Reading labels at the grocery store can be time-consuming. However, it pays to read the juice labels. Most claim to have at least 1 serving of fruit per glass and list "natural," "fresh" or "100% juice (from concentrate)" prominently on the front. Unfortunately, you can't trust the words "natural" or "fresh" and juices from concentrate have added sugars, preservatives, and are made up almost entirely of water.
{relatedarticles}As an alternative to sugar-laden juices, an actual piece of fruit would be the best choice. But if you kids are more willing to drink fruit than to eat it, then try juicing your own at home. Or, you could buy the 100% natural fruit juice - not from concentrate - and mix it with some water if the taste is too strong.
In any event, most children need far more water than any other type of beverage, so serve mostly water throughout the day and intersperse it with some milk or 1 glass of natural fruit juice as a sweet treat.
