Orange juice is a refreshing drink brimming with healthy vitamins, and frequently used both as a breakfast drink and an ingredient in cooking. You can squeeze your own fresh orange juice or buy in cartons from the store. But what if you need some orange juice substitutes?
Here I share the 9 best orange juice substitutes, with ideas that are both drinks by themselves and foods to cook with. All are easy to find in the store and perhaps you have them already in the fridge or pantry!
A note for my low histamine readers - this is a broad informational post and may refer to some high histamine foods. Always follow the advice of your doctor or dietician.
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How do you make orange juice?
Fresh orange juice is bursting with healthy vitamins, and has a lovely subtle sweetness with a slight acidic tang. It's a go-to drink for breakfast or as a refreshing summer treat.
Orange juice can easily be made at home in a number of ways:
Using a juicer: peel your oranges and then add segments to your juicer.
Using a blender: peel your oranges, remove the larger pieces of white pith as well as the seeds, then blend. This method will give you an orange juice with pulp, so strain to remove this if you prefer.
You can of course also buy orange juice in cartons at the store (both fresh and long-life) or at a juice shop.
Orange juice substitutes
If you aren't too keen on orange juice, or have a food intolerance to it, then you will need some alternatives to enjoy!
It will depend upon your use of orange juice as to which substitute works best for you. Below I set out orange juice substitutes that can be enjoyed as drinks by themselves, as well as foods that can be used as alternatives in cooking, baking or preparing snacks.
Apple juice
If you are looking for an orange juice substitute to enjoy as a refreshing drink with breakfast or as a healthy afternoon snack, apple juice is a great swap! It has a lovely sweetness and is a little lighter in flavor than orange juice as it does not have the same level of acidic tang.
Apple juice is a citrus-free swap for orange juice, and can easily be made yourself at home with fresh apples or purchased in the supermarket.
Mango juice
Mango juice has a lovely tropical vibe and reminds many of us of fun vacations. It has a flavor that can be compared to orange juice, with both a sweetness and a slight citrus taste.
Mango juice is less common than apple juice but can also be made at home using a blender. Simply peel your mangoes and blend for a thick and tasty juice with lots of health benefits.
Pineapple juice
Pineapple juice can be used as an alternative to orange juice as a refreshing drink. It has a unique flavor that is sweet yet tart, and is used either as a juice on its own or as a mixer for some cocktails or drinks.
Juice pineapple yourself (removing the leaves and tough skin first of course!) or grab a carton at the store.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice is very tart in flavor, so you definitely don't want to drink a glass of it as you would with orange juice!
You can however use a little lemon juice as a swap for orange juice to add a little tart flavor for cooking, baking, making salad dressings or in a fruit salad. Use sparingly though as it has a big flavor in comparison to orange juice!
Lemon and lime juice are not suitable for those who are sensitive or have an intolerance to citrus, which likely includes my low histamine readers. It's why you won't find it in my low histamine recipes (other than as an optional ingredient) here on the site.
Lime juice
Lime juice can be used similarly to lemon juice for cooking and making tasty recipes. This small green fruit has a slightly sour taste and is slightly more acidic than lemon juice.
Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is another good swap for orange juice, particularly in salad dressings and marinades. It has a bright zingy taste with a touch of acidity.
As the company Bragg describes in their overview of how apple cider vinegar is made, this is done by crushing and juicing apples, then fermenting them with naturally occurring bacteria and sugars. Bragg them ferments the apples again and adds water to dilute the vinegar.
Alongside apple cider vinegar, other vinegars such as white distilled vinegar, which is a lower histamine option (per the SIGHI list for histamine), can be used as orange juice substitutes.
Milk
Milk can be used as a simple alternative to orange juice as a cold drink with breakfast, or perhaps with some cookies as an afternoon snack!
Non-dairy milk
Just like dairy milk, you can use non-dairy milk as a swap for orange juice in baking, to make smoothies or sauces.
Yogurt
Looking for an orange juice substitute to make smoothies? Yogurt can easily be used, and will give you a thicker smoothie than using juice alone.
There is of course regular cow's milk yogurt as well as many dairy-free yogurt products to choose from now.
Or if yogurt isn't suitable for you but you still want to make a tasty drink, have a look at my best yogurt substitutes for smoothies post for more ideas!
Frequently asked questions
If you are looking for a thicker smoothie, then using yogurt, frozen fruit or nut or seed butter will work well. For a thinner consistency, dairy or non-dairy milk can be used in place of orange juice for a more creamy taste.
Orange juice is used to provide acidity in salad dressings, so you can swap it for lemon or lime juice or apple cider vinegar.
Apple juice, mango and pineapple juice are all delicious as breakfast juices!
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