Ask Dr. Gourmet

Does V-8 count as a serving of vegetables?

The dietitian at my local hospital is telling the diners that a glass of V-8 juice is the equivalent of having a serving of 8 vegetables. True?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

Such a claim is not true at all. 4 ounces of a vegetable juice cocktail like V8 might be the equivalent of ONE serving of vegetables.

Even if the glass were large - say 16 ounces - that would only be 4 servings.

I am not a big fan of drinking juice instead of eating veggies or fruit. Products like V8 are highly processed and you're better off eating 4 servings of fresh vegetables than drinking a large glass of juice.

Here's the Nutrition Facts and Ingredients from the v8 website:

Eating a tomato (which is one serving of vegetables) has as much fiber as 8 ounces of V8, for instance.

The V8 website claims that the benefits of drinking V8 include Vitamins A and C. Note that both are added to the product (beta carotene is converted by your body into Vitamin A).

V8 also contains a lot of added salt that most folks don't need.

Stick to fresh veggies.

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet