Clare MulroyUSA TODAY
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In a world of ambiguously labeled "healthy" or "organic" foods,it can be difficult to know what is good for your body.
When it comes to making healthy choices in the grocery store, the first test to decide whether something is healthy is on the back of the box. According to registered dietitian nutritionist Danielle Crumble Smith, shoppers shouldask themselves if they can pronounce the ingredients on the nutrition label.
V8 vegetable juice boasts two servings of vegetables in just one 8-ounce glass, but how does it score when put to Crumble Smith's test?
Is V8 juice healthy?
According to parent company Campbell’s, V8’s Original 100% Vegetable Juice has a fairly short ingredient list.
- Vegetable juice (Water and concentrated juices of tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach)
- Salt
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
- Natural flavoring
- Beta carotene
- Citric acid
V8 also hasfour different types of energy drinks, which containvegetable juice as well as malic acid, citric acid, natural flavoring from plants, caffeine from black and green tea, sucralose, and vitamins C and B.
On its site, the company reports V8does not include added sugar or GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients in its products, other than in its V8 Bloody Mary.
With a short and mostly recognizable ingredient list, V8 juice is a healthy option, says Crumble Smith, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to eating real whole fruits and vegetables.
“Unless you’re getting the low sodium (V8), there’s a ton of sodium in that,” Crumble Smith says. A serving size of V8 contains about640 milligrams of sodium or 28% of daily intake.
One group that might benefit from drinking V8 is athletes – people who regularly lose large quantities of electrolytes through sweat and coulduse the high sodium content in V8.
It's also a good source of lycopene, Crumble Smith says,which has been associated with preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Another group is vegans or vegetarians, who mightbenefit from the B vitamins in V8 energy drinksbecause B vitamins are found mostly in animal products, and those who opt not to eat meat may need to supplement their vitamin intake.
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Can V8replace daily fruit and vegetable intake?
The main drawback of using V8 to get your daily fruit and vegetable intake is you’re missing out on a lot of fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 28 grams of fiber per day based on an intake of 2,000 calories, which may be appropriate for some U.S. adults but not all.
An 8-ounce cup of V8 may contain 80% of your vitamin C intake, but it’s got just 2 grams of fiberor 7% of recommended daily intake. V8’s High-Fiber 100% Vegetable Juice has 6 grams of fiber.
“Try to eat your fruits and veggies as opposed to drinking them,” Crumble Smith says. “And if you would prefer to drink them, then putting them in a smoothie where you’re actually blending the whole fruit and vegetable and getting the fiber, that’s actually going to be best.”
Those kicking their New Year’s health resolutions into high gear may be tempted to try a juice cleanse, but lost nutrients are precisely why Crumble Smith warns against it.
“Sure, you might not feel as bloated just because there’s nothing to digest but in reality, our liver is designed to naturally be able to detox our body,” she says. “Oftentimes at the end of it, people are just so hungry from not eating anything that they end up … eating a lot of carbs and sugars just because their body has been lacking in nutrients and is seeking energy.”
A more productive way to transition to a healthier lifestyle is by making gradual changes, Crumble Smith says. This could be swapping out a daily bag of chips for carrots or grabbing a bowl of fruit for a snack.
Does the ‘healthiest diet’ exist?: What to consider other than food
Discover more health tips for your daily diet:
- Healthiest fruit: This one has cognitive and cardiovascular benefits
- Healthiest vegetable: Check out these great nutrient-dense options
- Healthiest nut: Add these two daily for cognitive benefits and more
- Healthiest fast food: Look for this kind of menu next time you're out
- Healthiest bread: One is best, but your options for a healthy diet are aplenty
- Healthiest rice: Settling the white rice vs. brown rice debate
- Healthiest oil: Most have some benefits but these two might be best
- Healthiest beer: Consider these factors before you crack open a cold one
- Healthiest cereal: Inside the nutritional info on the back of the box
- Healthiest salad dressing: Best options, plus recipes to make your own
- Healthiest breakfast: Follow this 3-step guide in the mornings
- Healthiest butter: Look for this kind at the grocery store
- Healthiest deli meat: Guide for your next sandwich, plus during pregnancy
- Healthiest sugar substitute: Does one exist? Here’s what to know
- Healthiest ice cream: What to know before grabbing a “healthy” ice cream
- Healthiest snacks: Try these combos next time the hunger hits
- Healthiest meat: Expert tips to serve up a nutrient-rich plate
- Healthiest energy drink: What to know before you reach for another one
- Healthiest smoothie: Try out these ingredients in the blender
- Healthiest soda: The answer is tricky – here’s what to know
- Healthiest beans: Options for protein, fiber, iron intake
- Healthiest alcohol: Low-calorie, low-sugar options to try
- Healthiest water: How to sift through supermarket options
- Healthiest fats: You should be consuming more of this essential fat
- Healthiest Starbucks: Hacks to know at the order counter
- Healthiest diet: Why the answer encompasses more than just food
- Healthiest lunch: Use this guide for a foolproof healthy meal
- Healthiest chips: The salty details about baked, fried and homemade
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