Chance to win a £150 Waitrose voucher! Join a Q&A on fruit juice with nutritionist Fiona Hunter ANSWERS NOW BACK!

[AnnMumsnet]

Over the next week, we're running a Q&A about fruit juice with Fiona Hunter, a qualified independent nutritionist and member of the British Dietetic Association. You may have read a number of stories in the papers about fruit juice and have some questions about its role in the diet for you and your family. For example, can 100% juice be one of your 5 a day, what goes into juice, when is it best to drink juice and how much to help ensure my children have a balanced diet?

Fiona has a BSc (Hons) Nutrition Degree and a postgraduate diploma in Dietetics from Kings College London. She worked as a Registered Dietitian in the NHS for seven years and for the last 15 years has worked as an independent nutrition consultant, writer and broadcaster.

Post your questions to Fiona before 9am on Friday 12th December and we'll send over a selection to which she will provide answers. There is a £150 Waitrose voucher up for grabs for one lucky Mumsnetter who posts a question. We will post Fiona's answers w/c 12 January.

This Q&A is sponsored by Tropicana.

[rachaelsit]

I have a 7 month old and I'm wondering what age babies can start to drink pure fruit juice like tropicana, on account of its natural sugars?

[addictedtosugar]

How much better is a fresh fruit than freshly squeezed juice, compared to pasteurised shop bought (assuming you only had one fruits worth of each!)?
Are smoothies any better than fruit juice?

[Whyisitsodifficult]

My children have a diluted not from concentrate fresh juice with every meal. This was on the advice of health visitors when I was weaning years ago, as apparently the vitamin C helped the body absorb iron. Now I often read differing opinions on juice, especially on damaging tooth enamel. They still have juice, diluted but use a straw. What is the benefit to children on drinking juice with meals?

[AliceinWinterWonderland]

When we were growing up (40 years ago), my mother made sure we had juice with our breakfast every day - it was part of the accepted breakfast on a daily basis. Now it seems there's a lot of people throwing information out there that it's not good for teeth, not good for weight loss, high sugar so not good for general diet. So is juice something that is recommended as a daily boost of fruit intake? Or is that outdated and it needs to be more of an occasional thing?

[IvyMay]

I've read that juice (orange in particular) can be bad for tooth enamel. How true is this and if it is a potential problem is there anything we can do to minimize it?

[Snog]

Which is better for you, Apple or orange juice?

[DurhamDurham]

Should fresh juice continue to be considered one of your five a day given all the negative publicity sugary drinks have had?

[MaryWestmacott]

Is it better for teeth to drink juice with a meal than on it's own?

[CMOTDibbler]

Ds who is 8 likes juice, so it is better to let him have his one glass a day with a meal, or does it not matter?

[Riverland]

Fiona can you advise on juice drinking quantity? What is the RDA for an adult and for a child, please?

What are the potential drawbacks to consuming more than the RDA?

Thankyou!

[StampyShortnose]

How much juice should a child be drinking as a guide?

You hear that it's healthy (one of our 5 a day) but that it causes tooth decay.

I am a bit confused about much juice my kids should have, if any!

[BellaVida]

We hear a lot about fruit juices but what about juicing vegetables or making mixed juices with fruit and veg? I think it would be a great way to get the kids to have their 5 a day, but have no idea what would work best or how to make them palatable for young tastebuds?

[ceridwyn]

Would it be better to put fruit juice on cereal and drink milk later on in the day or vice versa with regards both digestion and tooth enamal health? Not immediately after, obviously...that would cause gastronomic pyratechnics! Also, is a smoothie better plain than juice alone?

[CatCushion]

Does it help to protect teeth to drink a glass of water after drinking juice?

[QuickQuickSloe]

Is there much nutritional difference between long life and fresh fruit juice?

[kettlepot]

Is there much of a difference between concentrated fruit juices and juices from non concentrate? In terms of sugar and health benefits.

Also, is it better to juice your own over shop bought juice? Any tips on ensuring vitamins are retained?

[Baconknickers]

Is there a better time of day to enjoy fruit juices from a health perspective ? E.g morning for energy levels although I always worry about it cuddling with cereal milk ....

[RifRaf]

Is there a nutritional difference between smooth juice and juice 'with bits?'

[500smiles]

If smoothies are whole fruits blended up, why do they only count as 2 of your 5 a day?

[NotMrsTumble]

Why is there such a high level of advertising of fruit juices and smoothies at the kids and family market? This contributes to the idea mentioned above that not giving dc juice is mean. Surely it's much healthier to eat an actual orange than just drink the juice? Given their high sugar and often high acid content, juices are not a particularly healthy option for waistline or teeth and yet are heavily marketed as being a healthy choice. Is this a problem of the industry or with the advertising guidelines' definition of healthy?

[RunsWithScissors]

My DD loves to make our own smoothies. Is this healthier and than shop bought ones?

I was under the pression that if all of the fruit is used/blended, it's healthier (more fibre), than just getting the juice from the fruit. Is that correct?

[mipmop]

Is fruit juice beneficial for children or adults, and if so, what type of juice (freshly squeezed, not from concentrate, no artificial additives...)?

[trice]

Is cranberry juice really any healthier than apple juice?

[Hopezibah]

I worry about fruit juice affecting mine and my childrens teeth. We often end up brushing teeth soon after drinking juice but I am concerned this could cause the acid to erode the tooth enamel.

Is there a good amount of time to wait before brushing teeth after drinking juice?