2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:44
Juice, drink, cocktail, punch, beverage… fruit? Really? What's in the liquids we give our little ones to quench their thirst? Vitamins or empty calories?
While it is true that some juices contain vitamins (A, B, C, E), minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium) and fiber, other products offered in the supermarket are not nothing more than water, sugar and dye. And in between are plenty of hybrid liquids, not always as he althy as the packaging would have us believe.
It is important to first distinguish between the different names that are often confusing, especially when the word FRUIT is attached to them!
Pure Juice
Only the juice of the indicated fruit, concentrated or fresh. For some juices, legislation allows the manufacturer to add vitamin C and sugar. It is essential that these additions are indicated on the packaging.
Concentrated juice
Juice from which water has been removed to facilitate transport and reduce costs.
Juice from concentrate
This is the juice concentrate to which water is added at the factory.
Cocktail
Can contain 0-99% juice! So we add water, sugar, colors and artificial flavors.
Drink
The drinks are made of water, sugar, fruit flavoring and coloring.
Beverage
These are the most suspicious of them all! They rarely contain real fruit juice.
It is therefore important to read the list of ingredients since the order in which they appear indicates their proportion in the product. If the ingredients are juice, water, sugar, the product contains more juice than water and more water than sugar. Conversely, if the ingredients indicated are Water, sugar, juice, the beverage is mainly made up of water and sugar, to which a little juice has been added.
- The nutritional value of 100% pure juice is equivalent to that of its original fruit.
- The less the juice contains real fruit juice, the less nutritious it is.
- Better not to offer juice to a baby under six months old. Limit the quantities to 120 ml per day and serve the juice preferably in a cup and not in a bottle.
- Children should not consume more than one 250ml glass of juice per day. A 125 ml glass of fruit juice counts as one serving of vegetables and fruit according to Canada's Food Guide to He althy Eating. The problem is that children often consume far too much of it, often up to 1 liter per day, that is to say the equivalent of 8 fruits, but without the fiber that satiates and with much moresugar than they should consume!
- While it's true that juices are loaded with he althy vitamins, they also contain calories that easily accumulate. Solids, unlike liquids, provide a feeling of satiety that encourages people to stop eating. But liquids can be swallowed without hunger. To quench your thirst, nothing beats a tasteless, unsweetened liquid: water.
Drinking during meals disrupts digestion?
FALSE: To properly digest food, enzymes require a very acidic working environment. This is why the stomach secretes an acidic mixture called gastric juice. If the meal is more liquid, the quantity of gastric juices secreted will therefore be increased to allow you to digest well.
Fluid loss
Every day, an adult loses about 2.5 liters of water in the form of urine, sweat and stool. And your body rejects even more when it's very hot or when you practice intense activity. It is therefore recommended to drink between 2.2 liters (women) and 3 liters (men) of liquids every day. To be well hydrated, all drinks count: water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, milk, herbal tea, tea, coffee, etc. So it's easier than you think to reach your goal.
Since the food you eat provides an average of 1 liter of water, you should drink 1 to 1.5 liters of water or beverages per day to replace these losses.
Beware ofunpasteurized juice
Young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems should not consume unpasteurized products that are usually for sale freshly squeezed in orchards, on roadside stands, at farmers markets, at agricultural fairs, etc. They can also be found in the refrigerated displays of grocery stores and on piles of ice cubes in the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle.
Even though the likelihood of getting sick from consuming unpasteurized juices is low, the risk of contracting E. coli bacteria is real. E. coli can cause stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, and bloody diarrhea. People with these symptoms should see their doctor right away.
| Nutrition Claims: RDA=Recommended Daily Allowance | |
| Excellent source of… |
Serving size provides 25% or more of the RDIFor vitamin C: 50% of the RDI |
| Good source of… |
The portion provides between 15 and 24% of the RDIFor vitamin C: 30 to 49% of the RDI |
| Source of… |
The serving provides 5 to 14% of the RDIFor vitamin C: less than 30% of the RDI |
So what are the best choices?
Orange juice
This is by far the best choice! In addition to containing 100% of the AQR in vitamin C, it is a good sourceof folic acid and a source of potassium, magnesium and thiamine.250 ml=100 calories and 21 g of sugar
Grapefruit juice
Comparable to orange juice, it naturally contains vitamin C (100% RDA) and is a source of folic acid and potassium.250 ml=95 calories and 22 g of sugar
Apple juice
Pure apple juice is a source of potassium, but very little vitamin C and folic acid. That's why it's best to choose those that have added vitamin C.250ml=115 calories and 27g of sugar
Pineapple juice
The main quality of pineapple juice is that it is an excellent source of folic acid, that is, say around 25% of the AQR. It is also a good source of vitamin C and a source of iron and potassium.250 ml=140 calories and 34 g of sugar
Grape Juice
Apart from its great taste, grape juice doesn't have much going for it! It contains potassium, but very little vitamin C and folic acid. Remember, however, that it contains flavonoids which are good for the heart. White grape juice is recommended for babies because it is easily digested.250 ml=155 calories and 38 g of sugar
Cranberry juice
Cranberries are the fruit with the most antioxidants and are also known to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. It is a good source of vitamin C. Be careful to choose a pure cranberry juice, and not a mixtureadded sugar.250 ml=115 calories and 31 g of sugar.
Plum juice
In addition to preventing constipation, plum juice is a good source of iron and potassium and a source of vitamin C. 250ml=180 calories and 42g of sugar.
Recommended:
Emma and William, always on top of first names
Emma and William are again the most popular first names in Quebec. There are few changes in the list of the ten favorite first names of parents: only Charlie, among girls, and Gabriel, among boys, are among the favorites
My child always wants more
One of my clients explains a frustrating situation to me. He spent the whole morning playing with his three-year-old son, all a great energy deployed to fill his tank
Why do people always ask me if my child sleeps?
Our beliefs are often carried by our culture and in terms of education, these certainties are tenacious. What is our sleep physiology and how do children learn to sleep based on our cycles and not theirs?
We take up the fruit and vegetable challenge
If you don't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, it can be easy to get discouraged by the challenge of eating 5-10 servings a day! If you started by adding just one serving?
The life of parents is not always easy
We rarely admit it, but day-to-day parenting isn't always heaven. Of course, we love our children, but everyday life, with these difficulties, can still undermine the morale of some
