Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between fruit juice and fruit drink?
- Fruit "drink", "punch",
"cocktail", "-ade",
contain mostly water and sugar, and
sometimes vitamin C.
- "Fruit Juice contains actual juice
- look for products labelled as "juice"
or "100% unsweetened fruit juice."
- Get more information on fruit
juices and fruit drinks.
How much fruit juice should I give my child?
- Although juice is healthy, remember
it is naturally sweet so children
only need 8 ounces or 250ml a day.
- Half a cup or 125ml of juice equals
1 fruit serving
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Is chocolate milk a healthy choice for my child?
- Yes, it contains all the same nutrients,
calcium and vitamin D that white milk
has and about the same amount of sugar
as an equal amount of fruit juice.
My child keeps asking
for pre-packaged lunches (e.g. Lunchables®,
Lunch Mates®). How nutritious
are they?
- Pre-packaged lunches are not the best
choice. Most are low in fibre, high
in salt and in some cases, high in fat,
particularly the fats that are unhealthy
for the heart.
- Pre-packaged lunches should be considered
a "sometimes" food and can
be sent as an occasional treat for children.
It is important to balance this lunch
with a piece of fruit, fruit juice,
or vegetable sticks and milk or yogurt
instead of the cookies and fruit drink
that are included in the larger version
of the pre-packaged lunches.
When it comes to buying packaged food items, how do I know if I'm making a healthy choice?
- Read the label. The Nutrition Information label tells
you the amount of calories (energy),
protein, fat and carbohydrates contained
in one serving of the product.
- Compare products.
Use this information to compare two
similar products, making sure the serving
sizes are approximately the same.
- Look at the order of ingredients.
The ingredient list indicates the ingredients
in descending order according to weight.
Therefore, the first item listed is
found in the largest amount and the
last item is found in the smallest amount.
Another clue to the amount of an ingredient
is how often it or similar ingredients
appear on the list. Different forms
of sugar, fat and salt may be found
in the same product.
- Identify hidden sugar, fat and salt.
Here are some examples of other words
for sugar, fat and salt.
Sugar
sucrose
syrup
dextrose
glucose
fructose
honey
|
Fat
shortening
lard
coconut/palm oils
vegetable oils |
Salt
sodium
MSG (monosodium glutamate) |
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Tips
- Send an ice pack in your child's lunch
to keep milk products cold or freeze milk
in a container the night before and it
will thaw the next day in time for lunch.
Make a Do-it-yourself lunch kit!
Buy the Ziploc® or Glad® plastic
containers that have separate compartments.
Make your own lunch kit by using:
- Sliced turkey, chicken or ham
- Sliced cheese or yogurt
- Whole wheat crackers or melba toast
- Orange juice or other juice box
- 2 oatmeal cookies
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Revised:
April 22, 2009
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