Juice: Good, Bad or Ugly?

[BeckyFL]

Take a stand... what do you think?

[LuvToRead]

I don't think juice is horrible, but there are certainly better options. We rarely have juice. So, if given the choice between a juice and a Capri Sun, I would take the juice. If given the choice between an apple and a juice, I'd take the apple. Especially if it is a delicious, fresh, crispy, organic apple like I can get this time of the year.:)

[littlebug42]

As with all things, I think juice is fine in moderation. My kids have one glass per day of either orange juice or grape juice and they have some occasional apple juice. I do buy 100 % juice and steer clear of added sugar.

[Brenda in FL]

My kids have been drinking 100% fruit juices (split with water) since they were weaned and drinking from a sippy cup. They are not overweight, they do not have rotten teeth, and they aren't undernourished.

 

My stand - Good!

 

(not as dull as water, definitely better than soft drinks, Hi-C, and kool-aid!!)

[anissa]

No juice here for other reasons...it is too expensive:D

[Quad Shot Academy]

I will probably be the lone voice in this, but: good!

 

Every study I know of has shown it is good for you if you are not a toddler or baby. ;) (and probably not if you are diabetic.)

 

** boy I am a slow typer

[MSNative]

We have a juicer and enjoy making all sorts of interesting juice combos. It's a fun way for my kids to try new foods. Plus we always juice vegetables with our fruit to make it healthier. It can be very high in sugar, though, so we don't use it as our only beverage. Mainly we're water drinkers, with a glass of juice a few times a week.

[AngelaNYC]

I chose other. We're more of a smoothie family. We have a juicer and prefer to juice more veggies than fruit (tons of carrots and/or greens with 1/2 an apple or something like that). I do not limit those.

[kewb]

Other.

I believe juice from your own juicer that you drink immediately is good.

I think store bought juice (e.g. apple juice) that is shelf stable is empty calories and while not hideous for you is not really a benefit.

Store bought orange juice from the refrigerator section is a bit better for you since it is somewhat fresh but it has been pasturerized and many beneficial nutrients have been killed off. So, a small glass a day is still mostly empty calories but not as bad as shelf stable.

[Crissy]

My younger son occasionally drinks apple juice, but we regularly choose whole fruit over juice.

[Daisy]

We have a juicer and occasionally have juice when we have more fruit than I can deal with (we have fruit trees). I make juice and freeze it.

 

I never ever buy juice.

 

We drink primarily water. Juice is a maybe once or twice a month type of indulgence.

[Mejane]

Other - we have a juicer and I do think the juice is good for us, but we rarely use it because it's such a hassle to clean (thank you, Jack LaLanne). We prefer smoothies made with vegs and fruit.

[mjpeter]

We have juice once in a while, but we try to limit it. The boys will usually drink milk or water.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I buy organic apple, orange and grape juices and the kids are allowed one glass a day. I have a juicer and I make mostly vegetable juices with it. Sometimes I juice fresh apples or pineapples along with the veggies.

[Parrothead]

I am actually a cross between the first and second option. We have a juicer and would use it regularly if it did not take so much fruit to get a decent size glass of juice.

 

I figure the juice companies which buy fruit in bulk are able to make juice cheaper than I am at home.

 

Not to mention the thing is a bit of a bear to clean.

 

So I have it, we like juice and think it is healthy enough but prefer to buy our 100% juice.

[gingersmom]

We drink water.

 

If we are out and my son wants apple juice I let him have it. I don't see the point of him having to drink it everyday.

 

My daughter was never a juice drinker.

[TrixieB]

My kids drink about 4 oz of 100% juice with breakfast. The thought of a glass of milk or water at breakfast doesn't appeal to me, so the kids have juice and I have tea or coffee. Probably the kids will transition to tea or coffee when they're a little older.

[DarcyB]

My younger son occasionally drinks apple juice, but we regularly choose whole fruit over juice.

 

That's us!

[Sherry in OH]

In warmer months, we use juice to make popsicles. In winter, I sometimes offer juice in lieu of one fruit serving. Otherwise, my children may have juice if they ask for it, but they usually request water or milk.

 

I like tomato juice and buy it a few times a year. Neither the children nor my husband like it, so it is all mine!

[Murmer]

We are milk free so it is either juice or water and our dd will not touch water. I don't understand why but we have tried water for every meal and she will not drink until we add juice so she went a whole day without drinking.

[annlaura]

I said no, but that's not entirely true. I can't resist a little apple juice and cranberry juice in the fall, and my husband requests OJ once in a blue moon. And if we're at someone else's house, I don't mind. Once my boys are older and past the stage where they don't calorie compensate, I'll probably keep juice in the house pretty regularly. I just don't want calorie intake regularly wasted on juice at this point.

[Jen in PA]

DH and the dc have a cup of juice most days, usually orange but sometimes grape. I buy pomegranate juice for making popsicles in the summer. I find juice to be too much sugar too quickly -- it makes me feel queasy.

[HappyCrazyMama]

My younger son occasionally drinks apple juice, but we regularly choose whole fruit over juice.

 

I know that the whole fruit is healthier and though the kids don't drink juice daily when they do it is because they want a beverage, not fruit or something to eat.:confused:

[Joker]

I have to keep oj in the house because I CRAVE it. An orange just will not do when I want oj - and it seems my younger dd is the same. I think some juice is bad but I don't really think it all is.

[merry gardens]

As with all things, I think juice is fine in moderation. My kids have one glass per day of either orange juice or grape juice and they have some occasional apple juice. I do buy 100 % juice and steer clear of added sugar.

:iagree:

 

I answered "other". We enjoy juice in moderation. I limit juice portion size to about 4 oz. If it's not 100% juice, I don't consider it juice.

