Minnesota Dental Association Recommends Monitoring Sugar in Kids’ Drinks

The Minnesota Dental Association encourages parents and caregivers to be aware of the sugar content in fruit juices and limit the amount given to children during these hot summer days.

If you serve your child fruit juice, it is important to remember the American Academy of Pediatrics age-appropriate intake recommendations:

• Children under 1 year: Juice not recommended
• Children ages 1–3: 4 ounces/day
• Children ages 4–6: 4 to 6 ounces/day
• Children ages 7–18: 8 ounces or 1 cup of the recommended 2 to 2.5 cups of fruit servings/day

What else can you do?

• Always offer water first (water with fluoride is best)
• Serve the recommended, age-appropriate juice limits at mealtimes only
• When your family is done eating, clean up any leftover juice instead of letting your child leave the table with it
• Brush twice a day and floss daily

For more information, visit mndental.org.