By Kerry McLeod

When it comes to nutrition, there’s an ongoing debate on whether fruit juice is truly a healthy option for toddlers and young children.

We’ve discovered that most experts agree on this point: 100% fruit juices that are made from all-natural ingredients are healthy choices. But that’s if – AND ONLY IF – the kids are not sucking up too much of it.

Fruit juice contains quite a bit of sugar and calories. It’s a fact that cannot be disputed. Yes, the sugar is natural. But overconsumption is a nasty little habit to create for our little peeps. Too much juice often means too little whole fruit. And that means less fiber, less nutrition and lots of empty calories. No good can come from this!

So, the real question remains: how much juice is enough and how much is too much?

According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, children between the ages of 1 and 6 should limit fruit juice to four to six ounces per day.

If you quickly do the math, you’ll see this translates into about one small juice box a day. GULP!

Kerry McLeod is the chief Brand Doctor at www.ebrandaid.com. Kerry's mission in life is to teach food shoppers how to cut through the clutter at the grocery store in order to find the truly healthy brand-name foods. If smart food shopping appeals to you, you'll want to click here and subscribe to eBrandAid.com's free newsletters.

User Rating: / 0
PoorBest