V8 Original 100% Vegetable Juice: A Vegetable Serving in a Glass — Labelgrade B- (73/100)
B- 73 / 100 — Very low saturated fat and effectively zero sugar.
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V8 Original 100% Vegetable Juice delivers 1.99g of protein and 50.4 calories per 8 OZA (USDA FDC 1627215). Per 100mL that’s 0.8g of protein; per fl oz, 0.2g. The Labelgrade is B- (73 / 100): Very low saturated fat and effectively zero sugar.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 51 / 100 | 0.8g per 100mL — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | 12 ingredients, recognizable, no significant additive flags |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g saturated fat — perfect |
| Sodium load | B- | 70 / 100 | 650mg per serving (80mg per fl oz) — moderate |
| Sugar load | A+ | 96 / 100 | 7.01g sugar, no added sugar listed |
| Fiber | F | 36 / 100 | 1.92g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | B- | 73 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V8 Original 100% Vegetable Juice (this product) | 1.99g | 0.8g | 0.2g | 50.4 |
| Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice | 1.99g | 0.8g | 0.2g | 110 |
| Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail | 0g | 0g | 0g | 110 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
The rare drink that’s actually mostly vegetables
Walk the beverage aisle and almost everything is sugar water with a health halo — “100% juice” usually means fruit juice, which is just fast sugar with vitamins. V8 Original is the genuine exception. The ingredient list reads like a salad: tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach. There’s no fruit-juice base padding the sweetness and no added sugar at all. The 7g of sugar in a glass is roughly a third of what’s in the same pour of orange juice, and it’s all the natural sugar of the vegetables themselves.
That’s what earns the B-minus. On four of the six scoring dimensions it’s clean: zero saturated fat, effectively zero added sugar, recognizable whole-vegetable ingredients, and a real shot of micronutrients — 521mg potassium and added vitamin C in every glass. Protein density is low (2g), but nobody drinks vegetable juice for protein, and the score reflects that it isn’t pretending to be a shake. Functionally, this is the closest thing in a carton to drinking a vegetable serving.
The one real knock: it’s the salt that makes it taste good
The thing keeping V8 out of the B/B+ range is sodium — 650mg a glass, about 28% of a day’s limit. This isn’t a hidden additive; it’s the deliberate trade-off of tomato juice. Tomatoes, celery, and beets taste flat and metallic without salt, so the savory “V8 flavor” people reach for is largely a salt flavor. Drink one glass and it’s a non-issue. Drink three a day, or pair it with an already-salty diet, and it quietly becomes a meaningful chunk of your sodium.
The fix is on the same shelf: the Low Sodium version drops to roughly 140mg a glass while keeping the identical vegetable base, calories, and sugar. If you’re watching blood pressure, that’s the SKU to grab — you give up nothing but the salt. The honest one-line verdict on Original: a vegetable serving in a glass, just mind the salt.
Scope
This page covers V8 Original 100% Vegetable Juice, UPC 051000211767, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 1627215. V8 sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
RECONSTITUTED VEGETABLE JUICE BLEND (WATER AND CONCENTRATED JUICES OF TOMATOES, CARROTS, CELERY, BEETS, PARSLEY, LETTUCE, WATERCRESS, SPINACH), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), NATURAL FLAVORING, CITRIC ACID.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 8 OZA
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (8 OZA) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 50.4 |
| Protein | 1.99g |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 10g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.92g |
| Total Sugars | 7.01g |
| Sodium | 650mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 40.8mg |
| Iron | 0.72mg |
| Potassium | 521mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Original 100% Vegetable Juice · UPC 051000211767. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a glass of V8 count as a serving of vegetables?
Largely, yes. An 8 oz glass is made from concentrated juices of tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach, and the FDA lets V8 count as a vegetable serving under MyPlate. The honest asterisk: juicing strips most of the fiber (you get 2g vs ~5g+ for the same weight of whole vegetables) and concentrates the natural sugars, so it complements whole vegetables rather than fully replacing them.
How much sugar is in V8 Original, and is any of it added?
7g of sugar per 8 oz glass, and none of it is added — it's the natural sugar of the tomatoes, carrots, and beets (USDA FDC 1627215 lists 0g added sugar). That's the key difference from fruit juice: a glass of orange juice carries roughly 21g of sugar, so V8 has about a third as much.
Why is the sodium so high — 650mg a glass?
That's the trade-off baked into tomato juice: salt is added to make the vegetable blend taste savory rather than flat, and 650mg is about 28% of the 2,300mg daily limit. It's the single biggest knock on the score. If sodium is a concern, V8 sells a Low Sodium version (about 140mg per glass) with the same vegetable base.
Is V8 Original good for weight loss?
It's a reasonable tool. At 50 calories a glass with 2g fiber and 521mg potassium, it's low-calorie, filling-ish, and nutrient-dense for the calories. Just remember drinks satisfy hunger less than food you chew, and the 650mg sodium adds up if you drink several glasses a day — so treat it as a vegetable-forward beverage, not a meal.
V8 Original vs the Low Sodium version — which should I buy?
Buy Original if you want the classic savory taste and your sodium budget has room; buy Low Sodium (~140mg vs 650mg) if you're managing blood pressure or already eat a salty diet. The vegetable content, calories, and sugar are essentially the same — the only meaningful lever between them is salt.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-06, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1627215. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days of a manufacturer reformulation.