Limiting vegetable juice...

Just been reading on NHS site about 5-a-day. There would appear to be a limit on drinking juice or smoothies to 150 ml a day - I knew this was the case for fruit juices but wondering why it have been applied to vegetable juice. 250ml of veggie juice is only about 53 calories so it can't be about the calorific value just wondering if anyone knows the logic behind this?

nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages...

[jenwriter]

Fruit juices are limited because of the sugar content. Maybe it's limited the veg juice in case its bought from a shop and has added sugar?

"Even unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies are sugary, so limit these to a combined total of 150ml a day."

Or it could be the natural sugars.

[Penel]

The suggested limit might be because it's better to eat the whole veg, so that you get the health benefits of the fibre. If you want to drink veg juice it may be a good idea to make sure you still eat your 5 portions as well.

[Hidden]

Thanks jenwriter and Penel - only yesterday I found a very tasty spicy veggie juice hence my disappointment! I'm not looking to add this to my five a day it's just very filling and I thought a good healthy 'snack' for 53 calories. I've double checked the label and there's no added salt or sugar so maybe it's the natural sugar that warrant a restriction?

[jenwriter]

With fruit it's the natural sugars and its even says on some cartons (Tropicana I think) how much one of your five a day is, it probably is the same as you said 150ml. It's annoying I know I love fruit juices and enjoy making my own smoothies.

[IndigoBlue61]

From my understanding juices aren't limited, but they only count once towards the fiva a day, no matter how many you have. 😊

If you enjoy them I wouldn't worry, as long as you eat other things too, a wider variety as possible 😊

[Venusflytrap]

If you juice fruit or veg, it affects the fibre within the food. This means that the sugars within become more available to your body. So like drinking juice or a sugary drink. The fibre slows your digestive take up of the sugars. That is why it is better to eat your fruit and veg rather than drink them.

The second issue is that juicing allows us to drink very large portions of fruit and veg in a couple of minutes. So we might be having 2 or 3 day's worth as one meal. Consuming large amounts of anything does increase the kcals taken in. And you are likely to have it as well as meals not instead of them.

As an experiment, why not get yourself a pack of oranges? Eat half of them and juice the other half. Which makes you feel fuller? I bet it will be the eaten half. And it takes longer to eat them, which also gives your body the time to feel full.

So juices can cause some people to reduce their weight losses, just as overeating fruit would. But it is easier to over indulge with juices. Might make it harder for yourself.

[Hidden]

Hi Venusflytrap , think I might pass on the orange challenge I've never drank fruit juices for years for exactly the reasons you mention. I'm now having one 150ml glass of veggie juice at 30 calories per day as a treat

[Venusflytrap]

Must admit, I used to love V8. Wonder if they still make it?

[Hidden]

The one I'm drinking is from a well known German budget chain that does not start with an 'L' - they only do it as part of a Spanish promo. It's really spicy - bet it would make a wicked bloody mary