the heart or the brain which needs to be strong and well-maintained in order for him to remain healthy, but his entire body!
But owing to excessive workloads and stifling deadlines, our new Indian has been left wanting for time. Things like home-made meals and exercise have been put on the backburner as the new Indian searches for equally effective yet less time consuming ways of remaining healthy. This is where the Fruit Juice comes in!
Fruit Juice – Is it the maggi of Drinks?
Since most people do not have the inclination or time to cut a piece of fruit and eat it, they are opting for drinking Fruit Juices instead. These fruit juices come with the promise of added vitamins and boast of being fortified with minerals such as iron and calcium, then who wouldn’t want to gulp one of these down on a daily basis?
With the Fruit juice promising its drinker instant refreshment along with the added nutrients and promoting itself as an alternative to eating fruit, we wonder whether it is going to ‘Maggi’ way i.e. promoting itself as tasty and healthy, when it is anything but healthy.
Fruit Juice- Is it really as healthy as it is said to be?
Fruit Juice is a confused segment in India. Why? Because Frooti, Maaza, Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, Tropicana and Real are all considered to be fresh fruit juice/drink, when only Tropicana and Real make claim of offering 70-100% fruit juice, with the rest offering only 20-50% fruit juice!
But do these juices really deliver on their promise of Healthy? While some might, a majority of them do not. Loaded with sugar and preservatives, these fruit juices are anything but healthy! So, how does one choose a healthy fruit juice as opposed to an unhealthy fruit juice. It’s quite simple, actually…
- Avoid ‘added’ fruit juices
The best way to opt for a healthy fruit juice from the various juices that are available in the market is to simply opt for those fruit juices that have No added sugar, preservative, color and flavor. Usually you will find these mentioned on the front of the pack itself, however it would be a good idea to always check the nutrition label, which is found on the side or behind the pack.
If you are looking out for healthy food products and beverages you must read the nutrition labels present on these items, in our case the fruit juice bottles and tetra packs. Most often you will notice a chart which will give you the amount of nutrients present in the juice, per serving. Here in lies the trick of choosing between healthy and unhealthy fruit juices.
Simply opt for those that have the least number of calories and a high amount of carbohydrates and other vital nutrients!
- Sugar isn’t always sweet!
Also check for the amount of Sugar that is added to the fruit juice. While the FDA has allowed for a maximum range of 40 gms of sugar intake per day, most fruit juices usually go over this limit! In our research we found that fruit juices such as Tropicana, Real and Saint had sugar within the FDA recommendations, but others either had no mention of the sugar content at all! Most other fruit drinks such as frooti, maaza and Slice openly claim to have sugar as one of the key ingredients along with mango pulp and water, so if you are looking for a healthy fruit juice or a drink, its best to steer clear of these.
- Where’s the Pulp? Nowhere!
In your quest for a healthy fruit juice, don’t be fooled by those fruit juices that include ‘Pulp’ as one of their contents. The main function of pulp that is found in a fruit is to provide your body with the necessary fiber. Make sure to check the nutrition label of fruit juices that are Pulp based for their ‘Fiber’ content. Most often it will be zero or negligible!
- You can’t have your fruit juice and not count the calories
With the calorie count for even the 100% fruit juices that contain no added sugar and preservatives or flavor, coming up to 100-140 calories per serving, there is no escaping the calories! And for those fruit juices that have added flavors and sugar, there is no doubt that that calorie count will be very high!
While one can shout themselves hoarse about the added nutrients such as iron and potassium that fortified fruit juices contain, there is still no comparing to the actual nutrients that you will get by eating an actual fruit! Moreover Fruit juices also don’t provide you with the anti-oxidants and important phytochemicals along with fiber that an actual fruit would!
So the next time you find yourself running late, grab a fruit instead of a fruit juice! But if you insist on drinking fruit juice do opt for the ones that claim to be 100% fruit juice.
Meanwhile here's a comparision chart for your reference that should help you in case you are looking out for a Healthy Fruit Juice:
