Why dillute juice?

mesmom2011

My DD drinks water and BM.  I am very happy about that.  At her 15 month appointment, our pedi suggested we give her calcium fortified OJ as she is dairy intollerant.  She will not drink much juice (prefers water), but I can get a little into her.  I have not been dilluting it since we are trying to get the calcium into.  What is the purpose of dilluting it in the first place?  If she is only drinking one glass a day would you dillute it? 

GirlLeastLikelyTo

I never dilute my son's juice.  I do, however, make sure to brush his teeth after every glass that he drinks.

katie4253

Juice has a lot of sugar (even no-sugar added has a lot of natural fruit sugar).  It is very sweet.  If you dilute it, it increases the water and decreases the sugar. It makes it taste less sweet. 

katie4253

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

mesmom2011

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

katie4253

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Are you doing soy or almond milk?  That would be my first step.  Dark green veggies and other forms of soy too.  Can she eat cheese?  You could try soy cheese or soy yogurt too. 

katie4253

I have also seen calcium fortified apple juice if you want to go the juice route.  Maybe she'd like that better.  OJ is such a strong flavor.  I am not super surprised she isn't in love with it. 

pettycrocker

I dilute her juice because like Katie mentioned it's full of sugar, and because the only reason I even give her any juice at all is to try to encourage her to drink more water (she won't drink it without a bit of juice in it) 

At her well visit yesterday, the pedi suggested I start giving her half of a flintstone vitamin every day, because she is a super picky eater and he is concerned she's not getting enough vitamins from her food. Maybe you can ask your pedi about something like a childrens vitamin instead of trying to get your LO to drink juice that she doesn't really like.  

desdemona39

You could try almond, coconut, or goat's milk. They have more nutrients than fortified OJ, which is basically sugar water. I would stay away from soy.

mesmom2011

katie4253:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Are you doing soy or almond milk?  That would be my first step.  Dark green veggies and other forms of soy too.  Can she eat cheese?  You could try soy cheese or soy yogurt too. 

She can't have any dairy at this point and I have to limit my intake as well.  I have not tried soy or almond milk as I'm still BFing and I know that is better.  Her pedi was just concerned about her getting enough fat and calciun since we don;t do whole milk.  She eats lots of avocados and meat so I have the fats covered.  She doesn't like the leafy greens so I am trying calcium fortified juice.  Ughh!  It's hard to make the right decisions. . .

mesmom2011

katie4253:

I have also seen calcium fortified apple juice if you want to go the juice route.  Maybe she'd like that better.  OJ is such a strong flavor.  I am not super surprised she isn't in love with it. 

She actually doesn't like any juice that I've tried (apple, grape, orange).  I had given up until she insisted that she wanted juice when my SIL was keeping her at our house.  I don't know where she got the idea from, but when SIL gave her OJ, she drank it.  Silly girl!

katie4253

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Are you doing soy or almond milk?  That would be my first step.  Dark green veggies and other forms of soy too.  Can she eat cheese?  You could try soy cheese or soy yogurt too. 

She can't have any dairy at this point and I have to limit my intake as well.  I have not tried soy or almond milk as I'm still BFing and I know that is better.  Her pedi was just concerned about her getting enough fat and calciun since we don;t do whole milk.  She eats lots of avocados and meat so I have the fats covered.  She doesn't like the leafy greens so I am trying calcium fortified juice.  Ughh!  It's hard to make the right decisions. . .

Soy isn't dairy. So, you could give it. Almond milk also isn't dairy. You could give that.

But, if you are bfing she should be getting plenty of what she needs.

katie4253

desdemona39:

You could try almond, coconut, or goat's milk. They have more nutrients than fortified OJ, which is basically sugar water. I would stay away from soy.

Since she had a girl, I don't think stayin 100 away from soy is necessary.

mesmom2011

Mrs Castillo:

I dilute her juice because like Katie mentioned it's full of sugar, and because the only reason I even give her any juice at all is to try to encourage her to drink more water (she won't drink it without a bit of juice in it) 

At her well visit yesterday, the pedi suggested I start giving her half of a flintstone vitamin every day, because she is a super picky eater and he is concerned she's not getting enough vitamins from her food. Maybe you can ask your pedi about something like a childrens vitamin instead of trying to get your LO to drink juice that she doesn't really like.  

