2 Juices to Include in Your Toddler’s Healthy Diet

Whenever I read children’s nutrition posts on my daily feed I see that many nutritionists only recommend milk and water. I agree that juice can add unnecessary sugar to a child’s diet if consumed in excess. But I make sure I include two juices in my child’s diet because I feel they perform necessary functions.

Apple Juice

When I began feeding my babies solids they both had horrible constipation. My first attempt at helping this situation was to try to feed them prunes or give them prune juice. Not only was the attempt met with much resistance but the results were…explosive. 

Apple juice contains sorbitol, which is a natural gentle laxative. By adding a watered-down cup of apple juice to the girls’ diets every day they no longer have issues with hard stools that cause them significant effort to pass. 

Cranberry Juice

Did you know that a glass of 100% unsweetened cranberry juice has 0.6mg  iron in it? Infants all the way up to age 3 need 7mg of iron daily. Breastfed infants are often at risk of not having enough iron in their diet. To combat this, I incorporate a glass of cranberry juice into my toddler’s days. Not only does the cranberry juice have iron, but vitamin C, which binds to the iron to help the body absorb it. 

Another great reason to drink cranberry juice is its link to helping with urinary tract infections. The reason behind this is thought to be that cranberry juice can prevent bacteria from attaching to the lining in the urinary tract. When talking to a pediatrician he said that anatomy in some children can put them at higher risk for these infections. 

I cringe at the thought of a child with poor communication suffering from such a painful problem. So, cranberry juice it is! If they don’t like the bitterness, add some apple juice :).