Juice Brands With The Best And Worst Ingredients

A glass of juice can be a great way to start the day and an excellent thirst quencher when you want something that's more flavorful than water. But is juice good for you? Many juices are packed with sugar and contain little fiber or any of the good stuff that you find in whole fruits and vegetables. However, that doesn't mean that all juices are unhealthy. Several companies make nutritious juices with top-quality ingredients.

The key to choosing the right juice is knowing what to look for. A high-quality juice will contain natural fruits and/or vegetables. If you see added sugar, artificial colors, and artificial flavors in the ingredient list, you know that it's probably not the best quality juice you can buy.

To save you the trouble of scouring ingredient lists at the supermarket, we put in the hard work for you. We did a deep dive into popular juice brands to see which companies use the highest and lowest-quality ingredients. From juices featuring organic, sustainably sourced fruits and veggies to fruit beverages that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, these are the juice brands with the absolute best and worst ingredients.

R.W. Knudsen started making pure, organic grape juice in 1961. Today, the company creates a wide variety of juices made with organic fruits and vegetables like pineapples, blueberries, beets, and carrots. The company works with growers along the Pacific Coast and other parts of the U.S. to source high-quality ingredients that are grown as sustainably as possible. In addition, the company is True Platinum Zero Waste certified, meaning that up to 90% of its waste from its plants is reused or recycled.

The R.W. Knudsen juices are made with non-GMO ingredients and contain no added sugars, preservatives, or artificial colors or flavors. Some are made with whole fruit juices, while others are made from concentrate. When a juice is made from concentrate, it just means that the water was extracted from the fruit at one point. This is usually done to prevent bacterial growth and to make the product easier to transport. The R.W. Knudsen juices that are made from concentrate contain pure filtered water to reconstitute the water in the plant-based concentrates. What you get is great-tasting juice with no unnecessary ingredients.

The motto for Garden of Flavor is "Juice as nature intended." This alludes to the company's commitment to using only certified organic, non-GMO ingredients in its juices like vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries. You'll never find added sugars or preservatives — just raw ingredients that are high in fiber and vitamins. The company is very transparent about where its ingredients come from, listing all of the farms and co-ops it sources from on its website.

One thing that sets the Garden of Flavor juices apart from other brands is that each juice is cold-pressed. What cold-pressed means for fresh juices is the ingredients are squeezed in a hydraulic press instead of using heat to extract the juices. This retains many of the nutrients that might be lost at higher temperatures. After the juices are cold-pressed, the company uses cold water pressure to preserve those nutrients. In addition, many of the juices are made predominantly from vegetables and roots like kale, spinach, celery, and turmeric, so they're lower in sugar than many fruit juices.

You may know Hawaiian Punch as a brightly-colored, tropical-flavored fruit juice that's predominately marketed to kids. However, the truth about Hawaiian Punch is it didn't start out as a kid's drink or even juice at all. Created in 1934, "Leo's Hawaiian Punch" was originally a syrup that was meant to be added to ice cream. People soon realized that they could mix the syrup with water to make a fruity drink, so the company responded by creating a watered-down, ready-to-drink version of the product. Hence, Hawaiian Punch "juice" was born.

Although the Hawaiian Punch formula has changed over the years, and the various flavors do contain some fruit juice concentrates, the drinks still have many things in common with the original syrup concoction. For example, the ingredient lists reveal that the drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, which is essentially added sugar that comes from corn. There are also several artificial ingredients like Red 40 and Blue 1 synthetic food coloring, potassium sorbate as a preservative, and the artificial sweetener sucralose. If it's pure juice you're after, Hawaiian Punch is far from natural. 

Uncle Matt's Organic founder Matt McLean comes from a long line of citrus farmers, so it made sense for him to start a juice company. In 1999, he started producing juices made with 100% organically grown fruit. Today, the company offers a variety of juices like orange juice, grapefruit juice, and a no-sugar pink lemonade that gets its pink color from strawberry juice. You can order the juices online or find them in stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts Farmers Markets.

All of Uncle Matt's Organic Juices are USDA-certified organic, so they don't contain traces of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. In fact, the company was the first in the world to be certified Glyphosate Residue Free by the Detox Project. Glyphosate is a common herbicide that can cause illness or even fatalities if ingested. Uncle Matt's Organic juices are also made in a facility that only produces juice, so there are no traces of allergens like tree nuts, wheat, eggs, or fish. The juices are as clean as you can get with nothing but pure juice and, in some cases, added vitamins to amp up the nutrient content.

