Can your Operation Profit from Fresh and Healthy Orange Juice?
It’s nothing new that 100% freshly squeezed orange juice has many health benefits. A recent study now shows that its positive qualities go beyond the well-known nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and potassium: Fresh orange juice can help regulate food intake. This makes it a healthy choice for your customers and a great signature product with a healthy profit potential for you.
CONTENT:
- Why should you care about your customers’ health?
- How can orange juice support a healthy lifestyle?
- Does orange juice contain sugar?
- Does freshly squeezed orange juice taste better?
- How can you earn healthy profits from healthy products?
- How can you improve your profits with a commercial juicing solution?
- The takeaway
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS’ HEALTH?
Build trust with your customers by providing high-quality options.
If you’re a grocery store manager or a restaurant operator, your customers’ health concerns have a direct impact on your business, because they affect how your customers shop and what they choose from your offering. Health concerns can also play a role in whether people are even coming into your store or restaurant at all or whether they prefer one of your competitors. Understanding what your customers are looking for is crucial to your efforts of staying in the game, gaining a competitive advantage, and winning market share.
Customers want healthy products and are willing to pay a premium.
Health concerns are at the forefront of societal discourse and top of mind for many of your potential and current customers. In particular, the conversation surrounding sugar consumption and overall food intake is a central one. And it’s clear why. As obesity rates and chronic diseases like diabetes soar, the need to assess one’s dietary habits is also becoming more urgent.
Grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants are right in the middle of that discussion - and in a great place to support their customers with healthy solutions. Offering nutritious signature products can be your contribution to your customers’ mindful eating practices. You can help them in their efforts to develop a healthier lifestyle, while at the same time distinguish yourself from your competitors and grow your bottom-line.
HOW CAN ORANGE JUICE SUPPORT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?
A recent study conducted at Toronto Metropolitan University revealed an interesting health benefit from drinking orange juice: fresh orange juice has a regulating effect on food intake and blood-sugar levels.
The study compared the effects of equal amounts of 100% orange juice, orange-flavored sugar-sweetened beverage, and water consumed two hours after breakfast, as a “mid-morning” snack. The results show that food intake at lunch and throughout the day was lower after consuming 100% orange juice compared with the orange-flavored sweetened drink. In addition, blood sugar levels were also lower throughout the day. As reported by Fox 35 Orlando, the researchers’ hypothesis was that flavonoids in orange juice slow down the digestion and absorption of sugar.
The research article, which was published in the journal Nutrients, describes a few other findings from meta-analysis and trials:
- Consumption of 100% fruit juice, derived 100% from fruits with no added sugars at 10% or less of energy intake was associated with a moderate decrease in body weight and body mass index (BMI).
- Sweetened fruit juices were associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. That is not the case with 100% fruit juice.
- Meta-analyses did not find a relationship between 100% fruit juice and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Moderate amounts of 100% orange juice can support your weight loss goals. In addition, unlike sweetened processed juices, fresh juice is not linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
DOES ORANGE JUICE CONTAIN SUGAR?
Like most fruit and fruit juices, orange juice contains sugar. However, as the study by the Toronto Metropolitan University showed, the body can recognize the difference between natural sugar and added sugars. The source of the sugar matters.
The interesting thing here is that even though the two beverages, the fresh juice and the sweetened, orange-flavored beverage, had similar sugar content, they had different effects on the body. When participants drank the pure orange juice, they consumed fewer calories later in the day than when they drank the processed beverage.
There has been some bad press over the years about juices and sugar, but based on this study, 100% orange juice and sugar-sweetened beverages are not equivalent and should not be grouped in the same category when making beverage decisions.
DOES FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE TASTES BETTER?
As reported in the above article, the participants also enjoyed 100% orange juice more. The subjective pleasantness measure compared to the orange drink and water was higher.
Orange juice is not just a healthy mid-morning snack, but also a great-tasting one that pleases the palate.
Amazing tasting products keep you customer coming back for more and offer a unique flavor experience.
