Consumption of 100% Juice and Diluted 100% Juice Is Associated with Better Compliance with Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Analyses of NHANES 2017-2023.

: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting 100% juice consumption to 0.5-1.25 cups/day and to no more than one half of total fruit intake. : To explore the dietary benefits of consuming 100% fruit juice and diluted 100% juice across diverse socio-demographic strata in the US. : Consumption patterns for 100% juice and diluted 100% juice were examined by sex, age group, income-to-poverty ratio (IPR), and race/ethnicity. Dietary intakes came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2017-2020 and 2021-2023). The Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI 2020) and diet-level Nutrient Rich Food (NRF9.3) scores were the two measures of diet quality. The amounts of 100% juice consumed were compared to published DGA recommendations. : The consumption of 100% juice was greatly below that of water, milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). The consumption of diluted 100% juice was very low. Consumers of 100% juice had higher HEI 2020 scores (53 vs. 48) and diets with less added sugar and more total fruit, more potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. About 88% of the NHANES sample consumed <4 oz/day (1/2 cup) of 100% juice and most derived at least 50% of fruit from whole fruit, though some variation by income and race/ethnicity was observed. About 93% of the sample consumed <1 cup/day (8 oz) of 100% juice. Lower income groups consumed less whole fruit and more 100% juice. : The consumption of 100% fruit juice was a marker of healthier dietary choices. The observed social gradient suggests that 100% fruit juice may provide valuable nutrients to populations who may be unable to afford or access whole fruit. : The consumption of 100% fruit juice by some population subgroups could be increased. Fruit juice was not displacing whole fruit, and current consumption was well below the current DGA recommended values.