Juice Pros and Cons

I don't see anything wrong with a little 100% juice, in addition to real fruit. I used to water juice down (about 1/4 water) as I put it in the cup. My five-year-old drinks 1 cup of milk with breakfast, 1 cup of juice with lunch, 1 cup of milk with dinner, and water (always available to him in the fridge in a sippy or straw cup) any other time. It works great! He loves fruit and he's ok with vegetables. He drinks plenty of milk and water, by choice. It doesn't seem like milk or water should be the only drinks a child has.

I'm not a huge fan of juice and tend to only reserve it for special occasions. Here's the reason why: any time they are drinking juice they are not drinking water or milk which has significantly more nutrients and protein which the brain needs for growth and development. Juice, even 100% juice is not bad for them but it is all sugar and not only allows them to develop a sweet tooth for beverages but fills them up on mostly empty calories so they either don't eat as much or drink as much water which they certainly need more than the synthetic vitamins added to juice boxes.

But at parties, on vacation, the once a month trip to McDonald's, the kids get juice and it's a special treat for them.

Push water, fruit, veggies, proteins (most kids don't need assistance shoveling down carbs!) and it will make their long term health so much easier. Especially if you delay introducing sweet foods you can stave off demands for sugary snacks and the inevitable sugar crazies that follow.

Good luck!
E.
Evanston

My kids think of juice as a once in a while treat. They never had it regularly because I don't really care for it and don't keep in on-hand (or kool-aid or soda - just milk and water.) It doesn't seem like a big deal when they're little, but it's hard to remove something from their diet once they've had it and juice doesn't provide that much nutritional value - fruit is better. (although getting awfully expensive these days, I know! My kids can go through pounds of farmer's market peaches in a week.)

My doc said the same thing regarding juice and we understand the reasoning, however, I buy juice that is 100% juice (not from concentrate) or I often times juice it for my boys. I do give my boys mostly milk and water but I would like them to be able to enjoy juice as their friends and family do. If your son is not overweight - I wouldn't worry about letting him enjoy healthy organic juices once in a while particularly when fresh fruits are expensive and not always in season.

I agree with your doctor about juice and my kids rarely drink it (they're 5 and 7 now)-- it's a rare treat.

The reasons I chose not to give my kids juice were these:

1. "Real" fruit contains fiber and other nutrients that juice does not. So I wanted my kids to actually eat the fruits and veggies themselves and not turn their noses up to them. I am not a fruit or veggie lover myself; I'd rather drink juice any day than eat an apple or orange! I didn't want my kids to have my bad habits, and they don't.

2. Natural fruit sugers are just as damaging to a child's teeth as "regular" sugar. Are 100% juices better for a kid than Kool-aid? Absolutely, but "better" doesn't make them "good."

3. I wanted my children to be willing to drink water. They've had water from the time they were a year old. They will drink water now. They're not offered many choices in our house...milk, water, or sometimes a capri sun; mostly the capri suns are for my son's lunches. Yes, they're basically kool-aid. I'm not going to pretend they aren't, nor am I willing to buy 100% juice boxes...for that one drink (what are they, 6 oz?) I can live with it. I do not make koolaid like my mom did growing up, I think water is a million times better AND it does not stain when it's spilled LOL!

4. Juice is expensive. I buy fresh fruit, in season, and not only is the nutrition better, it's filling and often much cheaper.

Those are the practical reasons why I chose not to give the kids juice. My son eats lots of fruits and he'll eat carrots and broccoli. My daughter will eat all fruits and veggies-her favorite being green peppers. Go figure.

I'm really late to the party, so I'll keep this short. I work in the public health field specifically focusing on childhood obesity prevention, and our recommendation for all kids is no juice. You are much better off sticking with milk (whole milk until age 2, then down to 1% or skim...check with your doctor for specific recommendation) and water. As others have said below, juice has way too much sugar and not enough nutrients. Fresh fruit has vitamins and fiber (and water) and is a much more complete way to get nutrients than juice, even 100% juice.

