4 Reasons Why My Family Drinks Florida OJ Every Morning

 As a registered dietitian, I know how important it is to start each day with proper nutrition. But as a mom to a picky six-year-old and a wife to an even pickier 50-year-old husband, I know that having good-tasting food and drinks on-hand is just as important as having nutritious options. 

These days, there are tons of “wellness drinks” out there that promise to give a boost of immune support, heart health support, a healthy dose of hydration, and more. But among the sea of wellness drinks out there, nothing compares to the taste, benefits, and hydration that The Original Wellness Drink, Florida Orange Juice, offers. And that is why I skip the trendy blends, and I stock my family’s fridge with The Original Wellness Drink that is Florida OJ. 

We all know that Florida Orange Juice has a sweet and citrusy taste that kids and kids-at-heart know and love. But 100% OJ isn’t just a yummy-tasting beverage that satisfies a sweet tooth. From helping us meet our fruit quota for the day to supporting our heart health, drinking the OG Wellness Drink gives you so much more than a pretty orange liquid to pour in your glass. 

Here are four reasons why this dietitian mama loves starting our day with Florida Orange Juice every day of the week. 

Drinking Florida OJ throughout the year can continually support our immune system.

The immune system is complex and needs a constant supply of essential nutrients to support its function, including vitamin C, folate, potassium, and thiamin. Sure, you can down a handful of vitamin supplements to get these nutrients in your body, but we would much rather sip on a delicious glass of 100% OJ instead. In fact, one 8-ounce serving of 100% orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, providing approximately 104 milligrams of this nutrient – over 100% of the recommended Daily Value. 

Beyond the vitamins and minerals that it provides, 100% OJ fuels your body with bioactive compounds and 100% OJ provides specific bioactives that are hard to get in the diet otherwise, and may help combat chronic inflammation, a factor that can help support immune health too. 

If you opt for OJ that is fortified with vitamin D, you are getting even more immune-supporting nutrients when you sip on your glass of orange juice. 

What a fantastic way to start the day!

Florida OJ is a tasty sidekick to water to help you stay hydrated throughout the year.

We all know that proper hydration is the cornerstone to our overall wellness. From helping regulate body temperature to helping deliver nutrients to our cells, keeping our body hydrated is one of the most important things we can do to support our health. 

100% orange juice is naturally comprised of almost 90% water, making it a fantastic addition to water to help people meet their fluid intake quota every day. Plus, 100% orange juice can additionally help support hydration because it naturally contains several electrolytes, including potassium, calcium (in fortified juices), and magnesium in smaller amounts to aid in fluid balance. 

Bonus? The hydration benefits are packaged as part of a tasty, refreshing and nutrient-dense beverage, making it so much more than simply drinking water.

Florida OJ and its nutrients may help support heart health.

Would you believe that the simple act of drinking OJ may help keep your ticker healthy? It’s true! Florida OJ has no added sugar, sodium, fat, or cholesterol while containing vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, making it a powerhouse when it comes to supporting heart health.  

Among the sea of nutrients 100% OJ offers, two unique flavonoids naturally found in this drink may play a significant role in heart health support. When focused on women specifically, data shows that higher intakes of one or more of these flavonoids are associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. 100% OJ’s primary flavonoid, hesperidin, may also play a role in helping to lower blood pressurein those with mild hypertension.

Florida OJ helps us meet our daily fruit intake recommendation.

A whopping 90% of Americans are not meeting the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables every day. This is concerning because not eating enough fruits and veggies sets people up for nutrient gaps, in the long run, making them more susceptible to missing out on key nutrients and developing chronic diseases like heart disease and obesity. 

While we should select whole fruit first, thankfully, drinking one cup of 100% orange juice “counts” as one fruit serving, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So, starting the day with a boost of OJ helps all of us get a head start on our “adequate fruit intake” quest. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest 100 percent fruit juice should be one of the primary beverages consumed, along with water and low-fat and fat-free milk.

Florida OJ is a staple drink on our breakfast table every morning. 

Along with some high-quality protein and whole grain carbs, my family and I enjoy a serving of Florida Orange Juice every day at our morning meal. It is a ritual everyone is happy to include, and it starts our day with a slew of good-for-you nutrients in a convenient and delicious way. 

There's an easier way to wellness than leaning on trendy “superfood” drinks. Enjoying a glass of Florida OJ every day is a healthy habit that supports the body with essential nutrients and helpful benefits. 

Born from the groves of the Sunshine State, The Original Wellness Drink is goodness as nature intended.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus. All opinions are my own.