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Berkshire Family Focus —Things to do in Berkshire County MA with kids

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    • All Adventures in the Shire Berkshire Family Eats BFF Road Trip Craft Corner Grounds for Play Math Mom’s STEM Lab Parents-Eye-Review That’s Life Tips from a School Nurse Weekend Lowdown
      BFF Blog

      Top 15 Things to Do in the Berkshires with Kids Sept. 29-Oct. 1

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      Top 15 Things to Do in the Berkshires with Kids Sept. 15-17

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      Spring cleaning with Shire Mama

      Adventures in the Shire

      Family Adventures in the Shire: Keeping it simple — packing lunches with Shire Mama

      Adventures in the Shire

      Family Adventures in the Shire: Intentional resolutions for the family

      Adventures in the Shire

      Family Adventures in the Shire: Creating Christmas traditions

      Berkshire Family Eats

      Fruit juice alternatives for kids

      Berkshire Family Eats

      Strawberry picking provides super-sweet fun for all ages

      Berkshire Family Eats

      Smoothies for Mother’s Day Breakfast — Easy-to-make recipes moms are sure to love

      Berkshire Family Eats

      Irish scones fit for kids

      BFF Road Trip

      Road trip to D.A.R. State Forest

      BFF Road Trip

      Road trip to Chesterfield Gorge

      BFF Road Trip

      Road trip to Glendale Falls

      BFF Road Trip

      Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

      Craft Corner

      Kids get crafty for St. Patrick’s Day

      Craft Corner

      Celebrate Literacy with this Dr. Seuss inspired craft

      Craft Corner

      Snowy Day Valentine’s Crafts

      Craft Corner

      New Year Memory Jars

      Grounds for Play

      Dodge the Heat at the First Street Common Splash Pad! [PHOTO GALLERY]

      Grounds for Play fall fun in Hancock, MA at Ioka Valley Farm

      Hancock’s Harvest

      Grounds for Play Fun Hikes for Kids in the Berkshires

      Three Fun Fall Hikes for Kids in Williamstown

      Grounds for Play

      Leaving No Stone Unturned in Lanesborough

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab

      Sensory Sea: Math mom brings her kids to the shoreline

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab: Bubble Wrap Tap Dancing

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab: Sweet Sorting

      Math Mom’s STEM Lab

      Math Mom STEM Lab: Camping By Numbers (10 STEM Activities for Young Campers)

      Parents-Eye-Review

      Parent’s Eye Review: ‘Get Out’ with the family during school vacation

      Parents-Eye-Review

      Freddie’s Place — Old-fashioned soda shop vibe and kid-friendly fare

      Parents-Eye-Review

      Parent’s Eye Review: Disney on Ice Dare to Dream is Magical

      Parents-Eye-Review

      Parent’s Eye Review: Moana

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      That’s Life

      That’s Life: A message of Love (Part 1)

      That’s Life

      That’s Life: The Power of Silence

      That’s Life

      That’s Life: On Creativity

      Tips from a School Nurse

      The importance of limiting sugar-sweetened beverages in children

      Tips from a School Nurse

      Tips from a School Nurse: Suggestions for preventing winter sport head injuries in kids

      Tips from a School Nurse

      Tips from a School Nurse: The good, the bad and the ugly of Pokemon Go

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      Tips from a School Nurse: Halloween Safety

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Berkshire Family Eats

Fruit juice alternatives for kids

written by Mike Wheeler July 4, 2017

Summer is on the horizon and that means lots of picnics, cookouts, and days near the pool, lake, or nearby pond here in the beautiful Berkshires. When your kids are expending lots of energy in the sunshine, don’t overlook the need to help them stay hydrated. Health-conscious parents know that soda and sports drinks are definite no-no’s, packed with processed sugar – or worse – corn syrup.

That’s left many kids reaching for fruit juice. Not so fast, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which just weeks ago re-issued guidelines about juice consumption. The AAP’s recommendation: No juice for those younger; maximum intakes of 100% juice is 4 ounces for kids 1-3 years old; 4-6 ounces for children ages 4-6 and 8 ounces for those 7 and older.

These revised recommendations – issued in May – are even more stringent than those issued a decade ago by the AAP due to rising obesity rates.

So just how to quench the little one’s thirst?

Here are three alternatives:

Flavored waters

There are a few ways to do this, and it’s a good way to get the kids involved. Seek out organic strawberries, blackberries, pineapple or lemon from reputable spots like Berkshire Organics, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace or the Berkshire Co-op in Great Barrington. Wash the fruit thoroughly, place in the bottom of a glass or plastic pitcher and fill with filtered water. Or, have them create fruit skewers and let them steep. Serve ice cold.

One riff on this approach – which is especially good for kids at the pool or active in outdoor sports – is to invest in water bottles that have a special insert to hold fruit, so you can have your lemon water on the go!

Make-Your-Own Soda

We’re big fans of seltzer at our house. And while Mom and Dad may like it straight out of the can, you can easily use plain old seltzer as the basis for a healthy variation of “soda” the kids will enjoy.

We add in fresh-squeezed lemon juice or even a few ounces of fresh orange juice to the glass, add in ice and pour in seltzer. For a natural sweetener, put in a few drops of natural Stevia, available at most large-chain grocery stores.

If You Go for Juice, Go Au Natural

One of the problems of juice you buy in the store – even 100 percent juice with no added sugar – is its still woefully short of much-needed fiber. We bought a juicer a few years ago – and while I admit it’s only about once-a-year we break it out, it can be fun to juice at home—especially if you have a sudden surplus of great-for-juicing carrots or apples.

Get older kids in the act by peeling the fruit and vegetables and feeding them to the machine. They can experiment with things you might never think would taste good in juice – like celery or whole beets. And the pulp makes for great compost.

So as we head into the sunniest and warmest months of the year here in the Berkshires, think about a new, healthy approach to beverages for your children.

Fruit juice alternatives for kids was last modified: June 28th, 2017 by Mike Wheeler
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Mike Wheeler
Mike Wheeler

Michael Wheeler is a freelance writer and proud resident of Berkshire County. In his spare time, you’ll find him testing out recipes with his seven year-old daughter or struggling to help his fourth grader with her math homework. If you have comments or story ideas for future "Berkshire Family Eats" columns, you can reach him at mwheele4@nycap.rr.com.

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