What to Look for in Juice
100% Real Juice
Never from Concentrate
Organic
Avoid any label that reads “natural flavor”
Juice, in general, has higher sugar content because fruit naturally contains sugar. What you want to look out for is “added sugar.” A product that is 100% juice should contain 0% added sugar.
If it's cut with anything, it should be water to avoid any additional additives.
If a juice is labeled “excellent source of vitamin C,” but the ingredient list includes “ascorbic acid” then it’s because they added it in synthetically - not because you’re getting it from real fruit.
If you want to get REAL crunchy, you can also look for juice in glass bottles to avoid plastic exposure.
Juice Options to Consider
Since juice (even 100% juice) is usually pretty high in sugar, you can choose to dilute it 50/50 (or whatever your preference may be).
Another option is to add fresh fruit to water and let it infuse overnight.
You can also make juice ice cubes to put in your child’s water.
It is always best to encourage your child to eat the whole fruit, not just juice. Juice misses out on all of the good fiber and vitamins in whole fruits.
What is Juice "Concentrate"
Juice from concentrate is juice that has had the majority of its water content filtered and extracted. This process removes most of the nutrients and fiber from the fruit. What’s left is a thick sugar-filled syrup.
When ready to reconstitute water is added back in, but the nutrients and fiber are still depleted. Many juices that are from concentrate also include added sugars/sweeteners, preservatives, “natural flavors,” citric acid, and/or ascorbic acid (fortified/synthetic vitamin C).
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