Recent studies suggest that adding just one extra sugar source to your drink can affect how you feel physically and emotionally for hours. That’s why it is important to be aware of your beverage intake and find ways to reduce or eliminate added sugars from your diet.
One of the most common sources of sugar in the average person’s daily life is juice. Many people enjoy drinking their own brand of orange juice, which typically contains about two teaspoons (7 grams) of added sweetener per eight ounces.
However, some brands add so much more than this to their juices! Some even have as many as six teaspoons (22 grams) of added sugar per eight ounces! This may sound like a small amount, but when repeated every day, these additions can add up quickly.
Sadly, too often we are exposed to such high levels of sugar because there isn’t really anything you can do to avoid it unless you don’t want any kind of juice ever again. But if you need some natural energy, then oranges make sense as an easy way to satisfy that craving.
This article will talk about ten hard facts about fake sugar including some surprising numbers along with tips for replacing the sugar with alternatives. Hopefully, you will learn something new today!
Disclaimer: The content in this article should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems and does not constitute medical advice. You should seek professional medical care before starting any diet or fitness program.
Know your ingredients
Having an empty stomach is not a good idea when you are trying to lose weight, so it’s important to be aware of what you put in your body. Besides water, orange juice is one of the most common beverages people drink. But how much sugar oranges contain depends on the variety!
Some varieties have up to 6 grams of sugar per cup, which is almost twice as many carbs as what most people need for daily intake. The average person needs only about 2-3 grams of sugar per day!
If you like drinking plenty of OJ, make sure to check out the brand name before adding any extra sugars or additives. You want to look for ones that do not add glucose or sucrose (the more commonly found sugar) to the beverage. Glucose can be found naturally occurring fiber or table sugar depending on the type of orange used!
Surprisingly enough, even those slightly sweetened juices can be harmful if consumed in large amounts. Since everyone is different, it is best to try one product at first and see how you feel before moving onto the next flavor.
Look for the label
Many people assume that if something is called “orange juice”, then it has sugar in it. This isn’t always the case though as some brands omit the added sweetener!
Some companies will instead use an artificial coloring agent to make the drink look more appealing. Although these additives are not necessarily bad or unacceptable, you should do your research before choosing them.
How to make orange juice
One of our favorite healthy habits is drinking at least one glass of fresh squeezed fruit or vegetable juice every day. Many people enjoy this drink because it contains important nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
Most people know how to make an apple or grape juice but what about pineapple? Or oranges?
Making your own juices can be fun and delicious. Plus, you get to choose the amount of sugar that goes in yours. That is something we recommend doing since most added sugars are not good for us.
Many recipes call for adding water before mixing with the pulp and/or olive oil to help preserve the texture and flavor. Sometimes these recipes suggest using a blender to mix all of the ingredients together, which is definitely faster than making it in a regular old juicer!
There are many ways to prepare citrus fruits into juice. For example, you can use a machine to extract the juice, manual methods like squeezing, or even hand-squeezing if you are very careful.
Use it as a base for other drinks
While not typically thought of as an alcoholic beverage, orange juice can be used to make delicious mixed beverages with alcohol. Simply add enough orange juice to make one liquid cupful and mix with your choice of spirit or water!
Many people use this technique to create what is called an OJ drink. You can also combine the citrusy flavor of the juice with some sweet additions such as plain white sugar or agave nectar to make something like a clear soda.
These mixes are often referred to as “brine” liquids because they have a slightly salty-sweet taste that goes well with many foods. They can even be refrigerated until you’re ready to drink them, which makes them very accessible if you are busy or just do not feel like having a glass of liquid at home.
Consider using pasteurized juice
Although not advised, it is possible to make your own fresh orange juice without adding any sugar! This can be done by simply squeezing all of the white pulp and skin from the whole oranges first, and then juicing the rest of the fruit.
The white pith and membrane that remain are both included along with the liquid when making juice so do not discard these! These two components can be eaten or dried and powdered. When drying the pith, use low heat to prevent burning.
By doing this, you will have about 1-2 tablespoons of pure orange powder per cup of juice! This can be mixed into beverages or used directly in recipes as an ingredient. You may also like to know that most people are glucose insensitive – which means they cannot taste sweetness – so it does not matter if there is no added sweetener!
This article and recipe was written by The Healthy Hut Nutrition Team.
Check the expiration date
The most important thing to know about orange juice is that there’s no nutritional value in adding sugar to it! That means if you are looking for some of those vitamins or minerals, you should not drink your favorite brand of juice with added sugars.
Most brands of “fresh squeezed” OJ have at least 5 grams of sugar per 8 ounces. Some even more than 10 grams! This adds up quickly as most people taste an ounce – or a glass – of juice every day!
Making sure your daily intake does not exceed 2,000 calories is very important because we consume 3,500–4,000 calories a day on average. So unless you are planning to exercise more or reduce your food intake, it is best to opt out of juices with high amounts of sugar.
Consider buying organic juice
With all of these sugar alternatives, one important thing to note is that you should always check what type of sugars they contain. The term “sugar” can include many different types of carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose, maltose, and so on.
Many of these alternative sweeteners use sucrose or glucose as their base, which are both considered healthy for your body. But some may not be! For example, glucose comes from fruits and vegetables, whereas most artificial sweeteners are made up of pure glucose molecules that do not come from natural sources.
This could lead to higher blood glucose levels and health issues like insulin resistance and obesity. These effects increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Juice and your health
Recent studies suggest that drinking one glass of fresh orange juice every day may be as important for your overall health as having two glasses of water.
Some experts believe that vitamin C in oranges helps keep your immune system strong, helping prevent colds and flus from settling into more active disease sites.
Furthermore, recent research indicates that eating enough fruits and vegetables can help reduce blood glucose levels, which is helpful for people with type 2 diabetes.
Juice contains lots of fluid so you feel full faster, which can aid weight loss. Furthermore, fluids are needed to regulate body temperature, so drink plenty of liquid to stay warm while moving around or during sleep!”
It is also worth mentioning that most commercial brands of freshly squeezed organic citrus juices are high in sugar (around 5 grams per 6 ounces)!
So, it is very important to try to source natural fiber pulp powder or agave nectar instead, if possible.