I actually wondered about vitamins, but all of the ones I've found say that they are for ages 2 and up. 

pettycrocker

mesmom2011:

Mrs Castillo:

I dilute her juice because like Katie mentioned it's full of sugar, and because the only reason I even give her any juice at all is to try to encourage her to drink more water (she won't drink it without a bit of juice in it) 

At her well visit yesterday, the pedi suggested I start giving her half of a flintstone vitamin every day, because she is a super picky eater and he is concerned she's not getting enough vitamins from her food. Maybe you can ask your pedi about something like a childrens vitamin instead of trying to get your LO to drink juice that she doesn't really like.  

I actually wondered about vitamins, but all of the ones I've found say that they are for ages 2 and up. 

Yea I always thought that as well. I'm guessing that's why he suggested just giving her half instead of a whole one. It's worth a call to your Pedi, especially if it means you don't have to fight with LO to get her to drink/eat things she doesn't like, you know? Anyway good luck with it!  

mesmom2011

Mrs Castillo:

mesmom2011:

Mrs Castillo:

I dilute her juice because like Katie mentioned it's full of sugar, and because the only reason I even give her any juice at all is to try to encourage her to drink more water (she won't drink it without a bit of juice in it) 

At her well visit yesterday, the pedi suggested I start giving her half of a flintstone vitamin every day, because she is a super picky eater and he is concerned she's not getting enough vitamins from her food. Maybe you can ask your pedi about something like a childrens vitamin instead of trying to get your LO to drink juice that she doesn't really like.  

I actually wondered about vitamins, but all of the ones I've found say that they are for ages 2 and up. 

Yea I always thought that as well. I'm guessing that's why he suggested just giving her half instead of a whole one. It's worth a call to your Pedi, especially if it means you don't have to fight with LO to get her to drink/eat things she doesn't like, you know? Anyway good luck with it!  

I will check into that.  Thanks!

mesmom2011

katie4253:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Are you doing soy or almond milk?  That would be my first step.  Dark green veggies and other forms of soy too.  Can she eat cheese?  You could try soy cheese or soy yogurt too. 

She can't have any dairy at this point and I have to limit my intake as well.  I have not tried soy or almond milk as I'm still BFing and I know that is better.  Her pedi was just concerned about her getting enough fat and calciun since we don;t do whole milk.  She eats lots of avocados and meat so I have the fats covered.  She doesn't like the leafy greens so I am trying calcium fortified juice.  Ughh!  It's hard to make the right decisions. . .

Soy isn't dairy. So, you could give it. Almond milk also isn't dairy. You could give that. But, if you are bfing she should be getting plenty of what she needs.

You are right.  It's just hard to know how much she's getting.  I don't know why I would choose to not trust my body at this point when things have gone so well all along. . . Thanks for all of your advice!

mesmom2011

GhostMonkey:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Some oatmeal has a good amount (you will have to check the labels because some have none). Will she take just an orange instead of the juice? Soybeans are another option. Salmon, white beans, tofu, almonds & sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds (if she is ready for those).

 

Good suggestions!  She actually eats quite a bit of oatmeal (one of her favorites).  I do the 1 minute oats.  I'll have to check those.  That would be an easy way to get calcium into her.  She also loves salmon.  We haven't tried white beans, but she likes black beans.  Also, I'll have to look into the sunflower seeds.  I just bought some for myself.  Are they an allergy concern?  Oh, and she HATES tofu.  I tried it every way I could think of (mixed in with chicken and veggies, seared with a little bit of maple syrup, scrambled with eggs. . . she just did not like it at all.) 

mesmom2011

desdemona39:

You could try almond, coconut, or goat's milk. They have more nutrients than fortified OJ, which is basically sugar water. I would stay away from soy.

I have not tried almond or coconut milk, but we tried goat's milk and she had the same reaction to it that she has to cow's milk.  There are just too many options!

