How Much Sugar Is In Your Morning Orange Juice?

Fruit juice is a common alternative for people wanting to transition to a healthier diet. However, one drink that is often misunderstood is orange juice. Despite being a fruit juice and containing Vitamin C, orange juice contains surprisingly high amounts of sugar and calories.

Did you know that an 8-ounce glass of orange juice can contain around 20-25 grams of sugar? This is similar to the same amount found in your everyday soda cans. A 16 oz glass of orange juice can also contain around 200 calories. With children often having orange juice for breakfast, they are consuming hundreds of extra calories per week without even realizing it.

This is because, unlike whole oranges, which contain fiber that helps slow digestion and leads to feeling fuller, most orange juice has little to no fiber at all. This results in the fruit sugar being absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, causing sugar spikes and energy crashes.

Another negative of orange juice is the fact that it is a beverage, meaning it is easily over-consumable. This leads people to often drink a lot of orange juice, which contains sugar equal to many oranges, but leads to significantly less fullness and fiber.

While orange juice can be a treat that is enjoyed in moderation, switching out that glass of orange juice for a simple glass of water during breakfast time can save thousands of calories over the course of a year. A healthy habit can be switching out those fruit juices for the fruits themselves, allowing for less fullness, more fiber, and an overall healthy and happier lifestyle. To sum it up, grab the orange, not the orange juice.