My 7-year-old son loves Sunny D. He has had it a few times at school, and friends’ houses and that’s not a big deal, but he’s declared me a meany for not buying him any. It’s October, so I reminded him that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I always dress as a witch, so maybe he’s on to something.

I’m not heartless. I feel bad for not fulfilling this kid’s every drink desire, but the ingredients in Sunny D in the States go way beyond the glucose spike cringe of actual juice.  The European version is acceptable, but in the USA, the first ingredient is water, and the second is high-fructose corn syrup. If you’re looking closely, in addition to preservatives and cheap fillers you’ll even find canola oil.  I’m not saying that exposure to Sunny D will ruin anyone’s health, but sometimes it feels like this time of year, we just move from one “treat” to the next. I would rather give my kids some quality chocolate over this juice imposter that is candy dressed up as a natural food. But don’t tell my 7-year old I told him he needs to wait till Halloween for the treats (or at least Halloween week). Till then he’ll just have to keep window shopping at the candy stores.