Despite the wide array of fruits and vegetables available in grocery stores and wet markets, not everyone is excited with the thought of a heap of salad, a colorful plate of fruits, or a warm vegetable stew. In fact, some individuals prefer to drink bottled juice straight from the freezer sections of the grocery store- a habit they regard as healthy enough to fulfill dietary requirements.
Though this may be swift and convenient, fruit and vegetable juices are not precise replacements for actual fruits and vegetables, according to registered dietician Stephanie De Maio. Meanwhile, De Maio admits that "these products can't hurt", especially if one does not have any fruits or vegetables around.
The dietician at St. Michael's Hospital exerts that people consume many calories from fruit and veggie drinks. For instance, popular juices have around 140 calories per serving. This is already the calorie equivalent of three apples.
She adds that few people would scoff down three of four fruits directly in one sitting, but many are likely to drink more than 250 mL of sweet juice at once.
Danielle Battram, also a registered dietician, echoes De Maio's point, saying that replacing fruits and veggies with juice on a regular basis is tantamount to consuming far more calories than simply eating the fruit or vegetable whole. This is also true with juices blended with kale and carrots.
According to Battram, calories consumed in liquid form often do not affect or alter our eating habits for the rest of the day. "Most things we drink are just extra calories on top of what we eat," she points out. However, milk can be an exception.
Battram adds that taking fruits and vegetables in liquid form limits how people reap the benefits of dietary fiber otherwise abundant if you eat them whole. Eating them whole allows the gut to work hard. "Eating fiber-rich foods keeps your gut toned. You don't want to be on a liquid diet unless you want to be," she notes.