Pineapple juice is widely popular because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties make it an effective remedy for osteoarthritic patients and those suffering from other inflammatory conditions such as lupus.
Patients with digestive problems and eye issues can also benefit from this juice. Pineapple juice is rich in essential nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and copper.
A cup of pineapple juice can fulfill nearly 55% of your daily manganese requirement. However, some people are allergic to pineapples. They need a substitute for pineapple juice to meet their nutritional needs.
Pineapple juice is also a wonderful ingredient in cooking. It complements the flavor of meats like pork, beef, and chicken very well. An additional bonus is that it contains an enzyme, bromelain, that helps to tenderize the meat by dissolving the collagen fibers.
Pineapples are tropical fruits that might not always be easy to find in your local supermarket. The juice is sometimes out of stock too.
We provide you with several alternatives here in case you can’t find any. While they may not have the same flavor and nutritional value as real pineapple juice, they work well enough to be useful.
Best Substitutes for Pineapple Juice
What is Bromelain?
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that is a natural constituent of pineapple. It adds to the distinctive sweet and sour taste of pineapple juice.
It is said to work as an anti-cancer agent, and many people use it as a supplement to benefit from its anti-inflammatory effect. The primary use of bromelain regarding digestion is the breakdown of proteins into smaller particles.
Since bromelain is an abundant pineapple component, we need to look for its alternatives when finding a substitute for pineapple juice. Can’t find pineapple juice? We’ve got your back.
1. Grapefruit Juice
This one is a great replacement for pineapple. Grapefruit juice has a sour taste but with a sweet side to it, similar to the balance in pineapple juice.
It can perfectly blend into a recipe calling for pineapple juice and will provide a similar flavor profile. Grapefruit juice has similar health advantages to pineapple juice as well as it also contains beneficial antioxidants.
2. Orange Juice
Orange juice has similar characteristics to grapefruit juice. It has the same balance of sweetness and sourness. The high citric acid content provides its characteristic sourness, but it is also full of natural fruit sugars for sweetness.
This combination of sweet and sour is responsible for its refreshingly balanced flavor. Orange juice contains many of the same nutrients as pineapple juice too, such as vitamin C. Thus, it is a reliable substitute for pineapple juice in most cases.
3. Papaya Juice
Papaya is a sweet tropical fruit that melts in the mouth like a chocolate cake! It does not have the sourness of pineapple and tends to be sweet.
However, it is considered the best substitute for pineapple juice in terms of medical reasons. Papaya also contains a considerable amount of bromelain that is responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.
This makes it a great meat tenderizer as well. It is necessary to eat papaya raw without heating it, as heating destroys the proteolytic enzymes.
4. Pomegranate Juice
This classic ruby red juice that serves the palate well has numerous medicinal advantages. Although it is a blend of sweet and sour flavors, pomegranate juice is generally considered a sour juice because of its tannin content.
This beautifully colored juice can act as a defense against inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that pomegranate juice helps in the fight against cancer. So, in many ways, this is another suitable substitute for pineapple juice.
5. Guava Juice
Ripe guavas are another tropical fruit that tastes sweet. However, underripe guavas give a blend of sweetness and sourness with even a slightly bitter undertone.
While the flavor is difficult to describe, guavas taste something like a pear or a grapefruit. Along with its unique taste, guava has high amounts of vitamin C, which gives the fruit its antioxidant properties.
6. Apple Juice
This delicious and nutritious juice offers many health benefits as pineapple juice does. It is probably the most readily available of all the juices we’ve listed and can be found on any supermarket shelf.
Apple juice typically has a sweet taste. It is believed to lower cancer risk and promote bone health. Having good bone health will prevent the degenerative changes of osteoarthritis.
Apples’ antioxidant properties support general wellbeing and help to expel the harmful free radicals from the body. In recipes, apple juice works well with the same meats that pineapple juice does, namely, pork, chicken, and beef.
7. Combination of Apple and Lemon Juice
A combination of both apple and juice can render the best alternative for pineapple juice. Lemon juice provides the sourness from citric acid, while apple juice provides sweetness. When the two are combined, an ideal mix is created.
8. Yogurt
Another low-key substitute is plain yogurt. Rich in nutrition and with bromelain as a component, yogurt can provide many health advantages.
These include good digestion, better immunity, and bone health, mainly focusing on bone mineral density. Yogurt has tenderizing properties when used to marinate meats and is traditionally used to marinate curry meats before cooking.
9. Honey
Rich in minerals, this sweet liquid makes it to our list as a substitute for pineapple juice. Raw honey serves many digestive purposes. The proteolytic benefits of pineapple are also included in this precious and delicious golden liquid.
Of course, honey is extremely sweet so if you need to use it in a recipe calling for pineapple juice, try mixing it with some lemon or sour orange juice to balance the flavor.
Bottom note
Every fruit and vegetable contains elements that are essential for health. While there are no identical substitutes for pineapple juice, many of our suggestions will work quite well.
Use the most appropriate one according to your needs and taste, and let us know how it worked out for you in the comments section!