Not all orange fruit beverages are created equal. When making a choice for your children, be certain you are getting the most nutritious option-- pure and natural 100 percent orange juice. It's not always easy to tell that the labels on some sugar-laden beverages are deceptive. Package graphics and words lead you to believe that the drinks are a healthy choice for your child. And these various fruit "ades," "cocktails" and "drinks" are often shelved right beside wholesome 100 percent orange juice. They look healthy, but contain little real fruit juice. By comparison, 100 percent orange juice is a nutritional standout. Rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, 100 percent orange juice is the most nutrient-dense fruit juice commonly consumed in the United States. Plus, it tastes great and the USDA recommends 100 percent juice as one way to help get the daily fruit a child needs. Start the good eating habits early!

How to Make the Distinction

With all the "fruit" beverage choices available, it is often confusing to determine which ones are nutritious and which ones are sugary imposters. Gail Rampersaud, M.S., R.D., L.D./N. with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers the following tips to help parents interpret the nutritional value of juice beverages:

• Look for 100 percent. Aim for orange fruit beverages that specifically say '100 percent orange juice' on the label. This tells you they contain only the natural juice found in whole fruit and will therefore be naturally rich in nutrients.
• Make sure additions don't subtract from the overall nutritional value. Fortifying a beverage with vitamin C allows manufacturers to state it provides "100% vitamin C." However, this claim often deflects attention from added sugars and the fact that other essential nutrients are missing. By comparison, 100 percent orange juice provides vitamin C and other important nutrients with no added sugar- only the naturally occurring sugars found in fresh fruit.
• Beware of "drinks," "ades," "punches," "cocktails" and other cleverly worded "beverages." These drinks have added sugars, are typically low in nutrients, and don't help fulfill fruit intake recommendations. Keep in mind, the USDA Dietary Guidelines call out only one beverage as a recommended option to help meet fruit intake recommendations - 100 percent fruit juice.
• Read the nutrition facts label to compare nutrients, ingredients, serving size and servings per container. Knowing how to read nutrition labels can help distinguish 100 percent juice from products that contain very little real fruit juice.

Nutritional Standout
A six-ounce serving of 100 percent orange juice for children ages one to six, for example, contains just 83 calories and delivers among the highest nutrient densities of any readily available 100 percent fruit juice. Orange juice naturally contributes the following amounts toward the Daily Values for several nutrients that are essential to a child's diet:

• Vitamin C - 90%: Orange juice provides vitamin C, which can act as a scavenger to neutralize free radicals to help fight cell and tissue damage that could lead to diseases. Vitamin C is also needed to form collagen for developing bone and tissue.
• Folate - 11%: One hundred percent orange juice is the most popular and one of the few 100 percent fruit juices considered to be a good source of natural folate, which is essential for growth and development and which cannot be fortified in fruit juices.
• Potassium - 10%: Orange juice is a good source of potassium, which may help maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce bone loss.