Water and Milk the Only Recommended Beverages for Children

Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash

Motherly online reports on Healthy Eating Research, in collaboration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association, which has released updated beverage recommendations for children ages 5 to 18: water and milk should be the only drinks for children and youth.

The report stresses the value of water and milk:

            •           Water is essential: it hydrates, supports digestion, and helps maintain healthy body functions.

            •           Milk provides key nutrients: the recommendation is for plain, unsweetened dairy or fortified plant-based milk as a source of calcium, vitamin D and protein for growing children and youth, advising against flavoured milk due to added sugars. The report notes that a common misconception amongst parents is that plant-based milks (e.g. almond/oat/rick milk) provide the same nutritional benefits as cow’s milk, however many such alternative lack essential nutrients like protein and naturally-occurring calcium. The report comments that fortified soy milk is the only plant-based alternative that closely matches the nutritional profile of dairy milk, but still may not provide the same bioavailable nutrients as cow’s milk.

The report stresses that, whilst juice has long been marketed as a healthy option, even 100% fruit juice should be limited due to its high sugar content and lack of fibre.

Drinks the report suggests should be avoided for children and youth include:

            •           Fruit juices: Even 100% fruit juice contains high amounts of natural sugar and should be consumed in very limited amounts

            •           Flavoured milk: Added sugars outweigh the benefits of the calcium it contains.

            •           Sports and energy drinks: These are unnecessary for children and contain high levels of sugar and caffeine.

            •           Soda and sweetened beverages: These are linked to increased health risks, including obesity and diabetes.

            •           Diet drinks: Artificial sweeteners raise concerns about metabolic health and taste preferences.

To foster healthy hydration habits, the report recommends:

            •           Offering water as the default drink for meals and snacks

            •           Modelling healthy beverage choices at home

            •           Making milk or water easily accessible in the fridge

            •           Not keeping sweet drinks in the home, as a step towards limiting exposure to the sugary drink industry’s marketing techniques