About Families Online

Feature Articles for June 2003

Make Healthy Decisions On–and Off–the Field

The season is upon us. With the upcoming onslaught of summer sports games and practices, school carnivals and other youth events, parents everywhere will soon be facing the same challenge: bringing snacks and drinks for teams of hungry (and thirsty) kids.

Faced with the task, many parents may not be giving enough thought to the real differences between the myriad of juices out there - and the impact that a truly healthy juice can have on meeting children’s nutritional needs during these important years.

In recent news there has been a great deal of attention given to the fact that, despite vast improvements in nutrition, many children are still lacking in calcium, which is important for overall growth and the development of healthy bones. This, combined with the fact that many of the so-called “fruit juices” on the market are actually fruit drinks with little or no nutritional value, has many experts concerned about what children today are drinking both on and off the field.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, a 3/4-cup serving of 100 percent juice counts as one of the recommended two to four fruit servings for children each day. However, fruit drinks that contain only 10 percent juice are not counted in this category. In fact, they are categorized in the Fat, Oils and Sweets Group - which should be used sparingly.

“Many parents quickly reach for convenient juice boxes or juice pouches these days, without really looking at the ingredients and complete nutritional profile, which varies greatly between different types of juices,” says nutritional expert Wendy Hoffman, R.D., M.S., C.D.E. “They probably don’t realize that a number of popular juice boxes and pouches only contain 10 percent juice, without any added calcium, and that there are healthier alternatives now out there not only for their kids, but for their child’s teammates, classmates and friends. Parents need to be creative in their approach to create a well-balanced diet that their children will like. By including calcium enriched fruit juices, parents can be assured that they are taking an active step in achieving nutrition goals.”

While it can be hard for many busy parents to “read between the lines,” Hoffman offers the following “winning” tips to help parents make the right nutritional choices both on and off the field.

• Choose only 100 percent fruit juice - not fruit drinks or fruit-based beverages.

• Read the nutrition content carefully to check for calcium. Other than milk and milk products, some fruit juices can provide a good source of calcium to help build strong bones and teeth.

• Make sure there are no added sugars or preservatives. A fruit juice sweetened only with the juices of natural fruits is the best bet to ensuring a healthier, more wholesome product.

• Don’t fall into the trap of letting your child choose the drink based on what other kids are drinking, the character on the container or commercials they’ve seen. Steer your children towards healthier choices that meet your standards for healthful foods.

“There are so many choices that parents are faced with when they travel down the beverage aisle these days, and many times kids are requesting drinks that really don’t have the nutritional value that they need during this important growth period of their lives,” says Gordon Crane, president of Long Island, New York-based juice company Apple & Eve. That company recently introduced a new line of “Power Pouch” juices. “Power Pouch” juices are the first pouch drinks on the market to contain 100 percent juice, and are also fortified with vitamin C and calcium.

Courtesy of Metro Services