Lotsofloveandkids

I dillute DS's juice because it's filled with a lot of sugar.

gimmietimmies

mesmom2011:

desdemona39:

You could try almond, coconut, or goat's milk. They have more nutrients than fortified OJ, which is basically sugar water. I would stay away from soy.

I have not tried almond or coconut milk, but we tried goat's milk and she had the same reaction to it that she has to cow's milk.  There are just too many options!

Is it lactose intolerance or an allergy? Dd3 is lactose intolerant, she gets the lactose free dairy, or soy milk or rice milk. 

mesmom2011

gimmietimmies:

mesmom2011:

desdemona39:

You could try almond, coconut, or goat's milk. They have more nutrients than fortified OJ, which is basically sugar water. I would stay away from soy.

I have not tried almond or coconut milk, but we tried goat's milk and she had the same reaction to it that she has to cow's milk.  There are just too many options!

Is it lactose intolerance or an allergy? Dd3 is lactose intolerant, she gets the lactose free dairy, or soy milk or rice milk. 

She hasn't been tested, but from what I can understand, she can't break down the protein that is in dairy.  We haven't put her through testing because we've been able to control her reactions by watching what she and I eat.  She seems to be improving so I'm hopeful that she's outgrowing it.  (I've actually had very small amounts of icecream and I can eat cheese and butter without her having too many issues.) 

mesmom2011

GhostMonkey:

mesmom2011:

GhostMonkey:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Some oatmeal has a good amount (you will have to check the labels because some have none). Will she take just an orange instead of the juice? Soybeans are another option. Salmon, white beans, tofu, almonds & sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds (if she is ready for those).

 

Good suggestions!  She actually eats quite a bit of oatmeal (one of her favorites).  I do the 1 minute oats.  I'll have to check those.  That would be an easy way to get calcium into her.  She also loves salmon.  We haven't tried white beans, but she likes black beans.  Also, I'll have to look into the sunflower seeds.  I just bought some for myself.  Are they an allergy concern?  Oh, and she HATES tofu.  I tried it every way I could think of (mixed in with chicken and veggies, seared with a little bit of maple syrup, scrambled with eggs. . . she just did not like it at all.) 

Sunflower seed allergies are extremely rare. It's actually a common substitute for tree nut allergies.  Sesame seeds actually are a bit higher on the list of allergens (in Canada it is actually in the top 9 food allergens and is considered a higher priority than milk).

 

 

Sorry for all of the questions!  I checked into the sunflower seeds and they seem like a good option, but they are a choking hazard. . . How do you feed them to your LO?  I have a baby bullet, so I could purree them. . .

Ren3084

Juice is highly acidic, especially orange juice. If you add water , you dilute the acidity which helps prevent diaper rashes . Pediatrician told me to try and avoid tomatoes and oranges until hes a little older bc the acid content when the baby urinates would be so high it would eat up his soft skin like in his over night diaper etc.

katie4253

mesmom2011:

GhostMonkey:

mesmom2011:

GhostMonkey:

mesmom2011:

katie4253:

Did your pedi mention other calcium rich foods?  I would veer towards those over juice. 

I've not had much luck with other foods.  I try to use spinach as much as I can (usually as a puree in sauces).  Do you have any other suggestions?  I love that she really only wants to drink water (I'm the same way).   

Some oatmeal has a good amount (you will have to check the labels because some have none). Will she take just an orange instead of the juice? Soybeans are another option. Salmon, white beans, tofu, almonds & sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds (if she is ready for those).

 

Good suggestions!  She actually eats quite a bit of oatmeal (one of her favorites).  I do the 1 minute oats.  I'll have to check those.  That would be an easy way to get calcium into her.  She also loves salmon.  We haven't tried white beans, but she likes black beans.  Also, I'll have to look into the sunflower seeds.  I just bought some for myself.  Are they an allergy concern?  Oh, and she HATES tofu.  I tried it every way I could think of (mixed in with chicken and veggies, seared with a little bit of maple syrup, scrambled with eggs. . . she just did not like it at all.) 

Sunflower seed allergies are extremely rare. It's actually a common substitute for tree nut allergies.  Sesame seeds actually are a bit higher on the list of allergens (in Canada it is actually in the top 9 food allergens and is considered a higher priority than milk).

