When Juicing, How Many Juices Should You Drink a Day?

October 10, 2025 •

4 min read

Adding a glass of unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice to your daily routine can contribute to your nutrient intake, but it is important to understand how it fits into a balanced diet.

Quick Summary

The appropriate amount of juice to drink daily when supplementing a balanced diet is generally limited due to sugar content and lack of fiber. Prioritizing vegetable-based juices is often recommended.

Key Points

Limit daily juice intake: Aim for a small portion (1/2 to 1 cup) of juice per day when supplementing a balanced diet.
Prioritize vegetables over fruit: Focus on making juices primarily from vegetables (80%) and use fruit sparingly for flavor (20%) to manage sugar intake.
Juicing removes fiber: Understand that juicing removes insoluble fiber present in whole fruits and vegetables, affecting satiety and sugar absorption.
Juice is a supplement, not a replacement: Incorporate juice as a addition to meals, not as a substitute for whole foods.
Be mindful of sugar content: Even natural sugars in fruit juice can be high, so consume fruit juice in moderation.
Store juice properly: To preserve nutrients, store fresh juice in airtight containers in the refrigerator and consume within 72 hours.
Consider smoothies for fiber: If retaining fiber is a priority, blending fruits and vegetables into smoothies is a better option than juicing.

Incorporating fresh juice into your daily diet can be a delicious way to increase your intake of certain vitamins and minerals. However, it is important to approach juicing with moderation and an understanding of how it complements a balanced eating plan centered on whole foods. The ideal quantity of juice to consume daily depends on your overall dietary habits and health goals, but it is generally recommended to keep juice intake relatively low due to potential downsides like high sugar content and reduced fiber compared to eating whole fruits and vegetables.

Juicing as a Supplement to a Balanced Diet

For most people, juicing is best viewed as a supplement to a diet rich in whole fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It should not replace meals or be consumed in large quantities throughout the day.

Official Dietary Recommendations

Many health organizations advise limiting the consumption of fruit juice. For example, guidelines often suggest that even 100% fruit juice should be limited to a small amount per day, typically no more than 150ml (about 5 ounces). This is because juicing removes the beneficial fiber found in whole fruits, and the concentrated natural sugars can contribute to higher overall sugar intake. Vegetable juice is often preferred due to its lower sugar content.

Prioritizing Vegetable Juices

To maximize the nutritional benefits and minimize the sugar load, it is often recommended to prioritize vegetables in your juice recipes. A good guideline is to aim for a higher proportion of vegetables, such as leafy greens (kale, spinach), celery, cucumber, and ginger, with only a smaller amount of fruit added for sweetness and flavor. This approach helps you get a wider range of micronutrients without excessive sugar.

Moderate Daily Intake

For daily consumption as part of a balanced diet, a single small glass of juice (perhaps 1/2 to 1 cup) is generally sufficient. This allows you to benefit from the concentrated nutrients without overconsuming sugars or displacing other important foods in your diet. Enjoying your juice alongside a meal that includes fiber and protein can also help to mitigate blood sugar spikes.

Juicing vs. Smoothies: Understanding the Difference

When considering liquid forms of fruit and vegetable intake, it is important to understand the key differences between juicing and blending.


Feature	Juicing	Smoothies
Fiber Content	Removes insoluble fiber; retains soluble fiber	Retains all original fiber from whole ingredients
Nutrient Absorption	Concentrated nutrients can be quickly absorbed	Slower, more sustained nutrient absorption
Satiety (Fullness)	Less filling due to fiber removal	More filling and satisfying due to retained fiber
Process	Separates pulp from liquid using a juicer	Blends whole ingredients into a single beverage
Sugar Load	Can be higher due to fiber removal impacting absorption	Fiber helps slow sugar absorption, reducing blood sugar spikes

Potential Downsides and Best Practices

While juicing can be a part of a healthy diet, it is important to be aware of potential drawbacks and follow best practices.

Considerations for Juicing

Sugar Content: Even natural sugars in fruit juice can be high. Consuming large amounts regularly can contribute to weight gain and blood sugar issues. Prioritize vegetable-heavy recipes.
Lack of Fiber: The removal of insoluble fiber means that juice is less filling than whole fruits and vegetables and does not provide the same digestive benefits.
Oxidation: Fresh juice can lose nutrients when exposed to air. Drinking it soon after making it or storing it properly in an airtight container can help preserve nutrient quality.

Tips for Healthy Juicing

Focus on Vegetables: Aim for a high ratio of vegetables to fruit (e.g., 80% vegetables, 20% fruit) in your juices.
Moderate Intake: Limit yourself to a small serving (1/2 to 1 cup) per day as a supplement to meals, not a replacement.
Choose Whole Foods First: Build your diet around whole fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods for optimal fiber and nutrient intake.
Store Properly: If you make juice in advance, store it in a sealed, dark container in the refrigerator and consume it within 72 hours.
Consider Smoothies: If you are looking for a liquid way to consume more fruits and vegetables, smoothies offer the benefit of retaining all the fiber from the ingredients.

Conclusion

When incorporating juicing into your diet, the key is moderation and balance. For most individuals, drinking one small, vegetable-focused juice per day as a supplement to a balanced diet is a reasonable approach. Limiting fruit juice intake is generally advised due to its concentrated sugar content and lack of fiber. Remember that juicing should complement, not replace, the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables for overall health and well-being.

Resources

For detailed information on dietary guidelines, including advice on fruit and vegetable intake, consult resources like the NHS 5 a day guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

For most people, limiting daily juice intake to a small amount, such as 1/2 to 1 cup (120-240ml), as a supplement to a balanced diet is recommended. Prioritize vegetable-based juices to reduce sugar intake.

While fruit juice contains vitamins, drinking large quantities is generally not recommended due to its high concentration of natural sugars and lack of fiber compared to whole fruit. Excess sugar intake can have negative health effects.

Yes, but typically with a limit. Many guidelines state that a serving of 100% unsweetened juice can count as one portion of your daily fruit and vegetable intake, but only once, regardless of how much you drink, because it lacks the fiber of whole produce.

Vegetable juice is often a better choice for daily consumption due to its lower sugar content and higher nutrient density compared to most fruit juices. A common recommendation is to make juices with an 80% vegetable and 20% fruit ratio.

Including a small amount of juice can be a way to consume a concentrated source of certain vitamins and minerals quickly. It can be a convenient addition to a diet rich in whole foods.

To maintain nutrient quality, freshly made juice should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and ideally consumed within 72 hours.

No, eating whole fruits and vegetables is generally considered more beneficial than juicing because you consume the entire food, including the valuable fiber, which aids digestion, promotes fullness, and helps regulate blood sugar.