Page 13 - Alaska Parent Spring 2021

health & wellness
JUICE: Good or bad?
Health news for the whole family
For children (over age 1), it’s OK to drink juice in small amounts, but whole fruit and plain water are better choices, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP recommends against giving children fruit juice at bedtime or to treat dehydration or diarrhea. However, a small amount of juice can be given to treat constipation.
Here are AAP’s recommended amounts of juice for children:
Under age 1: Avoid giving juice to this age group, since it offers no nutritional benefits. Juice also might increase the risk of tooth decay and cause your baby to prefer sweeter flavors instead of plain water.
Ages 1 to 6 years: Limit juice to 4
to 6 ounces a day. Juice should be given as part of a meal or snack. Avoid allowing your child to sip juice throughout the day.
Ages 7 to 18: Limit juice to 8 ounces a day – half of the recommended daily fruit servings.
If you do offer juice, choose 100-percent fruit juice instead of sweetened juice. Drinking small amounts of 100-percent fruit juice won’t affect a child’s weight; however, just like any other food or calorie- containing drink, too much fruit juice can contribute to weight gain. While 100-percent fruit juice and sweetened fruit drinks might have similar calorie counts, your child will get more nutrients and fewer additives from 100-percent juice. Adding water to 100-percent fruit juice can make
a little go a long way.
One cup of 100-percent fruit juice equals 1 cup of fruit. Juice lacks the fiber of whole fruit, however, and can be consumed more quickly. Although
a small amount of fruit juice each day is fine for most children, remember that whole fruit is a better option.
50+ Things to Fill Easter Eggs (That Aren’t Candy)
Our family loves an Easter egg hunt. It is always fun to see the kids running through the yard rushing to find the most eggs.
As a mom of a child with food allergies, it is always a challenge to find items to fill all those plastic eggs that are not candy. Having a variety of egg sizes helps you be able to stuff all your new ideas into the eggs without frustration. Whether your child has a food allergy, or you would just like to cut down on sugar overload, here are some non- candy ideas to fill all your eggs for the annual hunt.
Small toys. There are numerous ideas for small toys that you could fill eggs with: bouncy balls, small craft items, playdough,
tiny cars like Micro Machines, Shopkins, whistles, mini kazoos, hand stamps, Polly Pockets, Barbie accessories, mini rubber ducks or other bath toys, finger skateboards, marbles, jacks and a ball, fake bugs and worms, pirate patches, play money, stickers, tops, Legos, sticky hands, or just for fun – confetti! When choosing small toys to fill your eggs, please consider the age of the children participating in the egg hunt. Small toys may pose a choking hazard for young children.
Something practical. Practical items can be fun too. Try filling eggs with erasers, pencil sharpeners, key chains, magic towels, cute adhesive
By Sarah Lyons
bandages, travel size lotion, or hand sanitizer. My kids favorite practical Easter egg filler is money!
Something to wear. Your kids can have fun and accessorize with these ideas: barrettes, hair ties, socks, nail polish, Chapstick, lip gloss, silly shoe laces, bracelets, earrings, rings, temporary tattoos, zipper pulls, or bead necklaces.
Snacks. If you are avoiding candy try these little snacks that are the perfect size for Easter eggs: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, grapes, soup crackers, cuties (oranges), veggie straws, berries, animal crackers, bite size graham crackers, nuts, raisins or other dried fruit.
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