5 Juices with More Sugar Than a Soda

Lovers of bottled fruit juices may have to rethink their infatuation. A new report from researchers at the University of Glasgow in the U.K. equated your glass of fruit juice to your can of soda--just with a few more vitamins. And your perception of how healthy juice actually is can be way off as well. When researchers polled more than 2,000 adults, people underestimated the sugar content in juice by a whopping 48 percent.  

We're not saying it's time to ignore the juice aisle. While some varieties can be sugar bombs, others are still a healthy option for men, says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, R.D. and a certified personal trainer. "Especially after a workout, the natural sugars from juice can help restore calories to jumpstart recovery and provide a boost of hydration," she says.

If you're trying to cut extra sugar from your life, keep in mind an 8-oz serving of soda contains about 26 to 31 grams (g) of sugar. If your "healthy" juice tops that, then be suspicious. Follow this guide to make smart juice picks at the grocery store. 

THE SUGAR LIE
Skip: Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry Juice
Sometimes you have to ignore the label on the front because the ingredients on the back tell a different story. This is one of those times. Though it boasts "no sugar added," the juice is sweetened with grape and apple juice concentrates, contributing to 36 g of sugar per cup.

Sip: Lakewood Organic Pure Cranberry
It's made with only cranberry juice to keep sugars low at 9 g per cup and nearly half the calories--75 compared to 140.

PICK YOUR BERRY
Skip: Tropicana Berry Punch
With only 5 percent juice in the blend and high fructose corn syrup listed as the second ingredient, this juice drink will add 29 g of sugar to your day in just one cup.

Sip: R.W. Knudsen Just Black Currant
If you want a berry flavor, go for this 100 percent juice, which packs only 15 g of sugar per cup.

LABEL DISTORTION
Skip: Minute Maid Enhanced Pomegranate Blueberry
Contains 29 g of sugar per cup from a blend of five fruit juices from concentrate: apple, grape, pomegranate, blueberry, and raspberry. The juices are listed on the ingredients list in that order, too, which tips you off that there is more apple and grape than blueberry and pomegranate--kind of kills the buzz for why you bought it.

Sip: Eden Foods Organic Apple Juice
Apples are full of powerful antioxidants, too--and sometimes it pays to go back to basics with juice. This one packs an impressively low 12 g of sugar per 8 oz.

 

GREEN WITH ENVY
Skip: Jamba Juice Kale Orange Power
It can be a smart pick, considering that it's made with OJ, banana, and kale. However, the juice is made with more OJ and banana than the green stuff, and the sugar content is 40 g per 16 oz cup.

Sip: Evolution Fresh Essential Greens with Lime
If you're going with a green juice, pick one that packs mostly vegetables--kale, celery, romaine--and a hint of fruit (lime) to keep sugars low. This one packs less than 12 g of sugar per 15.2 oz bottle. 

GO SIMPLE
Skip: Welch's Essentials Orange Pineapple Apple Juice Cocktail
The label boasts "no high fructose corn syrup" and that's true, but it also contains added sugar for a total of 31 g per cup.

Sip: Simply Orange Juice with Pineapple
Contains nearly one-quarter less sugar because it's made with only orange and pineapple juice.