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During pregnancy, eating an assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables provides a wide variety of healthful plant nutrients, including naturally abundant, powerful antioxidants. Keep in mind that all forms of fruits and veggies can help you get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% juice, as long as no sugar has been added, they all count to help you meet the 3-4 fruit servings (2 cups) and 3-5 vegetable servings (2-3 cups) recommended each day.

100% fruit juice, which has no sugar added, can be a great way to help you get the recommended servings of fruit each day, but it is important to think of 100% juices as a complement, rather than a replacement for whole fruits. Just 4-ounces (or 1/2 cup) of 100% fruit juice, such as 100% Grape Juice, counts as one serving (or 1/2 cup) of fruit.

Packing Antioxidant Power

Antioxidants help neutralize the dangerous effects of free radicals in the body. The best way to get your antioxidants is to eat a diet rich in plant sources of antioxidants such as from fruits and vegetables and their juices. Purple and blue colored fruits tend to be among the highest in antioxidant capacity and provide healthful nutrients not found in other colors of fruit. The purple/blue category of fruits and vegetables is the most underrepresented in typical diets.

As an added bonus, some fruit juices are available fortified with calcium - to help you meet your daily needs - or with fiber to replace the fiber removed in processing and to help promote a healthy digestive system.

Be sure to look for 100% fruit juices and be sure to drink in moderation. Diluting 100% fruit juices with an equal portion of water can help keep consumption in moderation. Watch total sugar intake from all foods and beverages. Excessive sugar intake may contribute to elevated blood glucose or blood sugar levels and could contribute to Type II diabetes in family members who are overweight or obese, have a genetic propensity towards diabetes, or are sensitive to sugar and prone to hypoglycemia.

Morning Sickness Relief

You and your developing fetus must maintain optimal nutritional health to make sure that the pregnancy does not deplete your body's nutrients. A common complaint during the first trimester of pregnancy is nausea, commonly referred to as "morning sickness." Eating small meals every 2-3 hours and drinking fluids between meals has been proven helpful. In addition, sipping on a shot glass of 100% fruit juice every 1-2 hours between meals has helped some women. Freezing the juice in an ice cube tray makes dosing this nausea reliever easy

Juice for Young Children

100% fruit juice, which has no sugar added, can be a great way to help your family meet their recommended daily intake of fruit and add natural antioxidants to their diet. Just 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of 100% fruit juice, such as 100% White Grape Juice, counts as one serving (or 1/2 cup) of fruit. Think of fruit juices as a complement to whole fruits to help your young child get more fruit servings in his or her diet each day.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until your baby is at least 6 months old, and able to drink from a cup, before introducing 100% juice. No more than 4-6 ounces daily is recommended for children under 6 years. Fruit juice should not interfere with or be used as a substitute for formula or milk in your child's diet. Providing the recommended amount of milk or formula ensures adequate calories and nutrients for optimal growth and development.

Gentle on Young Tummies

Your infant, toddler or preschooler is developing and may have a more sensitive digestive system. Fruit juice blends should be avoided to better assess your child's tolerance to single fruit juices first. Diluting fruit juices is a common practice, half water and half juice, initially to assess tolerance and avoid any potential adverse reactions. Keep in mind that all juices are not the same on the digestive system. Fruit juices with high sorbitol and/or fructose content, particularly when taken in excess, can lead to gas, bloating and diarrhea.

100% White Grape Juice, has a natural carbohydrate profile that is gentle on the digestive system, which makes it an excellent choice for young children. Apple and pear juices are typical starter juices based on tradition rather than science. White grape juice has an even balance of natural-occurring fructose and glucose and contains no sorbitol - a profile that makes it easier to digest than apple or pear juice. Apple and pear juices both contain more fructose than glucose and contain sorbitol, which can be difficult on delicate systems and may lead to gas and intestinal discomfort for your young child.

Just the Juice

Look on the label to make sure you are choosing 100% white grape juice - some juices labeled "100%" and "white grape" are actually blends of white grape and apple juice, or white grape, apple and pear juice.

Follow these guidelines to provide your child a pleasant taste sensation without adverse reactions.

Juice for Your Family

Your whole family should be eating an assortment of colorful fruits and vegetables which provide a wide variety of healthful plant nutrients, including naturally abundant, powerful antioxidants. Keep in mind that all forms of fruits and veggies can help you get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% juice, as long as no sugar has been added, they all count to help you meet the 2-4 fruit servings (1-2 cups) and 3-5 vegetable servings (1.5-3 cups) recommended each day.

100% fruit juice, which has no sugar added, can be a great way to help you get the recommended servings of fruit each day, but it is important to think of 100% juices as a complement, rather than a replacement for whole fruits. Just 4-ounces (or 1/2 cup) of 100% fruit juice, such as 100% Grape Juice, counts as one serving (or 1/2 cup) of fruit.

Packing Antioxidant Power

The best way to get your antioxidants is to eat a diet rich in plant sources of antioxidants such as from fruits and vegetables and their juices. Purple and blue colored fruits tend to be among the highest in antioxidant capacity and provide healthful nutrients not found in other colors of fruit. The purple/blue category of fruits and vegetables is the most underrepresented in typical diets.

Be sure to look for 100% fruit juices and be sure to drink in moderation. Diluting 100% fruit juices with an equal portion of water can help keep consumption in moderation. Watch total sugar intake from all foods and beverages. Excessive sugar intake may contribute to elevated blood glucose or blood sugar levels and could contribute to Type II diabetes in family members who are overweight or obese, have a genetic propensity towards diabetes, or are sensitive to sugar and prone to hypoglycemia.

As an added bonus, some fruit juices are available fortified with calcium - to help you meet your daily needs - or with fiber to replace the fiber removed in processing and to help promote a healthy digestive system. For example, each 8-ounce glass of 100% Grape Juice with Calcium provides 10% of the Daily Value for calcium. And each 8-ounce glass of 100% Juice with Fiber provides 10% of the Daily Value for fiber.

Fill Your Family with Nutrients

Maintaining optimal nutritional health can help you and your family function at your full capacity throughout the day. Since your children are growing, possibly rapidly depending upon their stage of growth, it is important to make sure they are not depleting their body's nutrient stores and are getting adequate nutrition to help support their immune system, their heart health and the health of all their developing organ systems. Eating small meals every 2-4 hours and getting adequate fluids from healthy beverages is important.

Roberta H. Clarke Jenero, MS, RD, LD