Orange juice is a loved beverage by many people, but you may find most orange juices are too sweet for your liking.
If you have come across unsweetened orange juice, you may be wondering what unsweetened orange juice is and if you will like it. To help you out, here are some facts I found!
What Is Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Unsweetened orange juice can be described as 100% orange juice that contains no added sugar, artificial flavorings, or sugar alcohols. Although it is called unsweetened orange juice, unsweetened orange juice still has natural sugars sourced from oranges, meaning there is natural sugar present. Generally, unsweetened orange juice contains 21 grams of naturally-occurring sugars in the form of fructose and glucose.
If you want an in-depth look into unsweetened orange juice’s sugar content and more, keep reading!
What Does It Mean When Orange Juice Is Unsweetened?
When orange juice is labeled as unsweetened, it means that the orange juice has no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or sugar alcohol.
Unsweetened orange juice is made from 100% natural orange juice, which is liquid extracted from oranges.
Despite being called unsweetened orange juice, that does not mean that your orange juice is entirely free from sugar.
How Much Sugar Is In Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Generally, unsweetened orange juice contains 21 grams of sugar per eight ounces of unsweetened orange juice.
However, the sugar content of unsweetened orange juice is not chemically made nor added during the production process.
Since unsweetened orange juice is made from oranges, unsweetened orange juice still has naturally-occurring sugars.
Generally, one orange may contain 9-12 grams of sugar, depending on the size and variant.
What Kind Of Sugar Is In Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Unsweetened orange juice contains two kinds of organic sugars, namely fructose and glucose. These sugars are always found in fruits, including citrus, mostly in equal ratios.
Sugars in unsweetened orange juice mostly combine with other nutrients like fiber and magnesium.
Therefore, any sugar present in unsweetened orange juice is naturally-occurring sugar from oranges.
Is Unsweetened Orange Juice Pasteurized?
When your orange juice is freshly squeezed, the orange juice is still unsweetened.
However, when the orange juice has gone through the pasteurization process, some companies may include added sugar into the orange juice.
If you want to find out whether the pasteurized orange juice you bought at the store is unsweetened, simply take a look at the label.
If the label says 100% orange juice, then you are safe from added sugar.
Is Orange Juice From Concentrate Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Orange juice from concentrate may be unsweetened or sweetened, and it will depend on the manufacturing process the orange juice concentrate undergoes.
Concentrated orange juice is still made from liquid extracted from oranges, but concentrated orange juice is pasteurized and most of the water is dehydrated.
Additionally, your brand of concentrated orange juice is unsweetened if it has no added sugar, and the orange juice will not be classified as unsweetened if the orange has sweeteners or nectars on the label.
How Many Calories Are In Unsweetened Orange Juice?
One cup of unsweetened orange juice has around 112 calories, and 90% of the calories are carbohydrates, mainly made up of sugar and dietary fiber.
Aside from the natural sugar, each glass of unsweetened orange juice has significant amounts of vitamins and minerals, and vitamin C and potassium are the most abundant of vitamins present in orange juice.
How Much Unsweetened Orange Juice Can You Drink In A Day?
Most healthy adults can drink up to 240-ml of unsweetened orange juice, equivalent to about a full cup. On the other hand, kids should consume half of that at 118-ml every day.
Although unsweetened orange juice has no added sugar and contains no preservatives, unsweetened orange juice still is high in carbohydrates.
Additionally, unsweetened orange juice is packed with vitamins and minerals that already occupy some of the body’s daily limit.
For example, a cup of unsweetened orange juice already contains vitamin C twice the recommended amount for most people.
Can You Freeze Unsweetened Orange Juice?
You can freeze unsweetened orange juice and keeping unsweetened orange juice in the freezer can extend unsweetened orange juice‘s shelf life to 3-6 months.
Your frozen orange juice will last indefinitely if you constantly store unsweetened orange juice at a temperature of 0° F.
However, unsweetened orange juice will only keep for 2-3 days in the fridge once you defrost unsweetened orange juice.
Is Florida’s Natural Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Florida’s Natural is a brand that is made from 100% orange juice, meaning Florida’s Natural is unsweetened orange juice because there are no added sugar, nectars, or sweeteners.
Florida’s Natural has 22 grams of naturally-occurring sugars, which come from oranges.
Moreover, Florida’s Natural is not sourced from concentrate, so Florida’s Natural has no preservatives either.
Is Tropicana Unsweetened Orange Juice?
Tropicana is a brand that prides itself in being 100% orange juice. Although Tropicana orange juice is processed, Tropicana orange juice is unsweetened and does not have added sugar.
Tropicana orange juice contains 34 grams of natural sugar sourced from freshly picked oranges. Plus, Tropicana has no added preservatives, colorings, or artificial flavorings.
Does McDonald’s Offer Unsweetened Orange Juice?
McDonald’s is a fast-food chain that is in partnership with Minute Maid, and McDonald’s has marketed its orange juice as 100% pure squeezed orange juice from concentrate.
This means that McDonald’s concentrated orange juice has no added sugar or sweeteners. Once the orange juice has undergone a heat treatment and dehydration process, the orange juice gets stored.
McDonald’s orange juice has 32 grams of organic sugars and McDonald’s orange juice is free of additives.
Check out our related articles to learn if orange juice has added sugar, about orange juice versus apple juice, and if orange juice has starch.
Conclusion
Unsweetened orange juice can be freshly squeezed or store-bought. If the ingredients of orange juice are only orange juice extract and water, the orange juice is unsweetened.
Generally, unsweetened orange juice contains 21 grams of sugar. However, this may vary according to the number of oranges used or the production process of each brand.