Santa Cruz Organic creates wholesome fruit juices made with USDA-certified organic, non-GMO ingredients sourced from farmers and growers who are committed to sustainability. You can choose from flavors like red tart cherry, orange mango, white grape, Concord grape, and apple. The company also makes lemonades, fruit concentrates, apple sauces, and pure lime and lemon juices. Read through the ingredient lists and you'll find only pure organic juice concentrates, natural flavors, and filtered water.

There are a few reasons Santa Cruz uses concentrates instead of freshly squeezed juice. Mainly, it allows the company to preserve the fruits when they are at their peak ripeness and then blend them later. Only the minimum amount of water is used to transform the concentrates into whole fruit juices. The juices are then pasteurized to destroy any potential bacteria. There are no added sugars, preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors in any of the juices. Instead, the company uses naturally sweet juices like apple and white grape to give the juices their full-bodied, balanced flavors. 

With a name like Simply, you would expect that this juice brand uses simple, wholesome ingredients. In fact, the company claims that's the logic behind the name. Unfortunately, that's not exactly the case with this juice brand that's under The Coca-Cola Company umbrella. To be fair, the Simply Orange juice lists nothing more than 100% pure-squeezed, pasteurized orange juice in the ingredient list. However, some of the other Simply fruit juices are packed with shocking amounts of added sugar.

There are a number of Simply fruit juices that you'll want to stay away from if you're trying to curb your sugar intake. For example, the Simply Strawberry juice drink contains 24 grams of added sugar per 8-ounce serving, which adds up to 48% of your daily recommended value. The Simply Mango and Simply Fruit Punch juice drinks aren't far behind at 21 grams and 22 grams, respectively. The lemonades are just as bad, if not more so. Take, for example, the limeade, which contains an extra 28 grams of sugar. 

The Simply juices also came under fire when a class-action lawsuit was filed against Coca-Cola alleging that the Simply Tropical juice contained high levels of PFAS. These chemical compounds are found in many household items and have been linked to health issues. Although a judge dismissed the complaint, it has called into question how healthy the Simply juices actually are.

Bolthouse Farms has a history that dates back to 1915. That's when the Bolthouse family began farming carrots in Michigan. Today, the company still sells carrots, as well as salad dressings, juices, smoothies, and protein drinks. The juices are made with 100% natural ingredients and include carrot juice, orange juice, and pomegranate juice. There is also an organic carrot juice made with USDA-certified, non-GMO carrots. Each juice is flash-pasteurized to kill bacteria and extend the shelf life. The juices are also sold in BPA-free bottles.

There are no surprises with the Bolthouse Farms 100% juices. Look at the ingredient lists, and you'll only see one thing listed — pure juice. There are no added sugars, preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial ingredients. Some of the juices come from concentrate, while others, like the orange juice, are pure-squeezed. Even the blended juices and smoothies are made with real fruit juices and don't contain any unnecessary ingredients. You can pick up Bolthouse Farms products at several grocery chains, including Walmart, Whole Foods, and Safeway.

Pomegranates are packed with nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. The only problem is figuring out how to eat a pomegranate without making a huge mess. After all, those tiny seeds are hard to get out and can burst easily, leaving bright red juice stains everywhere. That's where Pom Wonderful comes in. The company specializes in pomegranate juices like its 100% pomegranate juice, pomegranate blueberry juice, and pomegranate cherry juice. You can also purchase antioxidant teas, whole pomegranates, and cups of arils (pomegranate seeds) from Pom Wonderful.

Each 16-ounce bottle of Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice contains the juice of about four pomegranates. The juice comes from concentrate and is flash-pasteurized to destroy harmful bacteria. None of the juices have added sugars, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners. You may find some sediment in the bottom of the bottle, but that's a natural by-product of the fruit and nothing to worry about. Just shake it up, and you have an all-natural juice that's high in antioxidants. No cutting, peeling, or de-seeding is required.

Tropicana is one of the most well-known juice brands in the United States, particularly when it comes to orange juice. The company was founded in Florida in 1947, and today, its facilities can process up to 2 million bottles of juice a day. The original Tropicana orange juice contains 100% pure juice with no added sugars, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. That's definitely a good thing. However, some of the other Tropicana juice products are not as wholesome.

