Ask the Expert - Giving Fruit Juice to Toddlers

Ask The Expert is a weekly column on Littlestomaks.com. The idea is to have a reader-submitted question answered by a nutrition expert or a pediatrician. Feel free to submit your question in the comments section below.

This week, registered dietitian and contributing editor of Parents magazine Sally Kuzemchak offers tips for managing fruit juices in a healthy diet.

Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD

M.S. in Dietetics from The Ohio State University

Clinical experience in diabetes education and weight management

Currently in private practice to help moms make healthier choices for themselves and their families

Nutrition and health reporter for 13 years

Contributing Editor for Parents magazine

Website: Real Mom Nutrition

Twitter: @RMnutrition

Contact: realmomnutrition@gmail.com

Question: Is giving juice to my kids okay as long as it’s 100% fruit juice?

Truth is, if your child eats fruit everyday, she doesn’t need to drink any juice at all. It’s certainly a quick and easy way to fit in a fruit serving and get a day’s worth of vitamin C. But it doesn’t offer any nutritional advantages over fruit. And when you drink juice instead of eating fruit, you miss out on the fiber—something kids (and adults) need more of anyway. One medium apple with skin offers more than 4 grams of fiber, but a cup of apple juice has less than 1 gram. Plus, it’s not hard for a child to meet his C requirements without juice. Just one-half cup of broccoli or sliced strawberries provides more than a day’s worth of the vitamin.

The bigger issue with juice is that a serving provides more calories than a serving of fruit. One cup of orange juice contains about 122 calories, while a whole medium orange supplies just 69. Juice is easy to drink in large quantities: Without the fiber, it’s not nearly as filling as a whole piece of fruit. Children who gulp down multiple cups of juice a day (and many do) can take in hundreds of extra calories—and may start refusing beverages (like water) that aren’t sweet.

That said, if you want to work juice into a healthy diet, here’s how:

Stick with the current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics: No more than 4-6 ounces for kids age 1-6 years, and no more than 8 ounces for older children. Diluting it with equal parts water will stretch small amounts further. Make milk the default beverage with meals and water the go-to thirst quencher in between meals.
Serve juice in a regular cup at the table (or highchair) with a meal or snack. Avoid letting your child drink juice from a sippy all day, which encourages over-consumption. Bathing the teeth all day in sugar, even the natural kind in fruit juice, can also increase the risk for cavities.
Choose 100 percent fruit juice, which will contain more natural vitamins and antioxidants. Fruit “drinks” contain just a little bit of juice and a whole lot of added sugar.
Keep only one type of juice in your house at one time, such as a carton of orange juice OR boxes of 100 percent apple juice so kids aren’t tempted by multiple kinds and flavors.

Disclaimer – Information provided in Ask The Expert column on Littlestomaks.com is intended to give you general guidance on a question related to toddler nutrition. It is not meant to be treated as medical advice. You are welcome to contact this expert for a detailed consultation on your specific situation to determine what actions, if any, you should take regarding nutrition and health of your toddlers. We do not recommend you to take any action based solely on the information presented in this column. Experts have agreed to provide their professional opinion on toddler nutrition related questions on a voluntary basis and no compensation is offered to them by Littlestomaks.com.