Juice - How much juice should my children have?
To answer this question, we rely on The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has issued recommendations to guide parents and care-givers of infants and children. Too much juice in an infant or child’s diet can lead to bad dental health, contribute to obesity and take up too much space in the child’s tummy.
Start juice only when a child can sip from a cup (approximately 6 months of age), and limit the daily amount to no more than 4-6 ounces from age 1 to age 6 years. Allowing a child to carry and sip from a bottle or a cup of juice all day is a key factor in tooth decay. Never put a child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup of juice. The carbohydrate in the juice feeds bacteria in the mouth which cause tooth decay while the child sleeps.
For ages 7-18 years of age, juice intake should be limited to 8-12 ounces. There is no nutritional advantage to drinking juice rather than eating a piece of fresh fruit. On the contrary, whole fruit provides needed fiber and other nutrients not found in juice.
For more information, see full recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3b107/5/1210
Back to Top
Juice - What should I look for on the label when I buy juice?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that for a product to be labeled as "juice” it must contain 100% fruit juice. Check the beverage label for descriptive words such as "drink", "beverage," or "cocktail." If you find those descriptors, you will know the product contains between 10% and 99% juice and added sweeteners, and flavors. Fruit drinks are NOT a nutritional equivalent to fruit juice.
Sometimes the front label panel will showcase added fortifiers, such as vitamin C or calcium. These ingredients must be listed on the label, according to FDA regulations.
As for amounts, juice should be limited to 4-6 ounces a day for children 1-6 years of age. Ages 7-18 years of age, juice intake should be limited to 8-12 ounces.
To stay with natural sweeteners, check the label for the ingredient "high fructose corn syrup.” This is a super-sweetener which is many times sweeter than sugar and does not occur in nature.
Back to Top |