 

Orange juice is such a great source of Vit. C. And I just bought some carrot juice for the first time in a very long time. Yummy!

 

We used to use a juicer but we don't make our own anymore. I think I gave it away.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

In general I think juice is just sugar and should be treated as such: limited.

 

HOWEVER, I just love a piece of toast with a bit of butter and a cold glass of oj.

 

AND we like smoothies with juice. I've tried several alternatives but we dont' like any of them.

 

In the summer we have tons of smoothies. Otherwise, I limit our juice intake. We have it as a treat -- except those delish smoothies.

[DarlaS]

We limit our juice because I would rather my kids eat the whole fruit and just drink water (and they do--willingly).

 

I also just can't think of a compelling reason to dedicate precious fridge space to it (We have a family of six and an 18 cubic foot fridge.).

 

In certain situations though, I'll buy it. It is a better choice than soda even if only because the soda is carbonated.

[DarlaS]

In the summer we have tons of smoothies. Otherwise, I limit our juice intake. We have it as a treat -- except those delish smoothies.

 

Oh yeah! I love to put pineapple/orange/banana juice concentrate in smoothies. (It's really a great sweetener for green smoothies when you're trying to get used to them.) It may not be much better than sugar, but at least it adds some flavor and vitamin C.

[Pretty in Pink]

We limit juice. Once or twice per week we each have ~4 oz. of orange juice with breakfast (not from concentrate, grown and manufactured domestically). We also use V8 fusion when making smoothies - just a splash, you know, because you need a bit of liquid to get things moving in the blender.

[Laurie4b]

For us, we do drink juice, and we also drink it in moderation (ie not to quench thirst, but for nutritional value.) There are several cases in which juice is better than fruit because there is more of the skins and it's concentrated (for instance, concord grape juice.) Drinking low-sodium V8 is very good for people trying to get 8-9 servings of fruits and veges in and people who drink it lose more weight than those who don't. It's good for bp, too. Pomegranate juice and cranberry juice (both 100% juice) are great for you. About 1/3 c. of pomegranate juice a day lowers systolic bp remarkably. Cranberry juice increases good cholesteral. I have to dilute the cranberry juice with ice water because it's so sour. I could never eat enough pomegranate seeds or cranberries to get the same effect.

 

I try to keep the kids to 6 oz of grape or oj (the only two they like of the ones listed) and for a treat, we sometimes buy V8 Fusion, 100% juice mixture of vege and fruit juice, but tastes like fruit juice.

[Denisemomof4]

We have organic 100% oj sometimes but fruit juice is a treat here. I sometimes buy it to add to soda water for a "soda."

 

I have a juicer but use that mainly for veggies. I haven't used it in awhile but am anxious to get back into it.

[Crissy]

I know that the whole fruit is healthier and though the kids don't drink juice daily when they do it is because they want a beverage, not fruit or something to eat.:confused:

 

I was commenting more on my shopping habits than the boys' choices. I occasionally buy apple juice because my younger son likes it, but I regularly buy whole fruit instead of juice when 'fruit' is on the shopping list.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

Just say yes to fiber! :D We very rarely have juice as I prefer to get the full benefit of nature's goodness. I make smoothies using whole fruit, no juice. In the summer, I freeze those into popsicles. It's win-win! I think water is a much better option for quenching thirst. I don't think about grabbing juice when I am thirsty and neither do my kids. It's just a matter of habits here.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Alte Veste Academy

[ereks mom]

...better for you than juice. I love juice, however!

[RoughCollie]

I picked other.

 

Everyone here drinks a lot of orange juice. I've got no problem with that. It is limited only by its availability in our refrigerator.

 

BUT when the kids were little, they loved apple juice. I diluted it half and half with water because I didn't think it was all that good for them.

[TinaBlue]

We try to eat whole fruit instead. I'm not totally anti-juice, though.

[Satori]

I used to be a green smoothie gal, but now I've fallen in love with juicing! I believe both are super, super healthy. I lost and kept off weight this spring by juicing and eating raw foods.

 

Here's my usual morning juice, that I make with my Breville juicer - carrots, celery and apples. Sometimes for variety I add cucumber or beets. I throw anything in there when I have more fruits/veggies around.

 

I also have a Greenstar juicer, but it's too hard to clean and is too hard to do carrots, so I end up using the less expensive Breville.

 

We eat enough actual fruits and vegetables throughout the day, so I'm not concerned about losing the fiber when juicing.

[Rosie_0801]

There's so much waste using a juicer, or using the ages old juicer I have, anyway. I'm saving for a good quality blender so we can do smoothies. For now, though, my kids rarely have juice and I usually water it down. I have more of it, but that's because I have trouble consuming enough water, but it's not a constant presence in the house.

 

Rosie

[IsabelC]

We give the kids water as their main drink. They will occasionally have milk or herbal tea or fruit smoothies/milkshakes (made with whole fruit). Juice is only for special occasions, and freshly squeezed if possible. I quite like vegie juice mixtures, but the kids wouldn't have 'em.

[LaissezFaire]

We call juice Hypoglycemia in a bottle and avoid it almost always. I'd rather we all eat fruit or blend it into a smoothie.

[scrapbookbuzz]

There is a vast difference in sugar content between fruit and vegetable juices. That being said, 100% juice of any sort is much better for you than a juice cocktail or anything that says 10% or 25% juice on the box!

 

I will tell you that, from experience, juicing and drinking the juice of vegetables makes you feel amazing! It curbs ANY appetite for soda or processed junk. And, if you have blood sugar issues, when it comes to fruit, you should probably eat the fruit because the fiber will help lessen the surge in blood sugar after you eat said fruit.

 

That's my experience. Hope it helps someone!

[Beth in OH]

We just don't care for the taste and texture of juice. We would rather eat whole fruit.