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Child Care Nutritional Articles
juice debate Good old-fashioned water is still the best fluid a child should drink. Water is important for fluid balance and children should be encouraged to drink lots of it from a young age. Fruit juices all contain sugars either naturally present or added. As a caregiver, you may view fruit juice as a healthy drink for your child because it’s made from fruit or the label says that the product is ‘natural’ or contains ‘no added sugar’. However, fruit juice still contains sugar! Fruit in its whole form provides vitamin C in a ‘natural package’. As well as vitamin C, whole fruit provides fibre. Fibre is important because it keeps the bowel healthy and also helps your littlie to stay full. Fruit juice is not high in fibre. A 200ml glass of juice may contain up to five teaspoons of sugar The high sugar content, whether natural or added sugar, in drinks such as cordial, fruit juice and fizzy drinks can potentially expose your littlie to obesity and contribute to tooth decay.
constantly sipping on sugary fruit drinks is a major cause of tooth decay It is recommended babies in particular, shouldn’t be put down with sugary drinks in a bottle, including fruit juice. Bottles can sit in the mouth and drip onto the teeth. It is the duration that the liquid sits in the mouth that causes the tooth decay. Brushing children’s teeth regularly from as soon as their baby teeth appear, can help reduce tooth decay. A child with decayed primary teeth (first teeth) is much more likely to have decay in their secondary teeth (adult teeth). Additionally, if primary teeth have been taken out or damaged as a result of tooth decay, the adult teeth often come through misaligned which can affect self-esteem and cause speech problems. It is very important to realise, therefore, that large intakes of fruit juice should be discouraged! Although fruit juice does contain vitamin C, which is useful for enhancing iron absorption from food, the energy content of fruit juice can make a child feel full and this may also stop the child from eating other important foods in their day. Children need to eat their calories, not drink them. It is therefore important to dilute juice by one part juice to 10 parts water. It should also be noted that large amounts of fruit juice can cause diarrhoea. If fructose (the sugar found in fruit) ferments in the child’s tummy, it can cause tummy upset and watery diarrhoea. The citric acid of fruit juice is also very strong and this can significantly dissolve tooth enamel which can lead to dental decay. If your child is thirsty, offer water first. Note that drinking from a sipper bottle is potentially even more damaging to your littlies’ developing teeth as the continual sugar and citric acid contact will predispose them to tooth decay. littlies need fluids often Children need small drinks often. It’s a good idea to offer a drink every time a snack or meal is given. It is impossible to set a general water requirement but children generally need around one to 1.5 litres of fluid per day – this equals four to six glasses.
if serving up juice - it should be diluted – one part juice to 10 parts water and only serve once a day
(The above article was prepared by - Nikki Hart, NZ Registered Dietitian)
Further Child Care Nutritional Articles
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