Precautions While Introducing Juices and Drinks to Baby
Many parents fall into the trap of serving too many sugary juice drinks to their children. However, 100% juice can be a healthy part of your child’s diet and can serve as one fruit serving. Follow these simple guidelines to make sure you’re serving 100% juice to your child.
The Difference between 100% Juice and Juice Drinks
- Carefully read nutrition labels, and always look for 100% juice, such as Nestle Juicy Juice. If it’s not 100%, it’s not the best for your child.
- Be wary of products that contain words like “ade,” “beverage,” “cocktail” or “drink” in the name. These words indicate that a product is not 100% juice. For example, many “fruit juice drinks” contain only 10% fruit juice, and often are packed with added sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and artificial flavors.
Here is some information on the benefits of 100% fruit juice along with a few tips on how to make juice a regular part of your child’s healthy diet.
- A 4-ounce glass of 100% fruit juice equals one serving fruit.
- 100% juice can be an important part of a “brainy breakfast” to start the day off right. It is proven that kids perform better if they start the day with a healthy breakfast.
- It’s often difficult to encourage children to drink water, making it easy for their bodies to dehydrate. The naturally sweet taste of 100% juice is a great way to replenish their bodies of much needed liquids.
- Be sure no more than 4 – 6 fluid ounces of juice per day (one serving) for children ages 1 to 6 years old, and no more than 8 – 12 fluid ounces per day (two servings) for children over 7 years old.
