The Right Juice

You will get more nutrition if you skip the juice and eat the whole fruit instead.

But, the right juice in the right amounts can be a viable alternative for anyone looking for a quick, easy, and reliable way to sneak in extra servings of fruits and vegetables. This is especially true when dealing with young children and adolescents.

Keep the following tips in mind when selecting the right juice for your household:

• Buy only 100% juice.
  

• Read the ingredient list carefully. Avoid added sweeteners like sugar, glucose-fructose, honey, molasses, or corn and other syrups. And, avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

• Stick with the top four: orange, grapefruit, prune, and pineapple. According to the Nutrition Action Healthletter, orange juice is by far the best. A glass of OJ has over a day's vitamin C. It also has more than 10% of a day's potassium which can help prevent high blood pressure. Be on the lookout for some orange juices (i.e. Tropicana) which contain added calcium.

• Buy in bulk if you can. This will cut down your costs and help you avoid the excessive packaging associated with single-serving bottles and juice boxes.

• Consider investing in a hand-pressed juicer and start squeezing the old-fashioned way. It's easy and the children love it.