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With all the discussion about food culture going on all around us, it's no surprise that parents might question whether they should give their children sugar-free juices.
After all, we see sugar and other foods labeled "bad" or "dangerous" in magazines, TV shows, conversations, and even children's programs.
On top of that, it's much more dangerous to label food as bad or dangerous, or to give moral value to certain bodies or ways of eating.
It's also important to remember that supporting your child's food choices is crucial for children of all sizes.
Nutritional advice and advice that encourages a healthy relationship with food, diet and body does not vary depending on your child's body type.
Here's what you need to know about sugar-free beverages.
Can fruit juice really be sugar-free?
The fruit naturally contains sugar, which is why it is sweet.
If you're looking for 100% juice (the type of juice recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children), these juices will contain sugar from the fruit they are made from.
Some companies choose to label their juices as "no added sugars," meaning that no additional sugar is added other than the sugar in the fruit itself.
If you see a fruit drink labeled "sugar-free," it's a flavored drink sweetened with a high-strength sweetener.
These sugar-free beverages, which are mostly related to dieting, are unnecessary for children (and **).
Juice recommended
Fruit juice can be a fun, tasty, and even healthy part of a child's diet.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1) Encourage your child to choose water as their preferred beverage at mealtime.
2) Encourage eating whole fruit juice most often, as it can provide texture and fiber that fruit juice does not have.
3) Don't put juice in bottles or sippy cups or anything that allows your child to sip for a long time, as this may damage tooth enamel.
See the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) maximum juice intake below, but also remember that the nutritional balance is the average over a period of 1 to 2 weeks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends fruit juices
If your child is under six months old, they cannot drink juice.
Infants between the ages of 6 and 12 months can consume up to 120 to 180 ml per day, but only in the form of cups and not bottles.
Children from 1 to 6 years up to 120 to 180 ml per day.
Children aged 7 to 18 years up to 240 to 360 ml per day.
If your child is drinking more juice than AAP suggests, you can try replacing part of the juice with whole fruit or mixing the juice with a small amount of water or soda and slowly increasing the amount of water.
Remember, your child's overall nutrition is the average of the foods they eat during the week.
If fruit juice is replacing eating a greater variety of foods, then it is best to make an effort to introduce a greater variety of foods in place of some fruit juices.
On the other hand, if your child sometimes exceeds the recommended amount, but sometimes does not want to drink juice, their intake may reach the recommended amount on average for 1 to 2 weeks.
Are sugar-free drinks suitable for children?
It is important to remember that no matter how big your child is, the recommendations for feeding them are the same.
Each child should be encouraged to believe in their own body, and one child should not be restricted or encouraged to eat certain foods based solely on body size, but not another child based solely on body size.
Diet drinks are no exception.
Sugar-free beverages are often marketed with food culture in mind and targeted for ** and fad diets.
If a child wants to try sugar-free drinks or a family has these drinks at home, then this marketing and language is certainly important to stay away from conversation.
In general, sugar-free drinks offer little benefit to children or **, and research is underway to see if they may have health-related drawbacks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends water as the beverage of choice, and this is a recommendation for children of all sizes.
If the child occasionally wants to drink diet soda or diet juice because it is what they like, then these drinks can be used as an occasional treat, but they should be treated like sugary drinks.
Also, it is advisable no matter how old the child is.
Added sugar
No sweeteners are added to the 100% juice except for the fruit juice concentrate.
If the child does drink juice, this is AAP's recommendation.
However, some juices add extra sweeteners.
These added sweeteners will be considered "added sugars" and will need to be labelled on most food labels for easy reference.
Both the AAP and the American Heart Association recommend that children consume less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
Again, it would be more accurate to say that the intake for children is an average over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, so take this fact into account when spending days of high sugar intake.
Adding sugar labels to packaged foods can make inspections quite quick, especially for beverage-related foods.
If the beverage contains less than 100% fruit juice or if the label states that the drink is a drink, cocktail, diluted juice, drink, punch or soda, the drink has added sugar.
In addition to high-fructose corn syrup, there are other names to look for added sugar on your child's list of beverage ingredients they may want, including:
Brown sugar. Corn sweetener.
Corn syrup. Glucose.
Fructose. Fruit juice concentrate.
Glucose. Honey.
Invert sugar. Lactose.
Maltose syrup. Maltose.
Molasses. Raw sugar. Cane sugar. Sugar.
Syrup. If it's a "big-picture" tool, it's helpful to keep an eye on your overall sugar intake.
For example, if you notice that your child chooses foods with higher added sugars for every snack throughout the day, you can add another option to the snack selection mix.
But, in general, this is the case when you focus on diversity.
The focus on diversity means less math for caregivers and more intuitive physical trust and Xi making choices for children.
In addition, feeding children is nuanced, and the ultimate focus should be on raising children who believe in their bodies and do not associate food choices with moral values.
Every caregiver needs to find what works for their child.
If you feel like you need some support in this area, a registered dietitian who specializes in working with families to support the food-health relationship is a great tool.
Summary
Many nutrition experts focus not on what your child is consuming too much from drinking 100% fruit juices and sugar-sweetened beverages, but rather on what foods they will miss if those drinks start to replace water and various sweeteners.
If your child consistently drinks a lot of fruit juice or sugar-free beverages instead of snacking, the amount and type of nutrients they are exposed to, as well as the taste and texture, are limited.
That's why it's so important to focus on what can be added.
Provide snack options for children so they can choose the best snacks for them and feel a sense of autonomy in their choices.
If they choose sugar-sweetened beverages or 100% fruit juice as a snack or meal, start slowly involving them in creating more options. Invite them to the store or kitchen to choose or prepare a snack.
And if you feel the need for support to help them make food choices to strengthen their relationship with their bodies, consider finding a registered dietitian who specializes in helping families.