Tell your husband you are saving money. Why introduce it if they don't care yet? My guy is 29 months and still doesn't get that much juice. He gets a very diluted portion of OJ in the AM only. The rest of the day is water and then some milk at dinner. Once kids start juice they whine for it, will only drink it, and it just because another power thing, don't start until you have to ;)

I give watered down juice at snack time. My oldest daughter had juice with calcium at every meal because she was allergic to milk and did not like soy. rice etc. milk. At the age of 16 years old she does not have a mouth full of cavities and she is not over weight. I do not feel it is juice that is making our children obese. It is a combination of many factors. Processes food, high fat/sugar snacks, fast food resturants etc. Juice given in moderation can be a healthy part of a child's diet.

My oldest daughter just turned two and my youngest daughter just turned 1....and I give them both 100% juice, but I dilute it with water about 1/2 water and 1/2 juice. I only give them juice about once a day, and never let them take it into their cribs.

Please don't flame me --- I'm a juice mama too, it tastes better to them than just water.

I have given my kids juice (watered down when they were younger). My oldest two tended to be under-weight and I just felt like giving them the extra calories was healthy for them - esp since they wouldn't eat fruit.

I stuck with apple juice with no sugar added, not from concentrate, and only from U.S. apples - some also have calcium added. If you do buy juice later - check the labels a lot of the concentrates come from outside the U.S. and they have to put it on the label or bottle (I just didn't like that idea of an imported concentrate). My 5 yr old still loves her apple juice and after our visits to the dentist recently her teeth are just fine and healthy. I only let her have apple juice or a Capri Sun as a 'snack' - not with meals.

Unless you cannot give real fruit, there is no benefit to juice. The body knows how to metabolize fruit & gets the added benefit of fiber. Juice is sugar injected straight into the bloodstream. Also, once you start juice that's all they want.

My doctor said not to give our son juice either. They don't need it. She said there is so much sugar, no matter what brand of juice is out there, that they just don't need the extra calories. We used to just give my son water and even now at 3, he prefers water to juice. I would listen to the doctor; they don't need it.

100% juice isn't actually all juice unless you're looking at the ingredients and all it says is "juice"... not likely. they HAVE 100% juice in them, but also have sugar (more likely corn syrup) and all sorts of preservatives. the body deals with actual fruit in a very differnt way than it deals with processed fruits (even dried ones). plus, if you can give your son water and milk instead of juice until he's old enough to know the difference, it's just a lot healthier.

my daugher is almost 20 months old and is under the impression that apple juice (still VERY heavily watered down!) only exists in restaurants and rarely even asks for it at home... and the only reason she gets it out is because my husband likes oj with brunch and it wasn't fair for her. it was a good compromise for us.

good luck!

As a health and wellness professional, I will agree with your doctor. Milk or water is the only drinks that should be given to your toddler for the first three years, if even at all. It takes up to 10 oranges to make one glass of juice, obviously WAY too much sugar which will cause a huge spike in blood sugar. There is no fiber in juice and eating real fruit takes longer to chew and has the fiber benefit. You can add a splash of juice to the water, but you don't want to create the expectation that water is meant to be sweet either. Agree with other post, use it for a special occasion. I hope this is convining. Good luck.

Try making your own juice with a juicer. There are TONS of recipes for fruit juices on the Internet and I believe many come with the juicer. If your hubby is really intent on feeding the little one juice, then suggest he make it for him! I gave juice to my kids when they were smaller (don't ask me what age because I don't remember!) and they will reach for water most of the time so it's not like I have a battle on my hands at meal times. If you are sitting down to eat a meal, you get milk. Period. Juice is for snack times and half the time they run outside with their snack and their water bottles (we bought everyone water bottles to fill up from the fridge, also bought that HUGE Brita filter with the spicket for the fridge too which is where they get their water from - we are eco-friendly now!). No harm no foul.

Have to pick your battles though. Do you really think it's that important to fight with your hubby about juice?

