Like juice, but better

April 18, 2018 6:01 PM

I love orange juice. My favorite brand is Tropicana, and I can easily drink a gallon or more per week. But my nutritionist said I should stop drinking juice because of the high sugar content. What can I replace it with that will satisfy the same craving?

I know that nothing that's not juice will have the same mouth-feel, but I'm looking for something somewhat similar that will prevent juice cravings. I like tea, so I was thinking maybe some kind of naturally sweet tea (but what brand/flavor?)? With lemon and... something else? I'm looking for something that I can make a big pitcher of and keep in the fridge for several days. I would like it to be very delicious and feel like a treat, the way a nice, tall glass of cold OJ does.

I'm looking for something that's not carbonated. I already drink a cup of coffee in the morning, which is tasty but doesn't scratch the same itch as juice.

posted by southern_sky to Food & Drink (29 answers total)

Best answer: Tazo Wild Sweet Orange is a naturally very sweet and kind of tart tea that you would probably like a lot if you like orange juice.
posted by tan_coul at 6:10 PM on April 18, 2018 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Hibiscus tea is tangy and delicious - I think the flavor is a lot better when several bags sit in the water overnight. You can just put the bags in a jar of cold water and stick that in the fridge, or brew it hot and then chill it.

If you like cinnamon, a couple of cinnamon sticks will add flavor and will also get sweeter the longer they steep. Like 24-48 hours.
posted by bunderful at 6:13 PM on April 18, 2018 [13 favorites]

You could try watering down the OJ. Start by diluting it with about 10 percent water and increase slightly every few days as your taste buds adjust. You should be able to enjoy more than half water if you do it gradually.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:14 PM on April 18, 2018 [32 favorites]

Give squeezing a lemon slice in a glass of water a try. Probably won't appease your inner child quite so much, but it grows on you. For keeping a pitcher in the fridge - have you considered iced tea or sun tea?
posted by cfraenkel at 6:18 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Crystal Light makes lemonade packets that I think are very delicious and sugar free, easy to add to a carafe of water and keep in the fridge as a substitute.
posted by nickggully at 6:19 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Yes, water down your juice. It takes an adjustment period but after switching to drinking juice+water, straight juice is usually too sweet for my taste. Just like salt, our sugar sense is highly adaptive based on recent intake, and it's not hard to slowly back off, until at some point you're drinking water with a splash of juice for color and flavor.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:25 PM on April 18, 2018 [12 favorites]

Best answer: Mother-in-law used to make an iced tea that included lemon and orange. This recipe is similar, except mother-in-law did not add any sugar, and mint was optional.
posted by gudrun at 6:26 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

I am here to say, eat whole oranges instead, since the fiber slows down the absorption of the sugar. I know whole oranges are not a liquid, but how about eating a Clementine whenever the craving hits?
posted by Crystal Fox at 6:27 PM on April 18, 2018 [24 favorites]

My solution to this was just to make juice an actual treat. I buy juice a couple of times a year, (often for "special" breakfasts or if I'm hosting brunch or cooking something elaborate), and drink it then.
posted by quaking fajita at 6:30 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You might enjoy one of those infusion pitchers - I bet a bunch will be on sale for summer themed stuff soon. Cut whatever fruit up that you have and leave in the pitcher for a couple hours or overnight, fruit-infused water (or tea) for a much better price. In addition to citrus, you can have fun doing interesting combinations, like cherry/mint (pit the cherries and tear up the mint) or cucumber/melon or basil/pineapple.
posted by Mizu at 6:31 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Watering down the OJ with fizzy, rather than plain, water, and adding a splash of bitters is good.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 6:32 PM on April 18, 2018 [17 favorites]

I like raspberry herbal tea. But nothing good for you is going to have the same sugar hit as juice.

