vitamins in orange juice

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Family Nutrition

Bookmark and Share THE TRUTH ABOUT PURE FRUIT JUICES VS. FRUIT
BEVERAGES Kids love the taste of pure fruit juice, and parents love it
because it’s a healthy source of nutrients. When choosing healthy pure
juice for your children, it’s important to note what kind of juice you
are serving and how much you are offering. Here’s what families should
know about fruit juice versus other fruit-flavored beverages: CHOOSE
THE RIGHT FRUIT JUICE

All juices are not created equal – some are nutritional gems while
others are sugar water. Consider these tips as you make juice part of
your child’s diet.

Be label savvy. Buy juice labeled “100 percent fruit juice."

Beware of words like “drink,” “punch,” “cocktail,” “beverage”
 and “ade.” These are not 100 percent juice – they’re junk
 fruit beverages.

Many “junk fruit beverages” are nutrient-void beverages,
 commonly masked as fruit “juice,” “drinks” or “cocktails.” 
 Most contain 10 percent or less of pure fruit juice, and lots
 of water, sugar and additives.  Junk fruit beverages have
 little or no nutritional value.

Avoid junk fruit beverages that are disguised as juice
 “blends” that contain small amounts of various fruits like
 grape, apple and pear. Ounce for ounce, these juices don’t
 have the natural levels of vital nutrients that 100 percent
 pure juices like orange juice provide.  Plus, they usually
 contain added sugars. 

Examine the ingredients. Avoid fruit-flavored beverages that have
 added fructose corn syrup.  They shape a child’s taste toward
 sweet cravings.

Look at the juice. Generally, the cloudier the juice, the more
 nutritious it is.  If you can see through it, you’re buying mostly
 water.  Picture a tall glass of 100 percent pure orange juice with
 pulp.  There should be some sediment at the bottom, which is a
 reminder of the juice’s origins. 

Go with citrus juices. Orange juice is a morning favorite and one
 of the most nutritious beverages available. An excellent source of
 vitamin C and potassium, orange juice also is a good source of
 folate and thiamin. Compared to other juices, orange juice is
 higher in protein, vitamin A, B-vitamins, vitamin C (it contains
 more than 10 times as much vitamin C as apple juice), calcium,
 iron and potassium, making it a heavyweight among fruit juices. 
 Drinking an 8-ounce glass counts as one of your five necessary
 fruit and vegetable servings for the day. 

Check if it’s pasteurized. Commercial juices now are required to
 say if it’s pasteurized on the label.  The new law is a result of
 non-pasteurized juice-borne bacterial illnesses that are
 especially harmful to people with weakened immune systems (such as
 children, pregnant women or the elderly). No need to worry,
 though. A new high-pressure pasteurization method increases the
 shelf life and significantly reduces the bacteria count.  And, it
 reportedly does not affect the flavor or vitamin and mineral
 content of the juice.  The key is to make sure the label on your
 juice says it’s pasteurized.

Consider Juice Variety. Another beneficial juice in addition to
 orange juice is nectar juice.  Nectar usually has more calories,
 but more nutrients are preserved during processing nectar than
 other juices.  Apricot nectar is especially healthy, containing a
 lot of beta-carotene, almost a gram of protein per 8-ounce glass,
 and it’s higher than most juices in vitamin A, vitamin B-6 and
 iron.  Other nutritious nectars come from the “P” fruits –
 peaches, pears and prunes.

HOW MUCH YOU OFFER COUNTS Juice can be a tasty alternative to water,
but consuming too much juice may take the place of other nutritious
foods the child would normally eat.  The following chart explains how
much juice is appropriate for a child up to 12 years of age:

<!if !supportEmptyParas> <!endif>

Age

Amount

1. – 12 months

1. ounces per day

1. – 4 years

1. ounces per day

1. – 12 years

1. ounces per day

<!if !supportEmptyParas> <!endif>

JUICE CONSUMPTION 101

Offer 100-percent juice at mealtimes or as snacks as an
 alternative to soda or junk juices.  Serve orange juice at
 breakfast, and pack a carton in your child’s lunch box for lunch
 or as a daytime snack.

If a child usually consumes more than the daily-recommended amount
 of juice,dilute the juice with water.  The water has the sweet
 taste of juice while allowing the appropriate amount of juice
 intake throughout the day.

If a child asks for carbonated soda, add seltzer to a glass of 100
 percent pure orange juice to add ‘a bubbly sensation’.

Don’t let toddlers walk around or fall asleep with a baby bottle
 filled with juice.  It can cause tooth decay.  The juice bathes
 the teeth, which may contribute to bacterial growth, plaque and
 eventual decay (a condition called the “juice bottle syndrome”).

VITAMIN C TIPS

Orange and grapefruit juices contain more natural vitamin C than
 any other fruit juice.  They’re great juices for your children –
 and for you.

The vitamin C content of canned juices may deteriorate upon
 exposure to air, so be sure to refrigerate and tightly seal opened
 containers.

Freshly squeezed juice contains more vitamin C than “made from
 concentrate” canned or frozen juices. 

Adding ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, to juice allows manufacturers
 to claim that the drink will give your child “100 percent vitamin
 C.”  This health claim, however, can mask its sugary content and
 hides the fact that other essential nutrients are not included.

AVOIDING TUMMY-ACHES Juices with a high fructose-to-glucose ratio and
that contain sorbitol can aggravate the intestines, especially those
already sensitive by irritation or infection. 

Recommended Juices: Citrus juices and some other juices
 (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and white grape juice) do not
 contain sorbitol and are recommended by the American Academy of
 Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition for use during intestinal
 illnesses. 

Fructose-to-Glucose Ratio: A high fructose-to-glucose ratio may
 cause diarrhea or abdominal pain because the excess fructose
 ferments in the large intestine.  Orange juice is a recommended
 juice because it contains equal amounts of glucose and fructose
 and no sorbitol.

Infants and Children: Because their immature intestines allow more
 unabsorbed sugar to reach the colon where it ferments, infants and
 children are particularly prone to gas and diarrhea from excessive
 juice.

FAVORITE 100% PURE FRUIT JUICE FACTS

Orange – The juice with the highest amount of vitamin C and
 potassium and a good source of folate and thiamin.  It also
 contains cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Grapefruit – The juice with the second highest amount of vitamin
 C.

Apricot Nectar – This juice is high in vitamin A and contains a
 small amount of iron and zinc.

Prune – The juice highest in iron, zinc, fiber and niacin.

White Grape – A juice high in vitamin C, and the best juice for
 healing the intestines.

Apple – This juice has no nutritional advantage over other juices,
 but is good for flavoring water because it dilutes well.

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