It is known that juices should be present in the children’s menu. In addition, modern industry allows mothers to breathe a sigh of relief, because supermarket shelves are littered with cardboard boxes with a wide variety of juices and nectars. Purchased juices are very convenient, put in a straw and that’s it! However, what will be the benefit of this juice and whether there will be harm, let’s see.

When buying juice for children, carefully read what is written on the label, and again, pay attention not to what is written on the front side of the package in large letters, but look carefully at the reverse side, where the ingredients are listed in small print. There you need to look for the words “100% natural juice”, which will mean that the product is really natural.

Only this inscription does not yet say that the juice will really be useful for the child’s body. After all, fruits turn into juices in the process of processing them in factories. First, water is removed from them, as a result of which they turn into a concentrate. Next, the concentrate is frozen and transported to the place of production. The next stage of processing is the restoration of the finished concentrate by adding water to it and enriching it with additional ingredients. Only they know how useful the water, which juice producers dilute concentrates with, is. Then the juice is pasteurized, packaged and sent to stores. Now think about what happens to useful substances, vitamins, enzymes and trace elements in the process of such processing? I think that most of them are destroyed. Then is it worth giving the child purchased juice in cardboard boxes. Probably, nevertheless, sometimes, when you need to quickly give a child a drink and there is nothing else at hand.

What is the difference between freshly squeezed juice and store bought juice?
However, not everything is so simple here either. To begin with, consider the advantages of freshly squeezed juices over ready-made purchased ones:

– enzymes remain in freshly squeezed juice, which are often destroyed during processing, especially during heating.

– in this juice there is water, which is present in all fruits and vegetables by nature. This is good for health, if only the fruits were grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

– Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice is much easier than eating several fruits and vegetables at once. Although drinking juice and eating vegetables and fruits is not the same thing, because the juice is low in fiber.

But, lately, nutritionists have been shouting with one voice that the daily consumption of freshly squeezed juices leads to the development of diabetes. The fact is that fructose in the liquid phase, entering the circulatory system, causes a sharp jump in blood sugar and, as a result, the active production of insulin by the body. Therefore, daily consumption of freshly squeezed juices for several years makes people insulin dependent.

Of course, this does not mean giving up freshly squeezed juices once and for all. You just need to approach this issue consciously. Give freshly squeezed juices to children, diluted 1:1 with water, in small portions, approximately 50-100 ml per dose. Do not add sugar to improve the taste of the juice. Decide which vegetable and fruit juices you will give your child to drink, and then freshly squeezed juices will undoubtedly only benefit your children!