“Think about it this way: dollars per nutrients, not dollars per ounce.”
A common question I receive is, “When I don’t have time to make my own fresh juice, are there premade juices I can buy, that are almost as good?” The answer is yes. There are some amazing pre-made juices on the market, real treasures hidden among the endless bottles of food coloring and sugar water. You just need to know what to look for. In fact, some juices like Welshes Grape juice or POM, are actually superior to what you can make in a juicer, and I drink them often as a part of my personal juicing regime.
What to Look For In Store-bought Juices
“You get what you pay for,” is especially true when it comes to bottled juice. Quality produce is more expensive, and the careful processing to preserve nutrients will be more involved and costly. For example, POM (100% pure pomegranate juice) is obviously going to cost much more than an apple-based juice with a touch of pomegranate. Take a moment and read the ingredients. If the front label says in big letters “Pomegranate Juice”, but the first ingredient listed on the back in small print is apple, that’s why it’s on sale for 79 cents. When it comes to choosing quality food it’s all about knowing how to read the small print. POM is expensive, but your very first mouthful will tell you why. There is nothing added, just a pure pomegranate bomb going off in your mouth.
This brings me to what to look for next, or better yet, “taste for.” Taste will tell you a whole lot about quality. This is especially true when your taste buds have been conditioned to fresh fruit and veggie juice as mine has. I can taste added sugar or “natural flavors” a mile away. Quality juice tastes amazing. Granted, even quality store-bought juice will not taste as good as fresh, but, “not from concentrate” orange juice is amazingly close to the taste of fresh orange juice. (I love Tropicana.) Taste will tell you a whole lot about quality.
Another thing to look for is price. The more expensive the juice, the better the quality. When starting out on your juicing journey, you may not know where to begin. If you simply reach for the most expensive juice, chances are you will look like a pro. I know what some of you are thinking: I’m on a strict budget. I cannot afford to spend twice as much on juice. But think about it this way: dollars per nutrient, not dollars per ounce. A more expensive juice may actually be cheaper when you calculate it this way. Do not make the mistake of buying junk juice and think you’re getting your vitamins; you’re just fooling yourself.
Don’t get lazy and only drink pre-make juice. I still recommend that the majority of your juice intake is from freshly made juices. There is simply nothing better. But here are some top bottled juices you can cheat with on those busy days you don’t have time to pull out the juicer.
I am going share some of the treasures I have discovered over the years. I will try to choose brands that are available everywhere. If I have missed a product that you have discovered in your area, please share it with us in the feedback area below, or email me at: info@thejuicenut.com. Be specific about the brand name. You can even add a link to their website.