The Tropicana Refreshers are blended juices that come in an array of flavors, like peach pineapple, strawberry watermelon, and cherry pomegranate. They're made with real fruit juices and do not contain artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, they contain significant amounts of added sugars. For example, the strawberry watermelon juice packs 20 grams of added sugars per 8-ounce serving, which is about 40% of the total recommended daily value of sugar. The Refreshers may be a fun departure from Tropicana's regular orange juice, but the sugar overload may not be worth straying from the tried-and-true.

When it comes to vegetable juices, Campbell's V8 juice reigns supreme as one of the most well-known veggie juices on the market. One 8-ounce serving of the original V8 juice contains just 45 calories and only 7 grams of sugar. Slug one back, and you'll get two full servings of vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, and spinach. Even better, there are no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors. What you get is natural ingredients with no fillers.

The only thing that's not stellar about Campbell's V8 juice is that it's slightly high in sodium, with 640 milligrams per serving. That's about 28% of the daily recommended value. However, if you're worried about sodium intake, there is a low-sodium option. The company also offers a high-fiber V8 vegetable juice and the Spicy Hot V8 juice, which is perfect if you want to make a great-tasting Bloody Mary. 

Prefer something a bit sweeter? The V8 fruit and vegetable blends come in flavors like pomegranate blueberry and acai mixed berry. Like the vegetable juices, they are made with real fruits and vegetables and don't contain any artificial ingredients or added sugars. 

Like the name suggests, Lakewood Organic is all about organic juices made with high-quality ingredients that are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. There is a wide selection of juices to choose from, including standard organic juices, premium juices, aloe juices, and biodynamic juices. You may have heard the term biodynamic used for natural wines. Biodynamic refers to a sustainable method of farming that uses natural fertilizers like manure and compost instead of artificial elements. It also adheres to the notion that soil, plants, and animals are one interconnected ecosystem.

Based in Miami, Florida, Lakewood Organics takes its juices very seriously. Every bottle contains USDA-certified organic ingredients that are either fresh-pressed or turned into concentrates and reconstituted. The juices are pasteurized for safety, and the company regularly tests for heavy metals. In addition, the facility the juices are made in is free of major allergens like tree nuts, milk, eggs, and peanuts. None of the juices contain preservatives or artificial ingredients, and they're naturally sweet, so there is no need for added sugars.

Welch's is another big name in the juice arena, especially when it comes to grape juice. Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch founded the company in 1869 and originally called it Dr. Welch's Unfermented Wine. In 1890, he changed the name to Dr. Welch's Grape Juice, and today, the company is simply called Welch's. There are numerous Welch's juices on offer, but be warned that many are among the unhealthiest juices you can buy.

There are several Welch's juices that contain all-natural ingredients, like the 100% Concord grape juice. However, while these juices don't contain any artificial ingredients or added sugars, they're still incredibly high in sugar. For example, the Concord grape juice clocks in at 35 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving. By comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. 

The Welch's juices you really want to stay away from though are the juice drinks, most of which are blended drinks. Nearly all of them contain high amounts of added sugars in the form of high fructose corn syrup. The fruit punch in particular contains an astounding 44 grams of added sugars and a total of 46 grams of sugar. 

Good & Gather is Target's in-house label. It was rolled out to the public in 2019 and offers products made with high-quality ingredients at affordable prices. The products include everything from frozen foods to pantry staples and beverages. The Good & Gather organic juices are made with natural ingredients like cranberry, orange, and apple concentrates reconstituted with filtered water. The juices are free of preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and added sugars.

Among the well-known "food facts" that aren't actually true is the myth that concentrated juice contains fewer nutrients than fresh-pressed juices. Fruit concentrate just means that the water has been extracted from the fruit. As we mentioned earlier, this is often done to reduce bacteria and prolong the shelf life of the product. As long as there are no preservatives or sugars added to the concentrate, it should be just as good for you as whole juice. That's what you get with the Good & Gather juices — just pure fruit concentrates brought back to liquid form with filtered water.

Picking the best and worst juices to round out this list was an exercise in carefully reading the nutrition labels. While juice often gives the overall impression of being a healthy option, some store-bought juices contain just as much sugar as — if not more than — an equal serving of soda. 

Our favorable picks feature wholesome ingredients like natural fruits and vegetables, plus they have minimal added sugars and artificial flavors. Many of our "best" picks also come from sustainable brands that employ eco-conscious business practices in their daily operations. The juices that are loaded with added sugar, artificial colors, preservatives, and artificial flavors did not meet our standards for the best quality options you can buy. And while those juices can still be enjoyed, it may be worth noting that moderation is key.