The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends to completely avoid juice (even 100% juice) for children under the age of two years old. For children older than two years old, it is recommended to limit juice to only 4oz per day and prefers for the child to eat the actual fruit instead. Any form of sugar sweetened beverages (sodas, sweet tea, sports drinks, etc) are not recommended for young children.
Two reasons this guideline makes sense:
1) Because nutrient needs are so high in this age group, and children’s bodies are so small, it is challenging to get their needed nutrients in during the day. Simply put, infants and toddlers do not have the room in their diets for the additional calories and low nutritional benefit from added sugars found in these beverages. The goal is to avoid allowing the child to fill up on juice and therefore not be able to consume the food that is needed for proper growth and development.
2) Right now you have the opportunity to mold your child’s food preferences and food norms. It is stated by the DGA that sugar-sweetened beverage intake in infancy and early childhood may predispose children to consume more of these beverages later in life.
My suggestion? Make water attractive to your child. Have a special water cup just for them. Model drinking water and aim to make drinking plain water the norm. Sometimes this is a bigger mental shift for parents than for the child. This is a habit that can be cultivated while the child is young and they will reap the benefits as they age.