Natural juice or fruit in children's diet, what is healthier?

Over the years, nutritional recommendations have changed, especially in relation to childhood. Specifically, the recommendations on the age of introduction of complementary feeding have been modified, which have gone from 3 months to 4 months, to reach the 6 recommended by the World Health Organizat

Over the years, nutritional recommendations have changed, especially in relation to childhood. Specifically, the recommendations on the age of introduction of complementary feeding have been modified, which have gone from 3 months to 4 months, to reach the 6 recommended by the World Health Organization at present, but also emphasized the rations of fruits and vegetables that should be offered to children, using slogans such as "five a day".

Infant diet: natural juice or fruit?

There has also been a new question that we solve inGuiainfantil.com, what is healthier, fruit or natural juice for children?

The contribution of fruits and vegetables is sometimes difficult to achieve, and even more so with the rhythm of life that we lead, both parents and children, work, school, extracurricular activities, sports ... in which does not give time or to peel a orange. However, it should not be tempted to offer packaged products such as industrial juices, smoothies, or fruit-based beverages, with artificial flavors and a high content of sugar and additives.

Specifically, the juice, even if it is natural, offers absolutely no nutritional benefit compared to the fruit, quite the contrary. In babies under 6 months is not recommended or will do any good, or for constipation, as recommended for years, or to introduce flavors, for that there will be time.

In addition, nutritionally speaking:

- The juice contains all the sugar in the fruit in a much more harmful to the teeth: liquid.

- Lose many vitamins by increasing the surface in contact with air, oxidize and cease to be useful.

- Loses practically all the fiber.

- It is demonstrated that the habitual consumption of juices is directly related to the increase in the risk of obesity.

Benefits of fruit versus natural juices

- Consumption of whole apples, bites, directly affects the quality of the bite ejerc, exercising the muscles of the jaw. These muscles, when a child has fed on purees and sopitas and their sandwiches and toast are made with sliced ​​bread, have little chance of working, and may end up not working as well as they should. Además - In addition, when consumed with skin, of course taking the necessary hygienic precautions, the benefits of the fruit increase even more.- As parents, we should offer and eat fresh fruit daily, preferably in season. No - It is not necessary that the offer is excessively varied if the child does not feel comfortable eating so many different fruits,

the important thing is to put it within their reach

, they will do the rest.

Natural juice can, however, be part of your diet provided it is consumed as part of a balanced diet and in moderate amounts, not as an alternative to fruit or as a substitute for water to promote hydration. Rations should be controlled, and industrial beverages should be avoided as much as possible.