I agree with your doctor whole heartedly. The problem with juice is that although the nutrients are there, the fiber of the fruit is all taken out so the sugar in it gets processed by your body much more quickly. Fiber slows down the digestion of the sugar and keeps your blood sugar level more even. Even 100% juice has no or very little fiber so your body processes it in a similar way as it would a cookie and shoots your blood sugar level up. The short term con of this is that your child may get hyper (and then may crash off the energy boost), may not be able to sleep, and may have teeth problems. The long term con is that over time (many years) as we eat more simple sugars our body can no longer produce enough insulin to keep our blood sugar down and type II diabetes sets in. This is why we are seeing a surge of type II diabetes in this country(especially in children - Type II diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes - not anymore!).
Do not get me wrong, giving your child one glass of juice will not make him diabetic, so do not worry about that. The problem comes in when it becomes the only thing they drink or sweets become an integral part of their diet, even into adulthood. My husband and I do not even drink juice because of this affect so it is not just young kids that you should worry about. Fresh fruit is the way for everyone, kids and adults, to go!
One other problem with foods high in sugar...they make you want more foods high in sugar and so the cycle of eating lots of high sugar foods begins.
How much a food affects your blood sugar as it is digested is called its glycemic index. If you want to Google it, there is lots of info out there.
Hope this helps you explain to your husband a bit!

Dear A., All juices bought over the counter have natural sugars and acids which attack childrens teeth. Unfortunately, I didn't realise this with my first son and he ended up having a couple teeth filled owing to drinking fruit juice. I now only allow my children milk and water during the week and maybe one cup of something else on Saturday/Sunday. If you do give your children fruit juice, just make sure they brush their teeth straight away.

Good Luck!

Hi A.-
My doctor advised me to wait longer before introducing the Gerber baby juice. The only thing he has really said is that over consumption of juice leads to childhood obesity. I think we gave her juice around 15 mo. I used the Gerber baby juice- 1/2 juice and 1/2 water. She only had one small bottle a day. She is 3 now and she does have juice twice a day with her snacks. I give her apple juice only- watered down significantly. She is allowed to have juice boxes at parties. I do agree that the Kool Aid, Capri Sun type of juices are just sugar and I would not give that to a small baby. However, as they grow older I think it is unrealistic to say that a child will never drink juice. After all, I drink juice every morning. But that is just my opinion. Maybe tell your husband that your baby can have juice when he is older? Good Luck!
S.

Hi! Part of the problem with juice is that, once you introduce it, you'll have a hard time getting your child to drink anything else! Suddenly, aftering having this delicious sugary tasting drink, milk and water aren't so appealing anymore. However, if you give your child fresh fruit, that's food so it's not something he'll wind up associating with a drink. You'll be able to keep him happy with milk and water that much longer.

Hope this helps! : )

Bottled 100% juice is still concentrated. You can google the process the fruit goes through to make bottled juice. It loses a lot of nutrients and holds onto a lot of sugar. That is why fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juices are best.

I do not know of any bennifits to fruit as opposed to juice. But I do know that my girls were hooked on juice! I wish I would have given them water more. I struggled with them as they became older to give them water. They preferred the juice. Looking back I would have cut out juice or given a splash in a sippy cup of water.
Good luck
KCB

The 100% juice is full of sugar and preservatives. When kids get older and get it everywhere else, they will ask for it but there's no reason to give it now. For juice snack when they are older I actually switched to capri sun -- 25% less sugar and no artificial anything which is the worst for the kids. I thought I was doing them a favor by giving them the sugar free juice, but then I found out the chemicals in those drinks were even worse (healthy balance, kool aid jammers 10, etc.) Another good reason to not give juice is the acid in the juice causes the worst diaper rash in my kids in the world. Water is great, milk is great, juice not so much. The only other juice I have here is the V8 fusion since it has a serving of vegetables and I can't get 2 of my kids to eat any of them. But even that is completely watered down. Do yourself a favor and don't bring juice into your house -- they will get enough of it anyway at other people's houses and preschool, etc. It's not anything to freak out about when they do drink it, but it just isn't anything worth introducing to a kid that doesn't know any different. Besides, it's an expense that you don't need!

my daughter did not get full juice until age 3
i have 6 years or pediatric dental experience and the amount of decay caused by things like juice is amazing
if you read the lables you can see in the ingredients how bad some of them can be sometimes they add sugar and even natural sugars can be bad
i always did 3/4 water and 1/4 juice but my daughter is almost 5 now with no cavities thank god

they have come out with motts tots juice i think that is pretty good

basically read labels and make sure they aren't replacing food with drinking too much juice
water and milk are the way to go
i always added ice to keep them cool and help water down too

J.

