The Doctor's Concern: Importance of Beverage Choices for Children
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Are you handing your little ones fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, and plant-based proteins? Sure, but what about their drinks? It's just as essential to consider what they're sipping on.
That's why four leading national health and nutrition organizations released a consensus statement on healthy beverage intake for school-age children and teens. This statement summarizes the latest research and makes recommendations for how much kids should drink, the types of beverages to choose, and the ones to avoid.
Parents will find answers to common questions such as how much milk kids need, whether juice is a healthy choice, and if sports drinks are beneficial for children.
To break down these recommendations, I spoke with Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN wellness expert and mother of two young children. Wen is an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University.
CNN: Why should we pay attention to our kids' drinks?
Dr. Leana Wen: There are several reasons parents should consider their children's beverage choices, just like they worry about their food choices.
Firstly, it's crucial that kids get most of their calories from nutritious substances rather than sugar or empty calories with little nutritional value. Over one in five children and adolescents suffer from obesity, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A healthy diet can help reduce obesity and related medical issues like diabetes and heart disease. Consuming sugary drinks is strongly linked to obesity, and these beverages also contribute to tooth decay.
What children drink plays a significant role in their overall diet, so parents must be aware of which products are healthy and recommended - and which should be avoided. Some products may be marketed as healthy but aren't.
CNN: How much fluid should kids consume daily?
Wen: Fluid needs vary by age. For kids ages 5 to 8, 40 fluid ounces daily is recommended, which is around 5 cups. Older children, ages 9 to 13, should drink between 54 to 61 ounces (7 to 7.5 cups). Adolescents, ages 14 to 18, need between 61 to 88 ounces (7.5 to 11 cups). Keep in mind these are estimates and total fluid needs may change depending on a child's size, level of physical activity, and the climate they live in.
CNN: Is water the top-recommended beverage, then?
Wen: Absolutely! Plain drinking water is perfectly fine and preferred for school-aged children. The majority of your kids' hydration needs can be met through water alone.
CNN: What about milk and juice?
Wen: Let's tackle these separately. The experts suggest plain pasteurized milk – between 20 fluid ounces daily for 5- to 8-year-olds and up to 24 fluid ounces for older children. Avoid sweetened flavored milks (chocolate milk, strawberry milk, etc.) due to excess sugar per serving.
The limit for juice is much lower. The expert panel recommends a small portion of 100% juice – no more than 4 to 6 ounces per day for 5- to 8-year-olds, 6 to 8 ounces for 9- to 13-year-olds, and 8 ounces for 14- to 18-year-olds. This translates to even adolescents should limit their juice consumption to less than 1 cup per day. Keep in mind these are upper limits, not minimum amounts, and children should aim to meet their daily fruit needs through eating whole fruit instead of drinking juice.
CNN: What about soy milk and almond milk? And is there a place for juice drinks that aren't 100% juice?
Wen: Plant-based milk alternatives like soy and almond milk are recommended only for specific medical reasons (such as an allergy to milk protein or a special diet). If parents opt for these beverages, they should choose unsweetened versions without sugar or non-sugar sweeteners.
Juice drinks are in the same category as other sugar-sweetened beverages, including sodas. These are not appropriate for children.
CNN: Are diet drinks OK, considering they don't contain sugar?
Wen: The panel does not recommend beverages containing artificial chemical non-sugar sweeteners due to insufficient evidence on their safety and long-term impact on children and adolescents.
CNN: What about sports drinks? How can kids stay hydrated during after-school and recreational sports?
Wen: Sports drinks are not recommended due to several reasons. Many contain high amounts of sugar, and they are generally unnecessary. Most people can stay hydrated using water, and they can replenish lost electrolytes through food.
Another concern is the confusion between sports drinks and energy drinks that contain caffeine and other stimulants. These are not suitable for children. The expert panel stresses that beverages with caffeine and other stimulants are not recommended for children and adolescents.
CNN: What's your summary of this drink guidance, and how will you apply it to your own kids?
Wen: My main takeaway is that plain drinking water is the preferred form of hydration. Encourage kids to develop a taste for water to replenish fluids rather than relying on sweetened alternatives. Pasteurized milk is also a good source of hydration. While 100% juice can be consumed in small amounts, all other drinks, including flavored milk and juice drinks, should be limited.
My family generally opts for water and milk, using juice as an occasional treat rather than a daily staple. If my kids encounter juice drinks at a party, we'll let them enjoy it, but we make it clear it's a special occasion beverage. We avoid sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks.
Overall, I think the expert panel makes a valid point about the importance of healthy drinks, which should be considered just as much as healthy food in creating balanced and nutritious diets for children.
- Opting for a Mediterranean-style diet can improve children's health and wellness by not only offering nutritious food choices but also addressing the importance of their beverages.
- Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN wellness expert, points out that just as parents need to be careful about their children's food intake, they should also pay attention to their drinks to avoid excess sugar and empty calories.
- Parents seeking recommendations on healthy beverage choices can follow the expert-backed guidelines released by four leading health and nutrition organizations, which emphasize that water is the preferred source of hydration for school-aged children, with milk and small amounts of 100% juice as secondary options.
