As we enter the summer months, FNP has been stressing the importance of hydration to kids and teaching healthy drink options. For example, 100% fruit juice and a fruit drink are two different things: the 100% fruit juice is made from the juice of that fruit, while a fruit drink is mostly made from sugar and water. Key words to look for to spot fruit drinks are “drink,” “cocktail,” “beverage,” or if the drink name ends in “ade” such as lemonade or limeade. 100% fruit juice will be labeled as so on the packaging as well as the food label. One trick the food companies like to use is to make the packaging say “100% Vitamin C.” This, however, does not necessarily mean that it is 100% fruit juice; it is up to us as consumers to really read the label and packaging to look for the key words. Many fruit drinks have 100% Vitamin C but have way too much added sugar. If your child likes juice, make sure to get 100% fruit juice. Water, of course, is your best bet because you don’t have to worry about reading labels, added sugar, or calories. Sports drinks also have a lot of added sugar, and are only necessary if one is intensely playing and sweating for a long period of time.
S. Bresin

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