Is V8 Juice Healthy?

If you're a healthy eater, you probably have plenty of fresh vegetables in your refrigerator. But sometimes it can be a challenge to prepare enough fresh or frozen veggies to meet nutritional recommendations. So you might choose to drink V8 juice instead. But is V8 good for you? The answer depends on a few factors, including the other foods and beverages that you include in your daily diet.

V8 Juice Nutrition and Calorie Counts

Calorie counts and nutrition facts for V8 juice depend on the type that you buy. There are many different variations of this popular drink. Nutritional information for the original blend is listed on the label provided. Calorie and nutrient information varies slightly for the other flavors.

• Low Sodium V8 Juice: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 140 milligrams sodium, 900 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
• Spicy Hot V8 Juice: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 640 milligrams sodium, 460 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.

• Low Sodium Spicy Hot V8 Juice: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 11 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams sugar, 140 milligrams sodium, 1000 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
• V8 Essential Antioxidants: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 480 milligrams sodium, 490 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.

• V8 High Fiber: 60 calories, 0 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 480 milligrams sodium, 490 milligrams potassium, 5 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
• V8 Hint of Lime Juice: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 590 milligrams sodium, 430 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
• V8 Hint of Black Pepper Juice: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 590 milligrams sodium, 450 milligrams potassium, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein.
• V8 Bloody Mary Mix: 40 calories, 0 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams sugar, 620 milligrams sodium, 270 milligrams potassium, 1 grams fiber, 1 grams protein.
• V8 Spicy Mango Vegetable Juice Cocktail: 50 calories, 0 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams sugar, 650 milligrams sodium, 260 milligrams potassium, 1 grams fiber, 1 grams protein.
• V8 Sea Salt and Clam Vegetable Juice Cocktail: 60 calories, 0 grams fat, 14 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams sugar, 650 milligrams sodium, 320 milligrams potassium, 0 grams fiber, 1 grams protein.

Of course, the amount you consume also makes a big difference. A single serving of the beverage is 8 ounces or 1 cup.  As a reference, 8 ounces is the size of a small juice glass.

Many drinking glasses and tumblers are 12 ounces or more. A small bottle of V8 that you purchase in the store is 12 ounces.

When you buy V8 juice, you may also see many fruit and vegetable blends on the shelf near the traditional tomato blends. You'll see variations like V8 Strawberry Banana, V8 Peach Mango, or V8 Concord Concord Grape Cranberry. These beverages contain more sugar and provide more calories than the traditional vegetable juice. You might also see V8 +Energy Drinks at your local grocery or convenience store. These drinks may include vegetable juice, fruit juice, or both. The energy drinks also provide caffeine for energy.

Is V8 Juice Good for You?

If you enjoy the taste of V8 juice, you'll gain several benefits when you consume the beverage. And if you choose V8 juice rather than another type of beverage like fruit juice, sweetened tea, or soda, most health experts would say that V8 is good for you.

For example, V8 juice is much lower in sugar than many other drinks. An eight-ounce glass of Original V8 contains just 6 grams of sugar, while a glass of orange juice contains 22 grams of sugar. An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened apple juice provides 24 grams of sugar.

Most V8 vegetable juice varieties are a good source of potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure and muscle growth. V8 also provides vitamin A to boost your immune system, and vitamin C to boost bone health, wound healing, and provides numerous other benefits.

However, if you are watching your sodium intake, V8 may not be good for you. One serving provides over a quarter of the recommended daily allowance of sodium. Some of the spicy varieties provide even more.

Drinking V8 vs. Eating Vegetables

Original V8 is made from carrots, watercress, lettuce, parsley, spinach, beets, celery, and of course, tomatoes. Many V8 drinkers assume that when they drink the beverage, they are consuming the equivalent of two servings of vegetables. But if you read the small print on the label, you'll see that you are actually consuming the equivalent of the juice of two servings of vegetables. That distinction is important for a few reasons.

When juice is extracted from fruits or vegetables, the fiber is left behind. Current guidelines recommend that adults consume at least 28 grams of fiber per day (or 14 grams per 1000 calories). Fiber boosts your health in many different ways. Not only does fiber improve digestion and regularity, but according to the USDA, fiber also provides many other health benefits, including decreased risk of some types of cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Unfortunately, when you drink vegetable juice, you don't consume as much fiber as you do when you eat vegetables. For example, if you eat a tomato (1.5 grams of fiber), a cup of beets (3.8 grams) and a stalk of celery (0.6 grams of fiber), you'd benefit from nearly 6 grams of fiber. But if you drink one glass of Original V8 juice, you only consume 2 grams of fiber.

Another advantage of eating your vegetables is that it promotes healthy eating habits. When you eat (rather than drink) veggies, you consume them more slowly, and you're able to take the time to enjoy the taste, the mouthfeel, and the sensation of fullness that chewing and eating provides. Whole vegetables also fill your plate, which can add to the enjoyment of consuming a meal. All of these factors play a role in developing eating practices that support a healthy weight.

Choosing and Storing V8 Juice

You'll find V8 juice in the (unrefrigerated) beverage section of the grocery store, and you don't need to refrigerate it when you bring it home as long as it stays unopened. But you should refrigerate the product after you open it.

You should also think about the amount of V8 that you will consume when you choose the size to buy. Each bottle has a date stamped on the package. You should consume the drink before that date. According to Campbells—the company that makes V8—if the container is a 46-ounce or 64-ounce plastic bottle, you should use it within 14 days of opening.

Ways to Include V8 in Your Diet

If you enjoy the taste of V8 vegetable juice, then keep it in your kitchen. Use these tips to include V8 in a healthy diet:

• Add V8 to smoothies instead of sweeter juices like apple juice or carrot juice.
• If you usually drink soda with your lunch or dinner, drink V8 instead, to gain the benefits of vitamins and minerals.
• Choose V8 juice instead of packaged smoothies that you find in many convenience stores. Many pre-packaged smoothies are very high in sugar.
• To cut calories and sodium intake, choose the lower sodium varieties and add water, add ice or add a dash of sparkling water the drink to dilute it.

A Word From Verywell

For many of us, trying to get enough vegetable in our diet is challenging. For that reason, many of us believe that drinking V8 juice is good for you. When you consider the benefits, the calories, and the nutrition facts for the beverage, it may be a smart choice in some situations. But no single food or drink will make or break your complete nutritional plan. Try to eat a variety of fresh, frozen fruits and vegetables. Then supplement as needed, drinking water for thirst as often as you can.