Looking for healthy drinks for your kids? Look no further than milk and water. Both are full of nutrients and are the best thirst quenchers.
We know the importance of getting kids to eat healthy foods, but what about getting them on board with healthy drinks? What kids drink can greatly affect how many calories they consume and the amount of calcium, which is needed to build strong bones, their bodies get.
The best drinks for preschoolers – and kids of all ages – are milk and water. Whenever possible, discourage your kids from drinking soda and other sugary, calorie-dense drinks.
Here’s how much calcium kids need every day:
- Toddlers (ages 1 to 3 years): 700 mg of calcium daily
- Kids (ages 4 to 8 years): 1000 mg of calcium daily
- Older kids (ages 9 to 18 years): 1,300 mg of calcium daily
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation for milk or equivalent dairy products or fortified soy beverages are:
- Kids (ages 2 to 3) should drink 2 cups every day
- Kids (ages 4 through 8) should drink 2 1/2 cups every day
- Kids (ages 9 through 18) should drink 3 cups every day
It’s best to choose fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk. Skim or nonfat milk has the same nutritional value as whole milk – with no fat. Since the fat portion of whole milk does not contain calcium, you can lose the fat without losing the calcium. Reduced-fat (2 percent), low-fat (1 percent) and nonfat milk (skim) have vitamin A and vitamin D added, since these vitamins are lost when the fat is removed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children 2 years of age and older drink low-fat or nonfat milk.
Too much juice, juice drinks, sports drinks and soda can crowd out the water and milk that kids need. Sugary drinks can also pile on calories.
Here’s a quick chart to compare:
| Water | 8 oz | 0 calories | 0g sugar |
| Low-Fat Milk | 8 oz | 100 calories | 11g sugar |
| Orange Juice | 8 oz | 150 calories | 22g sugar |
| Juice Drink | 8 oz | 150 calories | 28g sugar |
| Powdered Drink Mix | 8 oz | 90 calories | 24g sugar |
| Soda | 8 oz | 100 calories | 27g sugar |
If your child likes juice, be sure it’s 100 percent rather than a juice drink that typically has 10 percent fruit juice.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no juice for babies up to 6 months old; no more than 2 to 4 ounces per day (serving in a cup) for babies 6 to 12 months old; no more than 4 to 6 ounces per day for kids ages 1 to 6 and no more than 8 to 12 ounces per day for kids 7 to 18 years of age.
When it comes to soda, remember those drinks have no nutritional value and are high in sugar. Drinking soda and other sugary drinks can cause tooth decay. Colas and other sodas often contain caffeine, which is best kept to a minimum. The effects of a caffeinated beverage on a child will be much more pronounced than on an adult because kids weigh less and are still growing and developing. Too much caffeine can cause jitteriness, an upset stomach, headaches and sleeping problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine consumption for all children. A 12-ounce can of soda or four 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bars can have 45 milligrams of caffeine, the upper limit recommended for preschoolers by the Canadian government. The U.S. government doesn’t have guidelines for recommended caffeine amounts.
The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.
