Clamato is a popular tomato-based beverage made by Motts in the 1960s.
It’s a blend of tomato juice with water consumed widely in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
It has a thick, cloudy consistency and a reddish-pink color from the tomato juice.
Clamato is known for its association with cocktails, particularly the popular drink known as the “Michelada.”
Additionally, it is often use as a key ingredient in bloody mary cocktails, adding a punch of savory umami flavor.
However, the big question is – Is Clamato juice a healthy option?
Short answer: Clamato juice is not a healthy option as it is made with not-so-good ingredients such as High fructose corn syrup and artificial color. Also, it is extremely high in sodium and has almost no nutrition value.
Read on to find out everything about Clamato juice, including it’s ingredients, sugar, protein, sodium content, and more.
Read also: Is Tampico Healthy? The Truth About This Juice
What are the ingredients in Clamato juice?
Clamato juice comes in five flavors: Original, Picante, Limon, Michelda special, and Sweet & spicy.
Therefore, the exact ingredients can vary depending on the flavor you choose.
In general, Clamato is made from Water, Tomato concentrate, High fructose corn syrup, Salt, and Citric acid as the primary ingredients.
Here’s the ingredients list of all the five flavors:
| Flavor | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Original | Water, Tomato Concentrate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Monosodium Glutamate, Salt, Citric Acid, Spices, Onion and Garlic Powder, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Dried Clam Broth, Vinegar, Natural Flavors, Red 40, Red Chili Pepper. |
| Picante | Water, Tomato Concentrate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Spices, Onion Powder, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Garlic Powder, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Vinegar, Dried Clam Broth, Red 40, Red Chili Pepper. |
| Limon | Water, Tomato Concentrate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Citric Acid, Monosodium Glutamate, Lime Juice Concentrate, Spices, Onion Powder, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Garlic Powder, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Dried Clam Broth, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Red 40. |
| Michelda special | Water, Tomato Concentrate, Cane Sugar, Salt, Citric Acid, Monosodium Glutamate, Worcestershire Sauce (Water, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Malic Acid, Caramel Color, Spices, Molasses, Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Smoke Flavor, Garlic and Onion Powder, Acacia Gum, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum), Spices, Onion and Garlic Powder, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Chipotle Pepper Puree, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Dried Clam Broth, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Vinegar, Red 40. |
| Sweet & spicy | Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Tomato Concentrate, Monosodium Glutamate, Salt, Citric Acid, Mango Puree Concentrate, Spices, Onion Powder, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Chili Pepper Powder, Garlic Powder, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Natural Flavors, Dried Clam Broth, Red 40. |
What’s good?
- It is made from tomato concentrate, a good source of antioxidants like lycopene.
- There’s no use of any artificial flavors.
- It contains dried clam broth, providing a unique seafood essence.
What’s bad?
- It contains high fructose corn syrup, which is linked to many health issues.
- It contains monosodium glutamate (MSG), which some individuals may be sensitive to.
- It contains artificial color red 40.
Due to the addition of HFCS, MSG, and the artificial color red 40, Ingredients-wise, Clamato juice cannot be considered a healthy option.
Let’s move to the nutritional part.
How much sugar is in Clamato juice?
Clamato juice is high in sugar, containing 11-12g per serving, depending on the flavor.
The majority of this sugar, approximately 9g, is added sugar.
To evaluate, that’s about 25% of men’s daily added sugar limit and 36% for women.
What is worse? The added sugar comes from a highly refined source—High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).
High fructose corn syrup is a type of sugar or sweetener made from corn starch.
This syrup is high in fructose and has been linked to many health issues, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, weight gain, heart disease, etc[1].
If you are suffering from sugar-related health concerns or simply aiming to reduce your sugar intake, Clamato juice may not be a good choice.
How much protein is in Clamato juice?
Clamato juice falls short as a protein source, providing just 1g per serving.
That’s because tomatoes are not good with protein, and Clamato has no protein-rich ingredients.
When it comes to fiber, Clamato juice contributes nothing.
While some flavors may contain vitamins such as A and C, the quantities are insufficient to complete even 10% of your daily needs.
So, from a nutrition point of view, Clamato is not a good choice.
Is Clamato juice high in sodium?
Clamato juice is extremely high in sodium, containing 790 to 820mg per serving, depending on the flavor.
That’s more than half of the daily recommended limit (1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
While sodium is a crucial component of the diet, excessive intake can contribute to issues like high blood pressure, increased thirst, weight gain, or even stroke.
If you’re managing heart-related issues or following a low-sodium diet, it is best to avoid Clamato juice.
Is Clamato juice good for weight loss?
Even though Clamato juice is low in calories, with just 60 per serving, it’s not a great juice to drink on a weight loss diet.
It contains added sugar in the form of High fructose corn syrup and is extremely high in sodium, both of which can hinder your weight loss efforts.
In fact, the study suggests that the overconsumption of HFCS from beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity[2].
Note that weight loss does not depend only on one food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Is Clamato juice gluten-free?
Clamato juice is gluten-free as it does not contain any gluten-based ingredients.
Is Clamato juice vegan?
Clamato is not vegan as it contains dried clam broth.
Clam broth is made by cooking clams in water. They are a type of marine animals that are killed for their meat.
This means that Clamato is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Moreover, Clamato juice is also not cruelty-free as it contains artificial color, which is often tested on animals to ensure its safety.
Is Clamato better than V8 Bloody Mary Original?
V8 Bloody mary original is a better choice than Clamato.
There are many reasons for this, such as:
- V8 Bloody mary original is made from tomato juice as the first ingredient, while Clamato starts with water.
- V8 Bloody mary original is a good source of vitamin C, containing 70% of the daily value.
- V8 Bloody mary original contains less sodium (650mg) than Clamato.
- V8 Blood mary original has less added sugar than Clamato.
- V8 Blood mary original does not contain ingredients like HFCS and artificial color.
Final words
After looking at the ingredients and nutritional value, it can be concluded that Clamato juice is not a healthy option.
There are various reasons for this, such as:
- It is low in nutrients.
- It is extremely high in sodium.
- It is high in added sugar sourced from High fructose corn syrup.
- It contains artificial color red 40.
If you are looking to eat healthy, it is better to go for other tomato juice brands.
That’s it!
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