HOW CAN YOU EARN HEALTHY PROFITS FROM HEALTHY PRODUCTS?
As a business owner or operator, you care about your customers. To stay in business, however, you also need to pay attention to your bottom line.
Adding products for health-conscious consumers is essential. It can help you improve your profitability in various ways:
- It brings more people into your restaurant or market.
- It can help you create and grow a loyal customer base, so you can count on repeat business.
- It can give your bigger margins. Fresh and healthy is premium and can be marketed and priced as such.
HOW CAN YOU INCREASE YOUR PROFITS WITH A COMMERCIAL JUICING SOLUTION?
A high-quality automatic juicer in your restaurant or store allows you to efficiently produce large amounts of freshly squeezed juice without adding labor. At 30 or 40 fruit per minute and extremely short cleaning times, your staff won’t be spending hours hand-squeezing or cleaning. They can prepare grab-n-go portions of juice within short bursts of juicing, before you open your store or restaurant or during the day, whenever needed. For the rest of the time, your staff is available for other activities.
In addition to oranges, you can juice the whole range of citrus starting from limes to grapefruit. And you can even juice pomegranates.
Freshly squeezed juice is the perfect signature product for grocery stores or breakfast cafes. If you operate a bar or restaurant, you can add signature cocktails that taste amazing. Read more about the many ways in which you can add value for your customers and your bottom line in this article.
At Citrus America, we are all about Healthy Profits. Healthy for your customers and Healthy for your business.
THE TAKEAWAY:
- Is freshly squeezed orange juice healthy?
- Fresh 100% orange juice has several health benefits that can help you strengthen your immune system and regulate your food intake.
- Why is orange juice so healthy?
- Fresh orange juice is high in several important nutrients, such as vitamin C, folate, and potassium. It is also a good source of antioxidants, like flavonoids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid, that are crucial to maintaining your overall health. In addition, drinking orange juice in the morning has a positive effect on calorie intake for the rest of the day and can support a healthy body weight.
- Is the sugar in orange juice bad for you?
- It’s the source of the sugar that matters. The study by the Toronto Metropolitan University showed that blood glucose concentrations were lower after consuming 100% orange juice compared with a sweetened orange drink of the same calories. The body can recognize the difference between the added sugars in processed and sweetened beverages and the natural sugars in 100% juice.
- Why does freshly squeezed orange juice taste so good?
- Freshly squeezed has just the right ratio sweet (sugar) and sour (acid). In addition, the volatiles in fresh juice can have a significant impact on the overall flavor profile. If squeezed right in front of you, your other senses kick in as well - you can smell the juice, you can see how it is made - to complete the experience.
- What’s the best way to make freshly squeezed orange juice?
- To get great tasting orange juice, you need high quality fresh fruit. Another crucial element is the knife. You want a clean cut to minimize peel tearing. If you operate a grocery store or restaurant, use an automatic juicer with a moving knife that can give you a precise cut. In addition, make sure your juice machine doesn’t squash the fruit as this will get too much peel oil into your juice and make it taste bitter.
About Citrus America – Citrus America has been driving innovation and quality in the juicing segment for more than a decade in North America and the Caribbean. We’re the exclusive master distributor for Citrocasa and have driven many innovations and quality improvements in juicing equipment. In addition to equipment solutions, we provide tailored training and support strategies to help our customers earn Healthy Profits.
About Citrocasa – Citrocasa has been the pioneer in producing the most innovative and highest quality food grade stainless steel commercial citrus juicing equipment to the grocery, hotel, and restaurant since 2005 across Europe. The Citrocasa 8000 Series was launched in 2005, with the 8000XB and the 8000SB. The 8000SB-ATS was launched in 2013. The Citrocasa Fantastic Series was launched in 2010 with the Fantastic M/AS. The Fantastic F/SB followed in 2011. Between 2015 and today, Citrocasa has launched the Advance upgrades, The Revolution, The Eco, and has added new options for on-line connectivity continuing its role as being the leader in commercial citrus juicing quality and innovation.
