Find Out The Most Nutritional Drinks For Your Child

As parents, your biggest concern is often to choose the best thing for your child. When it comes to beverages, there is now a solution. As per experts the best dink choices for kids and teens are plain cow's milk, water and vegetable juice.

How Did Experts Reach This Conclusion?

As per the expert panel convened by the Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which includes members from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, this was decided after a five-month review of scientific literature.

The panel said that water should be the "primary beverage for meeting hydration needs". The range of how much water must one drink depends on the child's age and sex, however, it must be 16 to 88 ounces.

The panel also recommended that tap water is preferred because it is affordable, eco-friendly and has fluoride added to prevent tooth decay. As per a 2015 study titled Impact of Fluoride on Dental Health Quality published in the Journal of the Academy Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina: "Fluoride prevents tooth decay by making the enamel more resistant to the action of acids. They and accelerate the buildup of healthy minerals in the enamel, further slowing the occurrence of decay. Studies even show that in some cases, fluoride can stop already started teeth decay. In children younger than 6 years fluoride is incorporated into the enamel of permanent teeth, making the teeth more resistant to the action of bacterial and acids from foods."

Cow Milk For Kids

The panel also recommended pasteurized cow milk, preferably low-fat or fat-free to ensure the child gets all its nutrients. Not any milk must be consumed by children, as flavored milk and sweetened milk could contain more sugar than required, leading in high blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the plan said that plant-based milks like almond or oat, lack key nutrients and should only be replaced in case the child has any sorts of medical necessary.

A 2021 study published in Nutrients, titled Is High Milk Intake Good for Children’s Health? A National Population-Based Observational Cohort Study stated that cow milk is widely considered beneficial product for growing children because of it being a complete source of energy and richest in most "inexpensive" source of high nutrition quality protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A.

Vegetable Juice

The panel said that vegetable juice should replace the sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas and sports drink as they are "not recommended as part of a healthy diet for children and adolescents.: In fact, caffeinated drinks could even disrupt sleep, mental health and heart health of the individuals at a very young age.

"Choosing healthy beverages for children is just as important as choosing healthy foods,” said Amy Reed, a pediatric dietitian and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

As per Victoria State Government's Children's diet, it is not necessary to feed your child fruit juice as it shoots up the blood sugar high immediately. Rather the best thing to do is to consume the whole fruit. In case one wants to include fruit juice in the diet, there must not be any added sugar. However, vegetable juice will not shoot the blood sugar levels high immediately. Though, that too should only be considered moderately by a child.

Note: This is not a doctor's advise. To incorporate any changes in your child's diet, or in your diet, we recommend you go speak to your GP and a nutritionist.