Market Street United – Living Well

As a health conscious person, I find this article helpful in choosing the best juice product for me. With all the options in today's markets it's hard to know which product is right for you. It's nice to know that there are natural alternatives to keep you healthy and energized. 

Is fruit or vegetable juice just as nutritious as whole foods?
Keep in mind that juice is the processed form of a fruit or vegetable and some nutrients are lost during manufacturing. For this reason, juices score much lower than whole, fresh foods. For example, a whole apple has a NuVal™ score of 96, whereas Welch’s Apple Juice scores 8. Although a drink may be 100% fruit juice, it has lost important positive vitamins, minerals and fiber during manufacturing and therefore scores lower than expected. Moreover, the energy density (calories per gram) in juice is higher per 8 ounce serving than in one whole fresh fruit. This is because the sugars in the fruit are concentrated during processing, lowering the NuVal™ score. We encourage you to choose whole fruits and vegetables when possible, limiting juice to no more than one serving per day.

When shopping for juice, remember, the higher the NuVal™ score, the better the nutrition. So whether you’re looking at shelf-stable juice, refrigerated juice or frozen juice…there’s always an opportunity to trade up for health!

For more information and ideas on using juice to boost taste and nutrition visit Market Street United