 

 

Sorry for all of the questions!  I checked into the sunflower seeds and they seem like a good option, but they are a choking hazard. . . How do you feed them to your LO?  I have a baby bullet, so I could purree them. . .

You should be able to buy sunflower seed butter at most stores, but def. stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or your local organic market.  

amatistajoy

I thought this site was neat. It has how much calcium she would need for her age and how much calcium is provided by certain foods.

 https://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/calcium.html

But seriously, I bet she is getting enough if you are still BFing.

 List of nondairy foods that are high in calcium

If your baby (or you) is allergic to cow?s milk proteins, make sure you read the labels on any packaged foods to ensure that there are no ?hidden dairy? ingredients.

• breastmilk (studies have shown that breastfed babies get plenty of calcium, even if mom doesn?t eat dairy products)
• dark greens: broccoli, spinach, collards, kale, turnips, bok choy, parsley, mustard, dandelion
• tofu and other soy products
• beans: chickpeas/garbanzo beans, navy beans, pinto beans,
• nuts & seeds: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, filberts/hazelnuts, cashews, nut butters, tahini, walnuts
• sea vegetables: nori, kombu, wakame, agar-agar
• grains: tapioca, quinoa, tortillas
• seafood/fish: shrimp, salmon with bones, mackerel with bones, sardines with bones
• herbs: borage, lamb?s quarter, wild lettuce, nettles, burdock, yellow dock
• calcium-fortified orange juice
• Total cereal (calcium fortified)
• Gerber Graduate juices (calcium fortified)
• Sunny Delight Calcium orange drink (calcium fortified)
• Rice milk (calcium fortified)

 (from kellymom.com) https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/calcium/

mesmom2011

amatistajoy:

I thought this site was neat. It has how much calcium she would need for her age and how much calcium is provided by certain foods.

 https://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/calcium.html

But seriously, I bet she is getting enough if you are still BFing.

 List of nondairy foods that are high in calcium

If your baby (or you) is allergic to cow?s milk proteins, make sure you read the labels on any packaged foods to ensure that there are no ?hidden dairy? ingredients.

• breastmilk (studies have shown that breastfed babies get plenty of calcium, even if mom doesn?t eat dairy products)
• dark greens: broccoli, spinach, collards, kale, turnips, bok choy, parsley, mustard, dandelion
• tofu and other soy products
• beans: chickpeas/garbanzo beans, navy beans, pinto beans,
• nuts & seeds: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, filberts/hazelnuts, cashews, nut butters, tahini, walnuts
• sea vegetables: nori, kombu, wakame, agar-agar
• grains: tapioca, quinoa, tortillas
• seafood/fish: shrimp, salmon with bones, mackerel with bones, sardines with bones
• herbs: borage, lamb?s quarter, wild lettuce, nettles, burdock, yellow dock
• calcium-fortified orange juice
• Total cereal (calcium fortified)
• Gerber Graduate juices (calcium fortified)
• Sunny Delight Calcium orange drink (calcium fortified)
• Rice milk (calcium fortified)

 (from kellymom.com) https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/calcium/

That's awesome!  Thanks so much!

flyingsaucer

I second the sunflower seed butter.  DS' school does not allow nuts, so he has a sunflower seed butter sandwich with preserves or honey and he LOVES it

NewFamily09

In our house, juice is a treat.  Our kids don't need any nutritional value from it, since they can drink milk.  I dilute it because it has so much sugar.  When I was a kid, my parents never diluted our juice and we got so many cavities.  Almost every dental appointment involved getting a filling.  That's not fun when you are 4 years old and don't understand why a doctor is drilling your teeth.  I'm extra careful about giving my kids too much sugar because of cavities.  I used to be a kindergarten teacher and I got grossed out by the number of kids who came in with capped or missing teeth. 

RumbleLina

I would say to still give the juice flavor but less sugar than if you give straight out juice.

DS doesn't get juice though, just milk and water. If he isn't interested in the water and I need him to drink more than I add a little bit of lemon to the water to flavor it. I understand that some juice can have great nutrients but DS I am not a fan of all the sugar and/or artificial sweeteners.