A.,
I had the same questions with my doctor and she said that if I wanted to give 100% juice to my baby, I could mix half of it with water. My son loved the new taste and he didn't ever miss the concentrated sugar taste because he never got it.
L.

i don't have time to read all the responses, but my husband and I had this same difference in opinion. This is what I told him:
1. All juice has been processed removing most of the nutrients from the original fruit. They add vitamins back in later. So, it's better to just give them fruit then they get the nutrients plus some fiber and a lifetime healthy habit of snacking on fruit when they want something sweet.
2. Sugar in juice is really bad for their teeth.
3. Acid in juice (especially orange) can be really rough on young tummies
4. Habits established in childhood are difficult to break later. I would rather establish the healthiest possible habit that I can than try to fight with them later to drink milk or water instead of juice all the time.

My kids (3.5 boy and 16 month girl) drink milk with meals, water other times. My 3.5 year old does sometimes ask for orange juice if we go out to breakfast and I do let him have it. I will also let him have a juice box if we're at a party or something, but most of the time he chooses water.

Kids don't need juice. The sooner you introduce it, the less water and milk they will drink. My daughter is 21 months and we started giving her 3/4 water 1/4 V8 Fusion at 18 months.
She calls it juice! And still drinks her water and milk.
Juice is just extra sugar they don't need. Don't be fooled by the 100% juice. Children & adults should be getting their calories from food not liquids.
If they want drink boxes try the flavored water ones that aren't juice and extra calories.
Hope this helps :)

There is just too much sugar in juice. It is bad for their teeth and too many unneeded calories. I give Connor milk and water most of the time and then occasionally I give him fruit splashers or motts for totts which are juice/water mixture. That way he enjoys the fruit juice flavor but without the mega calories and sugar.

Hi A.

My doctor says about the same thing! I respect his opinion a lot and usually tend to agree with him. This is one area, I definately agree. For my first child, I did not give him juice (not even diluted) until about age 2-1/2 and my 1 year does not get any juice. The doctors reasoning is that juice is so much sweeter than the actual fruit. Once their taste buds develop the likeness for the sweetness of juice it makes the real fruit seem bland. I don't know if this is true or not, all I know is that both of my children LOVE fruit, milk and water. There really isn't any reason for them diet-wise to drink juice at such a young age. My now 3yr old gets one serving of V8 fruit fusion with breakfast and that is it! I've also had friends whose children won't drink much milk anymore b/c they always want juice....Hope this helps!

My son drinks juice and it has always been watered down. He also drinks milk and water and really, he prefers bottled water. It makes him feel like a grown up, I think. If he drinks 2 oz of juice in a day, its quite the feat. He simply isn't a big drinker and if I can get fluids into him, then juice is not an enemy. He loves fruit and vegetables. He will eat raw green peppers, cut up grapes, raisins, oranges and apples, cucumbers and basically any other fresh veggie or fruit he can get. To me it is more about moderation than banning it outright.

I spoke to a nutritionist, she said water it down is also watering down all the reason you are giving it...the vitamins Ect... She said if you are going to give it...1.do not give more than a serving a day and 2. do not water down.

That said...my doctor and our dentist advise against juice. We do not give juice...milk or water.

Even real 100 % juice has sugars they can cause bacteria in infants digestive system and this causes distress for them, diarrea, he-cups and more, if teeth are developing sugar eats at the enamal & can cause bad teeth.This is why, their little systems are not ready yet. Please listen to your Doctor, thats what you are paying him for & they really do know whats best.They get the same or better benifits with eating real fruits with a meal It s healthier for them, especially when washes and mashed or blended yourself & not from a jar.
Have 3 of my own children now grown and 7 of my own grandchildren with a new one due in Feb/Mar 09.
Have a daughter-in-law who is a up comming dentist too, and these juices play havic on teeth.
Hope this helps.
S. P

At 12 months only give water. If your child gets used to juice, he will not drink water. There is no benefit to juice except vitamin c which would be in fresh fruits, vitamins vegetables etc. Plus, unless he is brushing his teeth, drinking juice will just promote cavities. Listen to your Dr.!!!

I have always used the Gerber juices and dilute it with water. I do half juice and half water. I only give 1 little bottle a day though, and she still drinks a ton of milk.

Why give juice? Totally unnecessary, water works just fine, I see no point. Why even introduce it?

Ohhhh ... I'm sorry ... but I'm another fruit juice momma.
Watered down, controlled amounts ...

