48 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • JUNE 29, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
How much juice should kids drink? What you
need to know about juice and serving size
Selecting beverages for your children
can be tricky. What should they be drinking
and how much should they drink? Dr.
Lisa Th ornton, pediatrician and mother,
breaks down new juice guidelines from
the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) and answers questions about 100
percent juice in the diet.
My kids like to drink juice, but I don’t
know how much to serve them. Do you
have any suggestions?
Like the whole fruit it is squeezed from,
100 percent juice is both delicious and
nutritious. It is fi lled with important vitamins
and minerals like potassium, folate
and vitamin C, which make it a great beverage
to serve your children. A serving of
100 percent juice is also a good option to
help children meet their daily fruit serving
recommendations.
In regards to portion size, follow the
guidelines from the American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP). Children ages 1-3
can have up to 4 ounces of juice a day,
kids ages 4-6 can drink up to 6 ounces a
day and children 7 and older can have up
to 8 ounces per day. Th ese new guidelines
were put into place to help parents manage
their children’s intake.
Should I be worried about juice and
weight gain?
Balance is the key to good health for
people of all ages, from age 1 to 100.
Guidelines and recommendations are put
into place by experts at the American
Academy of Pediatrics and the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
to help guide you to make the best decisions
about the foods and beverages you
serve to your family.
Scientifi c studies that analyzed the
juice consumption of children and adults
found that when juice is consumed in
appropriate amounts, there is no association
between drinking juice and obesity.
If you are worried about the impact of
individual foods on your child’s weight,
consult with a professional, such as a
nutritionist or pediatrician.
Does drinking juice impact fruit consumption?
I’m concerned that if I serve
my children juice, they will be less likely
to eat fruit.
Actually, nutrition research shows just
the opposite. Children who drink juice
tend to have overall better quality diets
than those who do not drink juice. Th is
means they eat more whole fruit, less saturated
fats and have less added sugar in
their diet.
Drinking juice shouldn’t replace eating
whole fruit in the diet; it should complement
it. According to the U.S. Dietary
Guidelines, 100 percent juice is part of the
fruit group, which consists of all forms of
fruit - fresh, frozen, canned, dried and
100 percent juice. More than 75 percent
of Americans do not eat the recommended
amount of fruit; one serving of fruit
juice can help to supplement your family’s
intake.
Making decisions about what to feed
your family shouldn’t be stressful or diffi
cult. Consult with your physician, pediatrician
or nutritionist if you are confused
about what foods and beverages
you should be serving your loved ones.
For more information about 100 percent
juice and how it fi ts into an overall
balanced diet, visit Juice Central. Juice
Central is your source for the latest information
about juice, including healthy lifestyle
tips, recipes and nutrition science.
Courtesy BPT