As a parent and a dietitian one area that greatly concerns me is the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages that our culture, and children in particular, are consuming. I think most parents recognize that sodas contain a lot of sugar and are beverages that kids should only be consuming on special occasions. However, I think many parents are misguided into believing that juice drinks are a necessary and healthy part of a child’s diet. If looking at pure sugar content, a 12-oz soda has approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Surprising to most, a glass of apple juice or grape juice has the same amount of sugar as the soda. Although some fruit juices are fortified with Vitamins A, C, and calcium in general they offer little other nutritional benefit. This becomes especially problematic when the overconsumption of fruit juices results in a decrease in your child’s appetite and the consumption of other healthy foods, such as whole fruit. This concerns me not only from a health/childhood obesity point of view, but also in terms of dental health. My two-year old already knows that on those occasions when she does get some type of fruit juice, we are going to brush her teeth immediately afterwards. We would do the same if our child consumed 10 packets of sugar wouldn’t we?
So…what is a parent to do. My best advice is to be a conscious consumer and look at the amount of sugar in the beverages your children are consuming. To determine the sugar content, you can take the grams of sugar listed on the food label and divide it by 4 to determine the number of teaspoons of sugar in one serving of the juice. Compare between similar products and choose those with less sugar and more of the vitamins and minerals kids need (calcium, Vitamins A, C, D, etc.). In general, try to purchase 100% fruit juice, rather than juice drinks; 100% fruit juices tend to have less added sugar. I also suggest really watching those portion sizes. A standard serving size for juice is typically 1-cup or 8 fl-oz. It is very easy to pour a glass of juice that is much larger than the standard serving, which results in double or triple the sugar intake you may have intended for your child to have.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children age 1 – 6 consume only 4 to 6 ounces of juice per day and children older than 6 should be limited to 8 to 12 ounces. I encourage you to keep track of how much juice your child is drinking to see if it is in line with these guidelines. I am by no means suggesting the children should not be consuming fruit juice, I just think it is time we switch our focus back to whole fruits and make sure we recognize the amount of sugar these beverages contain.
So as adults, I believe we need to take this message to heart for ourselves as well. Thinking not only about the juice we drink, but the other beverages that contain sugar as well…iced coffees, sweet tea, frozen lemonade, fruity alcoholic drinks, and of course soda. You can easily add an extra 600 calories to your day from three, sugary drinks. So what would you rather do…eat your calories or drink them???
Food for thought…until next time!
How do artificial sweeteners add up? We drink a LOT of Crystal Light fruit punch. I have heard so many bad things about artificial sweeteners being bad too.
I don’t know what Mandy would say, but I personally would rather my kids have a limited amount of sugar than any artificial sweetener. I’d be interested to hear the answer to that one as well.
Don’t forget about sports drinks! I was amazed how many kids had 16oz Gatorade bottles for lunch at my son’s elementry school.
I love all the great comments and questions! I whole-heartedly agree with Joanna in regards to sports drinks. Similar to juice, sports drinks have become something that kids tend to sip on all day long. Although they tend to be lower in sugar content than soda, they do still contain sugar and when drank continuously throughout the day they also can have a negative effect on teeth. Sports drinks are designed for individuals participating in physical activity. Even when working with highly competitive athletes, my recommendation is to drink water during the day and save sports drinks for workouts and competitions.
Lots of questions regarding artificial sweeteners. In general, I believe artificial sweeteners are safe for adults to consume as part of an otherwise healthy diet. I typically recommend stevia (Truvia) or sucralose (Splenda) to the clients I work with. I believe that any possible risks associated with the consumption of artificial sweeteners in adults are very minor compared with the risks of excess consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the associated weight gain, which could lead to an individual becoming overweight or obese. I still recommend moderation, however, even when it comes to beverages made with artificial sweeteners. There is a big difference between consuming 1-2 diet sodas per day and sipping on diet soda from morning until night.
I tend to take a more conservative stance when it comes to children and artificial sweeteners. Perhaps one of my major concerns is that when a child is consuming beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners they are displacing other nutritious beverages (low-fat dairy) and food (whole fruit) in the diet. My major focus when working with children is focusing on moderation. As I mentioned in my blog, juice can be included in your child’s diet in moderation – following guidelines such as those issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics on the amount of juice per age group. Aside from that, I truly believe that water and low-fat milk are the beverages our children need. As a mom, my little one does on occasion get beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners, but generally it is extremely watered down Crystal Light and that is only as a treat on a hot boat ride!
Appreciate all the great feedback and sharing!
Healthy Regards,
Mandy