Diluting Baby's Juice
By Jennifer J. Francis, MPH, RD/LD

Q. What is the reason for watering down baby's juice? At what age can he have undiluted juice?

A. The main reason to dilute juice is to control calories. Believe it or not, it is not uncommon for some children to get over 1,000 calories a day from juice alone. Obviously, this excess of calories can really contribute to overweight!

In addition, some juices can be a little acidic on the baby's stomach. How long you dilute juice really depends on a few things. Remember, a portion size of juice is only 6 oz., and there is no need for more than two servings from the fruits group each day. If his tummy can tolerate full strength juice, then it's okay to give him a serving now and then. However, if you find that he is asking for juice all the time, it's better to dilute it.

If his tummy gets upset when he has full strength juice, then it's best to just wait and try again after a month or so.