I also heard there is a new study out showing that jucie drinking does not lead to childhood obesity, and found the back up for it on www.fruitjuicefacts.org - of course, just looking at the name of the web site I guess you could decide that it would be full of propaganda.
But anyway ...
Happy decision making!

A.-you doc. is 110% correct. Juice and candy are THE worst for the teeth not to mention the sugar levels in the body. Bottled juice immediately makes the blood sugar rise and it is not natural. The manufacturer has to put back in the vitamins because they are destroyed in the process.

The only juice that you can ever consider is fresh juice from a juicer but that also loses its fiber. Organic fresh fruits and veggies are the best and maintain the integrity of the vitamins and minerals:)and this is only a very small contribution to good health. They do so much more!!

T.
Detox Coach

Try looking at the label and sugar amounts--compare to soft drinks, etc. Lots of unnecessary sugar. There are, potentially, lots of things introducing juice could do--like developing your child's crave (a need) for unnecessary sugar. The body will crave that simple carb when it is absolutely unnecessary. With a rise in childhood diabetes and obesity being a concern right now, why not try to form healthier habits? What I have seen with my own children is that because they would prefer to have juice (capri sun, whatever), they turn down a healthier alternative. They really need water and it is very difficult to get them to drink some plain ol' water after they have had the flavor (not to mention the sugar high). Since the affects of sugar are often not directly seen (or respected) many have trouble with this---I have compromised by watering everything down...

Also, from a mother of 5...it is much easier to start things off strict (in this case no juice) rather than trying to pull the reigns in later (stopping juice later). You can always change later, of course, you just might have a battle depending upon what you decide. This goes with anything. Try to think ahead as you are making decisions that are important to you.

Finally, there are lots of books on the affects sugar has on the body. Check one out. You might be amazed.

If you are having trouble convincing your husband, he may just need to see the persistence on your part.

Good luck

Kudos to your doctor. I completely agree with Kayla's response. Those are reasons we only do juice as a treat and otherwise avoid it. Though now we are needing to do a little apple juice for my 2 year old for digestive issues, but it is seen as a TREAT in our house on the same level as a dessert. One glass watered down a day tops. Milk is with meals and water between meals. I hate having it in the house now, but need to for the digestive issues in my son, as Miralax was not even working anymore. Anyway, we did NO juice at all (except for maybe special occassions like birthday parties and such as he got older but none at our house) until my first son potty trained. Then it was such a treat that it motivated him to sit on the potty (also giving him ammunition to go) so it really helped to potty train him quickly. So there are some good uses for juice, but giving it to kids just as a thirst quencher is really a downward spiral as they will surely prefer that over milk and water due to the sugars, when milk and water are really all they need for fluids and healthier. HOpe this helps. Looks like you've got a variety of perspectives here. :)

My kids wouldn't touch real fruit once they were on table food. I did give juice on occassion to relieve constipation. OJ worked wonders for one of our sons, other than that I try to avoid it. I do go organic when I am giving it... They are 2 & 4 and don't ask for it! They prefer milk or ice water.

Check with other moms about watering the juice down to 50% juice, 50% water. They just don't want to get the kids hooked on sweet tasting stuff. My background - B. S. in foods and nutrition and I have been a Pampered Chef rep. for 16 years.

Hi A.,
What I have done based upon our pediatrician's advice is to add water to the juice. My gradnson doesn't drink enough water anyway. He doesnn't even notice the difference (smile).
J. M.

Juice is as bad for children's teeth as soda pop. My MIL is a dental hygienist for Head Start, and she has seen the results firsthand. It's also a lot of empty calories.

My three year old LOVES orange juice. She will go to the fridge and drink out of the carton if she can get away with it (she doesn't). It was impacting her appetite for "real" food at one point. What we do is dilute the juice at least 50% with water. You might want to ask your pediatrician if that's an acceptable compromise.

I have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter and my pediatrician said no juice until about 2 yrs old. I give my child Old Orchard Healthy Balance sugar free juice. This has all the vitamins with out the extra sugar and calories.

I am in the medical field as well and have this to add....
It's not just the sugar, but the acid that is in the juice.
Just wait.....

