If you are a parent to toddlers then you most likely have some kind of fruit juice in the fridge. Toddlers seem to love juice! But, I started thinking, which one is the healthiest and are there fruit juices that they should avoid? Let’s do a little digging and find out!
Apple juice
Nutrition Facts
https://www.nutritionix.com/food/apple-juice
Apple Juice Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories from Fat 2.9
- Calories 114
- 0%Total Fat 0.3g grams
- 0% Saturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Trans Fat 0g grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Monounsaturated Fat 0g grams
- 0%Cholesterol 0mg milligrams
- 0%Sodium 9.9mg milligrams
- 7%Potassium 250mg milligrams
- 9%Total Carbohydrates 28g grams
- 2% Dietary Fiber 0.5g grams
- Sugars 24g grams
- Protein 0.3g grams
- 0.1% Vitamin A
- 159% Vitamin C
- 1.5% Calcium
- 1.7% Iron
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Orange juice
Nutrition Facts
Orange Juice Serving Size:1 cup
- Calories from Fat 4.5
- Calories 112
- 1%Total Fat 0.5g grams
- 0% Saturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Trans Fat 0g grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g grams
- 0%Cholesterol 0mg milligrams
- 0%Sodium 2.5mg milligrams
- 14%Potassium 496mg milligrams
- 9%Total Carbohydrates 26g grams
- 2% Dietary Fiber 0.5g grams
- Sugars 21g grams
- Protein 1.7g grams
- 9.9% Vitamin A
- 207% Vitamin C
- 2.1% Calcium
- 2.8% Iron
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Grape juice
Nutrition Facts
https://www.nutritionix.com/food/grape-juice
Grape Juice Serving Size: 1cup
- Calories from Fat 3
- Calories 152
- 1%Total Fat 0.3g grams
- 0% Saturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Trans Fat 0g grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g grams
- Monounsaturated Fat 0g grams
- 0%Cholesterol 0mg milligrams
- 1%Sodium 13mg milligrams
- 8%Potassium 263mg milligrams
- 12%Total Carbohydrates 37g grams
- 2% Dietary Fiber 0.5g grams
- Sugars 36g grams
- Protein 0.9g grams
- 0.4% Vitamin A
- 105% Vitamin C
- 2.1% Calcium
- 3.5% Iron
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Cranberry juice
Nutrition Facts
https://www.nutritionix.com/food/cranberry-juice
Cranberry Juice Serving Size: 8 fl oz
- Calories from Fat 2.6
- Calories 106.7
- 0%Total Fat 0.3g grams
- 0% Saturated Fat 0g grams
- Trans Fat 0g grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0g grams
- Monounsaturated Fat 0g grams
- 0%Cholesterol 0mg milligrams
- 1%Sodium 14.2mg milligrams
- 5%Potassium 180.1mg milligrams
- 9%Total Carbohydrates 26.1g grams
- 1% Dietary Fiber 0.2g grams
- Sugars 23.7g grams
- Protein 0.6g grams
- 1.2% Vitamin A
- 124.4% Vitamin C
- 3.4% Calcium
- 1.1% Iron
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Which one is the healthiest?
- Cranberry juice has the least amount of calories.
- Cranberry juice has the least amount of calories from fat.
- Orange juice has the most potassium.
- Grape juice has the most carbohydrates.
- Cranberry juice has the least amount of fiber.
- Orange juice has the least amount of sugar and grape juice has the most.
- Orange juice has the most vitamin C.
From what I can tell, orange juice is the healthiest of the four listed above. While it doesn’t have the least amount of calories, it doesn’t have the most either. What orange juice does have is a staggering amount of vitamins, minerals, and a long list of health benefits!
All of the above fruit juices are a good addition to a toddler’s diet, though. And they likely appreciate having a variety to choose from.
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Are there any fruit juices that toddlers should avoid?
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly suggests leaving fruit juice out of your child’s diet until after their first birthday. This is because children under one-year-old have no need for fruit juice in their diet and it offers no nutritional benefits at that age.
Once children are old enough to consume fruit juice, it should be done in moderation. Small amounts of juice in the morning with breakfast is okay. But, it is I, portent that the child consumes more fruit than fruit juice to receive the nutritional benefit. Too much juice is also said to lead to obesity, digestive problems, and even cause cavities.
