Nutrition Experts
Question:
Does fruit juice have the same nutritional value as fresh fruit?
Answer:
Generally, yes, with one exception—fiber.
Both 100% fruit juice and fresh fruit (as well as canned, frozen and dried fruits) are part of the MyPyramid Fruit Group. Fruits provide important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, folate and potassium, as well as fiber. 100% fruit juices provide the same vitamins and minerals, but little or no fiber (one exception is juice that contains added fiber—check the label to be sure).
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but most Americans fall far short of getting recommended amounts. Fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, may lower risk of heart disease, and helps keep you regular. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits may aid weight management, too, by helping promote a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
For these reasons, MyPyramid advises meeting daily recommendations from the Fruit Group mostly by eating fruits instead of drinking juice.
Also, choosing juice over fruit might make it easier to overdo calories. For example, MyPyramid counts both a cup of orange juice and a large orange as one cup of fruit. The juice contains about 110 calories, but the orange contains only about 85 calories and takes longer to eat.
Finally, when it comes to nutritional value, make sure you compare oranges to orange juice—not apples to orange juice—because each fruit and its juice offer particular nutrients. For example, oranges are high in vitamin C, but apples don't contain much C at all.
Nutritionist Experts
Our Nutrition Experts are registered dietitians who hold master's degrees and are members of the American Dietetic Association and several specialty nutrition groups. They combine over 40 years experience in food and nutrition science, communications and counseling, the culinary arts and the development of nutrition education materials. They are quoted frequently in the national media and have written about nutrition for many major magazines, newspapers, and newsletters.