Hi,
Juice fills their tummy more than water and has a lot more calories than the real fruit. As babies don't need a lot of calories its better to give a variety of fresh fruit. Even for adults it is better to stay away from juice and eat the real thing. Often juice is pasturized and I dont believe in 100% juice, only if i make it myself :)

I don't think that juice, in itself, is bad. But it may not be the best option for quenching your son's thirst throughout the day. Juice pours a lot of calories into the body, and doesn't, necessarily, fill-up the tummy and turn-off the hunger signals. Instead of using juice for hydration, it's healthy to use water throughout the day. Then let his tummy fill up with calories by eating fresh fruit as a part of his diet -- and he'll stop eating when he feels full (instead of downing more calories than necessary because he is thirsty.)

Friends who have kids that refuse plain water give them very watered-down fruit juice (75% water/25% juice).

Of course, we use juice when the kids are sick and are not eating -- and especially when they have fevers and I want them to stay hydrated. Anything to get the calories and water in!!

I have never heard of that my dr told me to introduce the gerber baby juices 3/4 water and 1/4 juice at 6 months. My daughter is 3 now and she still drinks juice all the time, I still water it down cause it does have a lot of natural sugar, but what out weighs that is the nutrients that that she is getting.

Not sure why your Dr said that but I have never heard of it

100% juice is basically straight sugar and extra, unnecessary calories when the child could be drinking water instead. If they need fruit, eating fresh fruit is much better because of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that is found in fresh fruit that may not be in juice. Also, drinking juice from a sippy cup bathes the teeth in sugar potentially inviting decay and cavities.

Our son does not drink juice and receives milk with meals and water with snacks. He is not missing out on anything, nor will we have to deal with the 'can I have juice, this water/milk is yucky' battle. If you do decide to give your child juice, be certain to cut it with water (75%) and no more than 4 ounces per day. Now, if he were some place where juice was offered to him I certainly wouldn't withhold it, but I would like for him to think of it as a 'special treat' (like pop will be when he gets older) as opposed to a regular drink.

My doc says to give them the 100% juice but to dilute it with water. 1/2 juice and 1/2 water. I have an 11 month old that I am doing this with and he loves it. They don't need it to be full strength. I do it now too. It tastes great and isn't quite as much sugar.

Juice pros: Delicious
Juice cons: full of sugar

Even fresh fruit is not THAT good for you. They've all been bred over the generations to be sweeter and juicier, with less fiber. Vegatables are the key to a good diet.

That said, kids do love juice. We use 2/3's water to 1/3 juice, like another mother said.

Ok... I am going against most everyone here and agreeing with your hubby! Ohhhhhhhhhh I hate doing that to another Mommy!

I have been giving my daughter juice since she was about 1 year old. I will ONLY use V8 V-Fusion juice though since it is the best one that I have found out there( I spent a LONG time in the aisle looking at them all). It is more natural than something like Capri Sun and the likes. Each 8 oz serving gives you a full serving of fruits and a full serving of veggies so 2 servings are taken care of right there! It also has antioxidants and vitamins A,C and E.

I do always make sure I dilute the juice though since I do not want my daughter thinking this is what she will only drink. At meals she drinks plain water and at bedtime and naptime she drinks milk.

My daughters Dr and a dietician I saw both agreed that this was the best choice for her. She eats only 2 meals a day (sometimes only 1- by her choice but it is offered) and one small healthy snack... so there is no way I can get in all the servings of the fruits and veggies she needs in those meals. This is my way of giving her a healthy balanced diet.

As for comments on it harming teeth. The vitamin C is important for healthy bones and teeth. My daughters teeth are pearly whites and I only brush her teeth once a day (I know I should do twice but...)She has no cavities or any other problems at all with them!

I am not sure if this is the reason or not but she has never had a cold or the flu and she will be 2 on Saturday! She has had fevers/flushing but it is due to allergies from a rare disease she has called Mastocytosis. Never a sniffle, cough or vomiting though! I really think the juices have helped her but I can not say for sure!

With all that being said... Your Dr is correct that real fruits and veggies would be ideal- but we do not live in an ideal world- so if needed, be open to the idea of juices. Just make sure you are buying the right kind!

I wish you luck in convincing your hubby but wanted to share my side of it with you!

Many blessings to you and your family and Happy Birthday to your son!
- T.

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