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Hey, really! Juice is okay!
Categories: Health & Safety, Eating & Nutrition
I've never been a huge fan of giving children large amounts of juice, especially babies. My daughter is two and only recently have we started letting her have watered down apple juice.A recent study published in the October issue of Pediatrics says that giving children appropriate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice is okay. Of course, you need to realize what appropriate amounts are. For a child between the ages of one and six, 4 to 6 ounces a day is "appropriate."
Also, it is important to note that the study said "100 percent juice." Most of the things I see on the grocery store shelves are definitely not "100 percent."
So, let's rephrase the study, shall we? "It is okay to give your child a small amount of fruit juice each day, granted that it really is fruit juice and not some sugary substance with the word fruit on the bottle."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eden 10-31-2006 @ 10:15AM
Our pediatrician asked us at my daughter's one year well child check if we gave her juice. I said yes and how much. Then he started to lecture me about giving her juice. Then he asked what brand of juice we ghave her. I told him we give her the Gerber baby juice. His reaction was, "Oh. Well, that's okay then. It's already watered down and it's 100% juice." He was fond of lecture first, then questions to see if the lecture was warranted.
My point is that other than Juicy Juice in the juice aisle, there are good juices in the baby/toddler aisle. I like those Gerber Splash juices. They come in tinted bottles but are 100% clear, they have fun flavors and aren't as strong as Juicy Juice (ie: they're watered down).
I think juice is a good treat that encourages healthy eating choices. Did the AAoP just catch on? ;)
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Plain Jane Mom 10-31-2006 @ 5:07PM
I think the only problem with juice is that it so easily fills them up and they don't want to eat real food.
I've never given my kids full-strength juice. I always water it down heavily -- more like a spritzer! Like this: http://plainjanemom.com/2006/08/09/i-let-my-kids-drink-all-the-juice-they-want/
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Tamyu 11-01-2006 @ 5:39AM
We usually just squeeze our own juice - grate an apple down and then squeeze the juice out of the pulp with a cheesecloth. Then I freeze the juice in ice trays, and put the blocks in a ziplock bag. Whenever my son wants a drink, he has (warmish) water with a cube tossed in.
Even when we`re out, I buy the already watered down baby juices and water them down MORE. He won`t drink plain water, but if there is any hint of juicy flavor in there he loves it.
Although, to be honest, if I wasn`t worried about tooth decay, I`d give him any sugary ones out there to try and get some weight on him.
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amanda 11-02-2006 @ 3:12PM
The other issue with juice is this: It is actually wiser to give kids the 4-6 oz. of juice with a meal than it is to let them carry a watered down sippy cup of juice around all day. I used to do that, and my dentist husband pointed out that that meant sugar was laying on my daughter's teeth all day long.
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