Say No to Fruit Juice for Toddlers

If you are feeding your toddler with fruit juice, you should not continue doing the same. Research says that fruit juices are not healthy for children of or below the age of one year. Fruit juices lack fibre and are found to be high in glucose value. This can lead to obesity in children at a very young age. Pediatricians across the world believe that fruit juices provide no nutritional value and can replace other valuable contents such as protein, minerals and calcium from the baby's diet.

Earlier the recommended age for fruit juice was above 6 months but the recent spurt in childhood obesity and toot cavities has made the paediatricians across the world to reconsider and increase the age bracket to one year. Excess consumption of fruit juice can cause tooth decay and can lead to weight gain among children. Paediatricians recommend consumption of whole fruit than fruit juice. Whole fruit contains fibre and also help in sugar consumption. It makes the baby full and helps refrain from overeating.

Paediatricians recommend water and milk to meet the daily fluid requirement of the child. These not only help in keeping the baby's body hydrated but also provide essential minerals and calcium, all of which are relatively low in fruit juice. Not only the juice extracted from fresh fruits but also canned juices, flavoured drinks and energy drinks should be kept away from children. Such beverages contain E.coli bacteria which can harm a child's body. When compared in terms of calorie and sugar content, canned and packed juices have the same amount as in soda.