Fruit Drinks Differ In Cost, Nutrition Value

It’s summertime, it’s hot, and the kids are whining a chorus of “I’m thirsty!”

You certainly don’t want them to risk dehydration, but anything besides water can get expensive.

What fruit-flavored beverages you decide to serve depends on your priorities. Are you concerned about nutrition? Are you looking for the least expensive drink? Or are you trying to strike a balance between the two?

In terms of cost (based on national averages provided by Information Resources Inc. of Chicago), powdered drinks such as Kool-Aid and Hi-C win hands down, at about 8 cents per 8-ounce serving. Unsweetened mixes are cheaper still, though they require the extra cost of additional sugar. But this can be a plus, for it lets adults regulate the amount of sugar. Either way, though, there’s a catch: There may be few items in the ingredient list that you can readily identify.

Hi-C also provides 100 percent of daily vitamin C requirements per serving, while Kool-Aid provides 10 percent. But remember, the RDA for vitamin C - 60 milligrams - is relatively low and easy to get.

Once drinks start adding real juice, costs start to climb - usually in proportion to the percentage of juice added.

Frozen concentrates, such as Minute Maid Berry Punch or Hawaiian Punch, are advertised as having 10 percent fruit juice, which comes from a combination of juices or purees. A 12-ounce can that makes six 8-ounce servings costs about 18 cents per serving. You’ll save a penny or so per serving with private label brands.

If you decide to go with a similar juice content in ready-mixed plastic containers, you’ll pay a little more. For example, a 64-ounce plastic bottle of Original Hawaiian Punch costs 19 cents per serving.

Mott’s and Welch’s have shelf-stable concentrates in cans that are easily blended with water. You pay more for the higher juice content (25 percent) and added convenience, at about 30 cents a serving. That’s almost twice as much as some of the frozen concentrates, but less than some of the popular mixed juices, such as Ocean Spray Cran Grape, which also have a 25 percent juice content.

For the 38 cents per serving you would pay for the Cran Grape, which contains lots of water and high-fructose corn syrup, you can get other products, such as Juicy Juice. Its punch variety contains grape, apple, and passion fruit juices, natural flavors and vitamin C - 100 percent juice and that’s all.

But don’t forget: Water remains one of the best, not to mention cheapest, thirst-quenchers for everyone, children and adults alike. Keep a pitcher of ice water in the refrigerator.