Orange Juice vs. Oranges

Growing up, there was always orange juice at my house.  Every time I opened up the doors to the refrigerator, I would see the carton of orange juice.  My dad loved the taste of the fruity drink, and my mom liked the fact that it was a healthy beverage.  Over the course of time, I developed a liking for the juice as well.  I had a glass with my eggs and toast for breakfast.  Then at dinner, I had some orange juice to wash down my meal.  I enjoyed the taste of the freshly squeezed juice, and my parents were thrilled to see me picking this healthy drink over a can of soda.

However, as I got older, I heard a lot of people talk about how orange juice was not really all that healthy.  They said orange juice was just as bad as the soda pop, and that it was a lot healthier to just eat the oranges instead.  Was what they were saying about my juice of choice true?

Yes, I do agree that a glass of orange juice can often contain as much sugar as a can of soda.  That can easily be seen on the carton’s nutrition info.  However, to say that orange juice is just as bad as soda pop is a bit much.  Soda does not contain any nutrients.  Meanwhile, orange juice is packed full of vitamins. 

Oranges contain the same sort of vitamins without the extra sugar.  So yes, eating oranges is healthier.  However, if you are unlikely to eat an orange, drinking orange juice might not be that bad of an idea.