My fellow 90s kids recognize a tall glass of orange juice as ‘a part of this balanced breakfast’. Of course, when that glass is sitting next to a bowl of sugar laden cereal peddled by a cartoon mascot, maybe you can’t put too much stock in the serving suggestion.
The orange juice industry is currently seeing a notable decline in demand. With the obesity epidemic under such scrutiny, perhaps calories are to blame.
I’m personally not a big consumer of liquid calories on a regular basis. I figure, if I’m going to be getting the calories, it needs to be from something that satiates me. I do enjoy soda, juice, hot cocoa, and so forth in moderation, but on a day to day basis I tend to stick to water, tea, and coffee. Those on any kind of diet or healthful eating plan are likely to stay away from liquid calories, as they can very deceptively add up.
That’s not to say fruit juice is all bad! Though too much can lead to weight gain, consumption of juice (particularly 100% fruit juices) in moderation can help you get vitamins and minerals that may otherwise be lacking in your diet, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and antioxidants among them. Be mindful that juice doesn’t contain the dietary fiber, an important nutrient, that whole fruits do.
Are you an orange juice drinker? How do you feel about liquid calories?
Ana
Athena
