Fruit Juice and Your Child's Diet

Children can easily drink a lot of juice because juice tastes good. However, too much juice in your child’s diet can contribute to other problems, like poor nutrition, obesity, and tooth decay. Parents can continue to offer age-appropriate servings of juice in addition to offering whole fruits and other beverage options like water or low-fat milk.

AAP Daily Juice Recommendations

Age	Recommendation
Younger than 6 months	Do not give fruit juice to infants younger than 6 months since it offers no nutritional benefit at this age.
1 to 6 years	Limit juice to 4 to 6 ounces per day. For children older than 6 months, fruit juice offers no nutritional benefits over whole fruits. Whole fruits also provide fiber and other nutrients. Do not allow your child to carry a cup or box of juice throughout the day.
7 to 18 years	Limit juice to 8 to 12 ounces per day

*The AAP recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about 6 months. When you add solid foods to your baby’s diet, continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months. You can continue to breastfeed after 12 months if you and your baby desire. Check with your child's doctor about vitamin D and iron supplements during the first year.