I used to be absolutely addicted to Coke, drinking four or five cans a day. It was really hard to give it up, but now I drink mostly water and don’t miss Coke at all. Your taste buds do adjust.
posted by FencingGal at 6:37 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

I used to make a big pitcher of ice tea using the Lipton decaf ice tea bags made concentrated in a coffee maker and then diluted with an equal amount of ice. I did put some sugar in there but not nearly as much as is in juice & other beverages.
posted by bleep at 6:39 PM on April 18, 2018

Oh and also I used to put lemonade powder in there instead of straight sugar. Still less sugar than juice, but very tasty & refreshing.
posted by bleep at 6:52 PM on April 18, 2018

I too looove juice. The only other thing that could quench that craving, for me, is a fruit popsicle. They’re cold and I eat them slowly, so I usually am satisfied with one. I’ve made some with the addition of yogurt (with say some strawberries and orange) or coconut water (with perhaps some watermelon and mint), which makes it less sugary.
posted by inevitability at 7:02 PM on April 18, 2018

I drink "juicy water". I cut my juice with water. Little by little you will be used to it and can add more water. For OJ I use about 25% juice and 75% water. For 100% grape juice I use about 10% juice and 90% water.
posted by beccaj at 7:03 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Seconding that you should try a hibiscus-based herbal tea on for size. I like Tazo's Passion, which has extra citric acid added.
posted by mumkin at 7:07 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Tropicana makes a "Trop50" product that has half the sugar. Several O.J.-based varieties like No Pulp, No Pulp Calcium + Vitamin D, Vitamin C + Zinc...
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:08 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I totally came in to recommend Tazo's passion tea with hibiscus. It's delicious iced and it's the prettiest color. Keeping a pitcher of it in the fridge is a lovely thing.
posted by mochapickle at 8:01 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Nothing hibiscus tea + eating oranges. Both should satisfy the cravings.
posted by spinifex23 at 8:56 PM on April 18, 2018

Agua fresca and or horchata? Blended drinks made with mostly water and fruits, and grains or nuts. Cooling, refreshing, delicious, and better or good for you.
posted by glitter at 8:59 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I like carrot juice with a little bit of milk added to improve absorption of vitamin A.
posted by effluvia at 9:44 PM on April 18, 2018

How about a squash? (or diluted orange as we call it in Ireland). I'm also trying to cut down on my OJ so now I have a small glass in the morning and then I drink a pint-glass or two of water throughout the day with added squash/concentrated orange. If you keep it cold it's just as satisfying!
posted by cornflakegirl at 3:34 AM on April 19, 2018

Nthing Hibiscus. It has that bracing Vit C sour impact, plus it also has a warm and beautiful color, in case the aesthetics of orange juice are part of the appeal.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 5:55 AM on April 19, 2018

Another vote for diluting orange juice. I now mix about 10-20% OJ with the rest water. Don't start at that extreme, it would seem watery and insipid if you went from straight OJ directly to that, but maybe start at 50% (or more) OJ and work your way down. Straight OJ now seems sickly sweet and syrupy thick to me.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 6:51 AM on April 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

The flavoured hydration tabs used by long distance runners etc. are low/zero calorie and give you a refreshing fruity drink, might be worth a try.
posted by penguin pie at 6:57 AM on April 19, 2018

Fruit purée smoothies, made from fruit frozen or fresh. Get a small bulletin blender or a handheld immersion blender to make preparation and cleanup quick. You'll still get the citrus fruit taste, but you keep the fruit fiber that makes the sugar less of a problem.
posted by nicebookrack at 10:36 AM on April 19, 2018

I'll put in a recommendation for water kefir. You can try it out from a health food store, but in the long term this is definitely a make-it-at-home drink. In my opinion water kefir has better flavour and more health benefits than kombucha. It can be left to naturally carbonate, and can be flavoured with a splash of any fruit juice or dried fruit.
posted by FissionChips at 2:18 PM on April 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Bengal Spice tea from Celestial Seasonings is highly flavorful and naturally sweet tasting from the herbs. It's not citrusy at all, so it's a different flavor direction, but that might be better than trying to find something really close to OJ.
posted by spindrifter at 7:11 AM on April 20, 2018 [1 favorite]