Why Cloudy Apple Juice Might Actually Be Better For You Than Clear

An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but when it comes to apple juice, it's not entirely the same. Unless you've set your mind to make refreshing homemade apple juice at home, your next best option is to grab a bottle at your local store. However, this is where it gets tricky — you'll need to think carefully about the kind of apple juice you pick. While clear apple juice is usually the popular choice among customers, there's a good reason why cloudy might actually be better for you, and that's mainly because it's less processed.

Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian nutritionist, plant-forward nutrition expert, and chef, revealed in an exclusive conversation with Chowhound that apple juice isn't as healthy as it seems. "If you choose the juice route, ideally grab the cloudy, unfiltered variety, which is lightly processed but offers a bit more nutritional value and satiety than clear juice," said Newgent, who is an unpaid advisory board member for The Non-UPF Program, a nonprofit that helps consumers avoid ultra-processed foods. "Though you do lose a significant amount of fiber as well."

Britt, a food scientist behind The Black Food Scientist on Instagram and TikTok, told Chowhound that processing has a great impact on the flavor of the juice, which is why clear apple juice might taste weaker than cloudy. "Filtering apple juice will affect both texture and flavor," she elaborated. "Filtered apple juice is not as thick as unfiltered due to the removal of the apple solids and pectin, which acts as a thickening or gelling agent."

Filtered apple juice undergoes several processes to remove microorganisms and extend its shelf life, including clarification, filtration, and pasteurization. As Britt stated, the goal is to eliminate particles like pectin and apple solids that are responsible for the cloudiness of the juice. "Cloudiness in apple juice comes from fruit particles from the juicing process," she continued.

However, Jackie Newgent pointed out that while all of these treatments reduce those unwanted components, they also take away much of the juice's nutritional value and delicious taste. "In clear apple juice, most of the solids, or the 'good stuff,' are filtered out," she explained. "That leaves mainly sugar, just a tiny bit of fiber or polyphenols, and some vitamin C, some of which can be lost due to processing." Data suggests that clear apple juice can contain up to 11 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. The high sugar content and lack of real apple flavor are the two main reasons why Snapple is the apple juice option you should avoid buying.

Instead, Newgent recommends cloudy apple juice as a better, healthier alternative because it retains the pectins and other important nutrients, including antioxidants. "Due in part to the higher level of processing, clear juice is typically considered [an ultra-processed food], so aim to limit it," she stated. "Think of cloudy apple juice like a lightly processed apple. It's unfiltered and retains more fiber, vitamin C, polyphenols, and other plant nutrients that can help support heart, gut, and brain health."

When it comes down to apple juice versus fresh apples, Jackie Newgent stated that going for whole apples instead of juice should always be your first option. "Apples are a non-ultra-processed food, naturally," she said. With that in mind, if you're still wondering whether to give apples a real shot, you should know that these are the absolute best apples for just snacking (and you can't change our minds).

"Instead of drinking the juice, eat an apple because you'll get a bigger nutritional boost, plus chewing satisfaction," Newgent disclosed. Research reveals that apples are not only packed with fiber, which supports digestion and overall health, but also make a hydrating snack as they are made of more than 85% water. "In a typical apple, you'll get plenty of vitamin C, potassium, and polyphenols, plus about 4 to 5 grams of fiber which can slow the absorption of sugar," Newgent said.

Meanwhile, if you've made up your mind about apple juice, Britt noted that the choice between cloudy and clear can completely change the experience. "If you prefer the flavor of cloudy over clear, that is important to know when looking to purchase an apple juice," she concluded. "If you have a recipe where it would be important to not have particles floating in your recipe, then filtered would be the way to go."