Fruits contribute to our overall health. They contain key nutrients that our body needs to stay strong and healthy. Nutritionists and dieticians for years have been stressing their importance in our diet and yet, many of us still do not follow the recommended daily fruit intake. We resort to other healthy products in the market such as fruit beverages to meet our daily nutrition goals, especially when whole fruit is not readily available. Fruit beverages’ popularity as an alternative to fruits can be attributed to the fact that they are the most convenient, delicious, and nutritious way of squeezing fruits in our meal. Although they can never fully replace the whole fruit, studies show that their moderate consumption can be considered part of a nutrient rich and energy balanced diet.

There are many kinds of fruit beverages but truth to tell, not all are actually healthy. Fruit drinks such as fruit juice or fruit flavored drinks differ in terms of their formulation, most especially in their sugar and calorie count. One hundred percent juice is squeezed directly from the fruit or made from concentrated juice that is reconstituted in water while fruit drinks are formulated with less than 100% juice and added with sweeteners. Knowing the right beverage to drink spells a big difference when it comes to our family’s health.

Current market trends suggest that consumers continue to become aware of the benefits of 100 percent juice as compared to fruit-flavored drinks and other juice drinks because unlike these sweetened beverage, 100 percent fruit juice has no added sugar, preservative, color, and aroma (except from the original fruit). It contains naturally occurring sugar, vitamins, and minerals that are found in the fruit even after it has gone through the process of mashing, pressing, pasteurization, and filtration. It packs more nutrients than many other beverage options.

Check the Label

But then, with all the fruit juice products available in stores today, we might be wondering, how would we know which one to choose? We only have to learn how to read nutrition facts carefully. The percent of juice in a beverage as well as all the other key nutrients are found in the package label. We should always go for the one that says 100% fruit juice to ensure that no sugar was added. Fruit drinks with little juice content are considered sugar-sweetened beverages. We have to watch out for the words, high fructose corn syrup, fructose syrup, corn syrup, corn sugar, maize syrup, glucose syrup or glucose-fructose syrup since these are all synonymous to sugar and these artificial sweeteners can increase triglycerides and store fats in our body. If we see anything other than water and natural flavors on the label, we should leave it on the shelf. Mott’s 100% Apple Juice only has three ingredients: water, apple juice concentrate, and Vitamin C. There’s no added sugar, and it is absolutely gluten-free.

Diabetes and Fruit Juice

One hundred fruit juice has lower glycemic index than say a regular juice drink or sports drink. Glycemic Index (GI) is the measure of a food or drink’s effect on blood sugar level.

Post Workout Drink

A typical sports drink contains a mixture of natural and artificial sweeteners. When taken after an intense workout, it can actually set our weight-loss goals back instead of keeping us in shape. One of the most effective ways to replace lost glycogen after an intense physical activity is by drinking 100 % fruit juice since it is packed with vitamins and minerals.

Fruit Juice and Your Child’s Diet

In recent years, there was a move in the Senate to ban in school campuses all sweetened beverages such as soft-drinks, sports drinks, punches, and iced teas, including fruit-based drinks that have less than 50 percent real fruit juice or those that contain additional sweeteners. Senate Bill 3134 urges schools to regulate the availability of these beverages to children because they are unhealthy and known to cause hyperactivity among kids due to their high sugar content. Carbonated drinks or soda for one contains artificial sweeteners, caffeine, phosphorus, and carbon acids which are associated with various diseases such as reduced bone mass, diabetes, and obesity, while most fruit drinks have only about one to 24 percent fruit juice content; the rest are additives such as flavorings, preservatives and alternative sweeteners.

Based on studies, consuming 100 percent fruit juice results to better nutrient intake among children because it is naturally a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and beta carotene, an important antioxidant. In fact, every eight ounce serving of Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice is equivalent to two servings of fruit and 120% Daily Value Vitamin C. While it should not be thought of as a replacement for whole fruits and vegetables, it does complement a child’s healthy diet and daily fluid intake. On average, children need at least 5 to 9 servings of fruit every day. Age appropriate servings of juice in addition to whole fruits and beverages like water or low fat milk can help meet this goal. We can use the guidelines given by the American Academy of Pediatrics which limits kids 1 to 6 years old to four to six ounces of 100 percent fruit juice per day and children seven and above to eight to 12 ounces daily to ensure that we give our kids the right amount of 100 percent juice.

Experts say that to enjoy all the benefits fruits offer, we must consume whole fruits and moderate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice as part of our healthy diet since 100 percent juice delivers concentrated nutrients while whole fruit is a good source of fiber. Mott’s 100% Fruit Juice offers nothing but healthy goodness for the entire family. It has been a well-loved and trusted brand since 1842. It is noted for its heritage and fine tradition of making the most of the lovely apple’s goodness for over a century now. Mott’s 100% Apple Juice is available in 32 oz. and 64 oz bottles in leading supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.