My mind has been on food lately. I’ve been having some GI issues and trying all sorts of things to find the cause of my problems. In the process I’ve been talking to people and have discovered that most folks don’t know how to read a food label. Also, they have no idea what they are eating, where it came from or if it’s really good for you. Food labeling can be quite deceptive. Each week I plan on tackling a different type of food label or ingredient. Here is one that most parents need to be aware of: juice.
Juice is a classic drink that most assume to be healthy. Some people limit the amount of juice their little ones drink because of the sugar, but what else do you know about juice?
The best juice:
This is a no brainer. Freshly squeezed! The power of juices live enzymes provide quite a punch of nutrients. Juicing in general is a great way to harness foods power. Although, this might not be practical for some people.
The next best bet:
100% juice- anything other is bordering on a sugar infused mess – check it out.
Kids should get NO more than 4 to 6 ounces pf 100 percent juice a day. More juice can cause a loss of appetite and can increase the cravings for sweet drinks. Use the good old part juice and part water combo if your kid is craving more juice. Eating whole fruits are a much better way to go.
Skip the extras:
The packages screaming fortified with this or that. Or containing X amount of vitamins and minerals added- most of it is crap. One exception- calcium fortified orange juice, especially if you have a child that does not get the amount of calcium they need. My little one has issues with dairy and this has saved me!
Best buy option:
100 percent frozen juice concentrate. ( concentrate means that water is added already)It’s the best for nutrition and cost. If you have little ones you can even add more water and stretch this out.
Skip the juice cocktail:
If you are buying juice cocktail, you are doing yourself a real disservice. Go and grab that bottle and read the label. If the label reads anything other water, juice concentrate or that particular juice fruit you have the wrong juice! Then check for these big bad guys: high fructose corn syrup, (really- you know you shouldn’t have this), basically stay away from anything ending with – ose. My favorite trick in labeling is No Sugar Added, read the label you won’t see any sugar listed because it’s not, it’s usually substituted with an artificial sweetener, hence the -ose ending. When is comes down it your juice label should not read like your old chemistry book. Oh, yes and in cocktail I’m also including all those “juice drinks” that promise vitamins, etc and contain less than 25 percent juice, but are quite abundant in food coloring and several things I can’t pronounce let alone try to spell.
As I get off my soapbox here are some quick tips:
1. Spend a little more and buy 100 percent juice. (It’ll save you on medical bills later)
2. Hit your local dollar store and buy a small hand juicer. ( people will think you are very fancy when they find out you have fresh squeezed juice on the weekends)
3. Always READ the ingredient label. ( you can control what goes into your body)
Go 100% Juice- Buy Local- Buy Organic when you can!