Dear baby is just starting to mix foods and I know you want to give them the best nutritious foods in life. You’d like to make sure they get all the vitamins and nutrients and fruit juices have no or little awful additives added. So, you might think it’s a good idea to give fresh fruit juice to babies. It is wrong!
Ideally, fresh fruit juice to babies under one year of age should be avoided as they have no nutritional value for them.
Juices could have similar health benefits for babies over one year old similar to those for adults. Juices may provide some health benefits as long as the juices are moderately fed and are part of the balanced diet of the baby.
You can try stewed apple, tomato, soft lime, pineapple, peach, mango, grapes, lychee, grapefruit, beetroot, kale, ginger, and watercress.
Should I give my baby Fresh fruit juice?
You may be shocked, but the nutrients that fresh fruit juice offers are not required for babies under the age of 6. Your baby already absorbs Vitamins through the foods that you already feed him/her and if you breastfeed him or her, then be mindful that breast milk contains Vitamins.
For a baby, the raw fruit juice is too concentrated. It is high in natural sugars (fructose), this can lead to diarrhoea in your baby, and it should also be noted that feeding sweet berry juice to a baby in such a young age group can lead to sweet foods being preferred. Which is not a good beginning for a baby?
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Babies are going to get all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from a safe and prescribed diet. Please check with your doctor about what foods to feed your baby before taking any form of advice. Not take advice off the internet too, you never know where the information came from.
Why Fresh Fruits Are Not Advisable For Babies?
There are no serious side effects of fruit and vegetable juices, but they could pose some health issues:
- Juices are considered high in their overall sugar content, especially fruit juices, and this content will increase further if the juices have added sugar as well. This could lead to increased consumption of calories.
- Increased calorie intake could lead to increased weight gain.
- Fruit juices pose a risk of dental caries, especially in children and infants.
- Fiber is missing from fruit juices, which is essential for different body functions.
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- Because the juices are sweet, especially fruit juices, babies and young children may develop a taste for them and refuse other food groups.
- Sweeteners, flavors, additives, and preservatives that are not ideal for babies and young children could have been added to commercially made juices.
When Can Your Baby Start Drinking Juice?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants under 12 months of age not be given juice, as it does not provide any additional nutritional benefits. Children may have regulated juice volumes from time to time after 12 months of age, but whole foods are a better option.
When you finally decide to start feeding your baby with fresh fruit juices, consult with your health care professional first as described above. If he agrees (I doubt he’s going to) then dilute it.
Undiluted juice has an adult cleansing effect and may have an adverse effect in large quantities. You don’t want to risk life especially when a baby is concerned, and any negative effects will be much more serious than an adult.
Tips For Feeding Fruit Juices To Babies
If you plan to feed fruit juices to a baby, the following points may be helpful:
- Use a cup or spoon to feed the fresh fruit juice to babies as it may lead to over-consumption if a feeding bottle is used.
- Give 100% concentrated juice instead of sweetened juice drinks or powdered juice mixtures. In addition, dilute it with boiled and cooled water to ease the digestion of concentrated juice.
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- Restrict fruit juice intake to no more than 4 ounces per day for children aged 1 to 3 years.
- Limit the consumption of fruit juice to 4 to 6 ounces per day for children aged four to six years.
- Start with just 2-3 spoons of juice per day so the baby can get used to the juice taste and digestion process.
- Do not give fruit juice around bedtime as it may cause babies to have digestive problems such as bloating, gas, and indigestion.
- Do not replace fruit juices for whole meals. On the contrary, let the juices accompany the meals.
- Juices should not be used for dehydration or diarrhea treatment.
- Avoid adding extra salt, sugar, honey, or any other condiments to the juice because your baby may have difficulty digesting it.
You can offer your baby juices as long as they don’t substitute a healthy meal. Do not add sugar or salt, as long as the baby has a taste for such juices. Retain the pulp and feed the concentrated juice so as not to waste the nutrients. With babies less than a year old, however, stop any juices. Give them breast milk instead.
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Children will run you down through breastfeeding coupled with sleep-deprived nights, so, why not just take the fresh fruit juice for yourself. The baby will eventually get the nutrients from you through breastfeeding. The delivery of freshly squeezed juice and vegetables to your body is an ideal way to keep up your energy and mood. To kids, it’s great, but just not so perfect for infants.
Read More On Fruit Juices For Infants
Have you started or been giving fresh fruit juice to babies? Using the comments section below, share your story.