Cut the Juice

Fruit juices might seem like an excellent means of quenching your child’s thirst, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has new guidelines for fruit juice and children: No juice before age 1. For toddlers ages 1-3, up to half a cup per day (4 oz). For children ages 4-6, up to three-quarters cup per day (6 oz). For children and teens ages 7-18, up to 1 cup per day (8 oz). Do not put juice in a sippy cup or bottle that the child carries around. Offer your child whole fruit, which has both the vitamins and fiber that children need.