Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.
Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.
PCDA Recipes
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Wondering What to Drink...?
By: Patricia Novak, MPH, RD, CLE and Karen Wilson, MS, RD
Juice. Juice Beverage. Fruit Juice Cocktail. Sports Beverage.
What are all of these drinks and what's the best for my child?
If they are healthy options, how much should they drink?
Kids need about 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups of fluid a day. When it is hot or they have are sick they probably need a bit more. Their fluid intake includes what they drink and high fluid-containing foods such as fruits, yogurt, milk, soups, popsicles and Jell-O. The best way to tell if your child is getting enough liquid is to ask some simple questions and take a look at your child. Do they urinate at least 4-6 times per day or have 6-8 weight diapers? Does their skin look healthy and supple? If so, your child is most likely getting adequate fluid for their specific needs.
Water: For most children, this is the best choice for quenching thirst and helping to prevent/alleviate constipation.
100% juice: This is the best choice for a fruit beverage. Juice is actually high in sugar. While some juices are a good source of vitamins and minerals (citrus juices or fortified juices) they still contain "natural" sugar. Juice should be limited to 4-6 ounces per day, unless more is needed specifically to address constipation. Excessive juice intake is a subtle way that kids can consume more calories than they need. Juice between meals can also impact kids' appetite for meals, so serve juice with meals. If you need to give more than 8-10 ounces, speak with your dietitian or physician about other ways to help constipation. If your child has diarrhea or loose stools it can actually be from too much juice! The best nutrient-dense choices of juice are orange juice, pineapple juice, berry juices or vegetable juices. Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise Juices mix vegetable juices with the fruit. (V8 Splash does the same but adds sugar).
Lemonade, Beverage, Juice Cocktails: These all are sugar water with some juice added. Most have only 10-25% juice. Some of these include drinks that advertise as "natural" such as Capri Sun, Snapple and Sobe. They basically are sugar water flavored with some juice. A Snapple drink has seven teaspoons of sugar!
Sports Drinks, Vitamin Water: These are sugar plus water with some vitamins and some minerals added. Sports drinks have added electrolytes, including salt. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, are helpful if your child has been ill with vomiting as they help to replace lost electrolytes/minerals. They are not "healthy drinks" when your child is well. Vitamin Water has small amounts of vitamins added along with the sugar. Your child would get more vitamins by taking a multi-vitamin or eating a healthy diet, without the added sugar in Vitamin Water. Some 100% juices such as orange juice are fortified with vitamins and would be a better and healthier choice.
Soda: Soda is not a healthy choice for children. It has virtually no benefits and can actually be harmful to teeth and bones. While regular soda is full of sugar -- 8 to 9 teaspoons in a can and 15 teaspoons in a 20 ounce bottle -- diet soda is also a poor choice. Many sodas also have caffeine which is not appropriate for children. Soda often replaces other healthy beverages (milk or 100%), thus limiting a child's overall nutrient intake.
Milk: Cow's milk, goat's milk, rice milk, almond milk or soy milk. These are all good choices depending on your child. All of these are rich sources of calcium (rice, almond and soy milk have added calcium). All of these are also beneficial sources of protein, except rice milk, which does not contain protein. If your child has trouble gaining weight, whole cow's milk is the best choice. If too much weight is an issue for your child, use nonfat milk (over the age of 2) or lower calorie rice, nut or soy milk (look for 100 calories or less per cup). Rice, almond and soy milk can also be high in sugar. Most children rely on milk or dairy for calcium. If your child does not drink milk or a milk alternative, look for orange juice fortified with calcium or use a calcium supplement. For children over one year of age, milk should usually not exceed 24 ounces per day.