The best way to achieve your fluid needs for the day is by drinking water. Water is without a doubt the best fluid for your body, however it is normal to want to drink other things. Juice is a common ingredient in people’s diets, but there are some rules to think about in order to enjoy juice without having it influence weight gain. You may be wondering what to look for when purchasing juices, so below I have listed a few of my recommendations.
1. 100% Juice. The first thing to remember is to only buy 100% juice products. Any other juice that’s not 100% is only good for providing you with a ton of sugar and empty calories that give you little to no nutritional value (i.e. sweetened juice and fruit-juice cocktail drinks).
2. Serving Size. Another important thing to note is the serving size. It’s great to buy OJ and enjoy your 8 oz. serving (roughly providing 120 calories), but note that if you go over the recommended size you are taking in additional calories, which if you’re not careful, can translate into gaining weight.
3. Count Calories. When consuming beverages, except water, remember that these drinks contribute to your daily caloric intake. If you’re going to attempt to control your calories, but consume a lot of calorie-filled beverages, you must remember to subtract that total from your recommended calorie intake for the day. Simply meaning, the more calories you take in from beverages, the less food you can eat to stay within you calorie need and not gain weight. I don’t know about you, but I would rather eat my food and receive nutrients from natural, whole-food sources instead of drinking my meal.
4. Nutrient Supplement. Purchasing 100% fruit and/or vegetable juice can help you consume more of the nutrients your body needs. Although it is better to eat the food instead of drinking a juice (because the whole food has fiber while juices do not), both fruit and vegetable juices can be an easier way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet (four ounces of juice = one serving of fruit).