drinks Archives - Happy Healthy Kids

Healthy Summer Thirst Quenchers

June 29, 2016 by Kelley Leave a Comment

When most of us were kids, Coke was as common in the ‘fridge as milk, and thirsty Little Leaguers were as likely to be given Hi-C as water. But times have changed, and so has awareness when it comes to what our kids drink. Even wholesome-sounding juice has gotten a bad rap, and for good reason; a 16-ounce Ocean Spray Cran-Apple drink has 320 calories and 62 grams of sugar—more than three Twinkies.

“Think of juice like sugar water,” my friend, an obesity researcher at Harvard, recently told me while we watched second-grade soccer players suck down OJ and Munchkins after a recent game. Like the American Academy of Pediatrics, he advised that we should be offering children two beverages: milk and water.

Sound advice; but not much fun. Especially on a hot summer afternoon or evening.

I’m not ready to deprive my kids of soda and juice completely. Some of my warmest childhood memories involve Shirley Temples. I think lemonade is a rite—and right—of summer. But for those hot, not-so-special occasions, I wanted some refreshing options that don’t involve a snack-cake’s worth of sugar. So I fooled around with the blender and talked to my nutritionist and foodie friends. Then, I asked the kids to belly up to the kitchen island for some taste testing. Here’s what they say are worthy of second rounds.

Watermelon Slushie

This is a great way to use up the watermelon in your ‘fridge that’s become a little mushier than ideal. If grown-ups are involved, add a vodka or gin to the adults’ pitcher. Delicious.

3 cups watermelon chunks
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup cubed or crushed ice
1/2 cup water

If ice is in big chunks, add that to blender first to chop it up a bit. Then add other ingredients and blend until smooth but not too frothy. Serve immediately; give a quick stir if watermelon pulp floats to top.

Makes 4 cups

Lighter Lemonade

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t love lemonade, and to deny children this summer staple seems cruel and unusual. But to counteract the sour base fruit, lemonade typically includes loads of sugar—27 grams, or 2.25 tablespoons, per cup. Thankfully, the kitchen scientists at Cook’s Illustrated have come up with a simple trick to cut half the sugar out of lemonade without losing sweetness: adding the zest to the lemonade while making it (and straining before serving). It works!

5 lemons
4 tablespoons sugar
2.5 cups room temperature or warm water
a pinch of salt

Put the juice of five lemons and most of the zest from all of them into a pitcher. (If you don’t already have them, a Microplane zester and an enameled citrus press make these jobs easy, and will serve heroically in countless other recipes.) Let the zest and juice sit for five minutes. In the meantime, mix water, sugar, and pinch of salt in a pitcher. Then, strain the lemon juice into the sugar water so the zest is removed. Chill in fridge for at least a half-hour and serve cold or over ice.

Makes 4 cups

Ginger Iced Tea

While kids aren’t commonly fans of hot tea, many like cold tea, and it can be a real treat for a summer dinner, luncheon or picnic. I love this flavorful homemade version, adapted from healthy chef Ellie Krieger. The ginger doesn’t overwhelm, just adds a nice zip (and some stomach-soothing benefits).

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup roughly chopped ginger
2 cups water (plus 6 cups later)
5 black tea bags (I use decaffeinated Lipton, but choose your favorite—Raspberry or Orange flavored black would be good)
Juice from half a lemon

Bring 2 cups water, honey, and ginger chunks in saucepan over stove. Once it starts to boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes. Turn off heat and add tea bags, letting steep for a half-hour. Meanwhile, fill pitcher with 6 cups cold water and juice from half of a lemon. After tea has steeped, strain out solids and add warm tea into cold water and lemon juice mixture. Chill for at least half-hour in fridge and serve cold or over ice.

Makes 8 cups (a large pitcher’s worth)

Berry Bubbler

This is a simple idea that elevates plain old seltzer into something a little more special. While I’ve posted about making homemade fruity ice cubes before, you can also skip the dicing and the trays and just freeze whole, small, firm fruit, like berries or grapes, to create instant, easy ice cubes that are really fun to eat at the end of your drink. Challenge the soda-lovers in your family to replace diet or flavored soda with seltzer or plain club soda for a week. We find that once you wean off of it, regular soda tastes cloyingly sweet.

1 liter favorite flavored seltzer (we like raspberry-lime, cranberry-lime, or Polar seltzer’s new Watermelon Margarita flavor)
1 cup raspberries (or blueberries or blackberries)

Spread a cup of berries on a small tray, plate, or piece of waxed paper in the freezer for at least an hour. Pour seltzer into a pretty pitcher and float a few frozen berries on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 cups

Green Monster Water

HHK’s resident nutrition advisor, the fabulous dietitian and cookbook author Dana White, loves serving fruit-infused waters to her kids in the summertime. “My girls like experimenting with different colors and flavors so we make a bit of a game out of it— making small batches to see what we like best,” she says. Because we are Red Sox fans around here, and it just so happens that a handful of Fenway-hued fruits and veggies—green apples, cucumbers, and green grapes—happen to hold up extra-nicely in a pitcher of water over time, we’ve landed upon this as our favorite flavor combo this year.

1/2 cup while green grapes (frozen in freezer for an hour beforehand makes them extra cold and crunchy)
1/2 cup cucumber slices (about 1/4 inch thickness)
1/2 cup green apple slices (about 1/4 inch thickness)
8 cups water

Combine cold or frozen fruit and water in pitcher, and chill in fridge for at least one hour. Serve infused water alone or with a couple of the fruits and veggies floating on top.

Makes about 8 cups (a large pitcher’s worth)

Best and Worst Kids’ Drinks

February 24, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

We’re told time and again that babies should get breastmilk (primarily) and teens need to steer clear of booze (obviously), but when it comes to kids in the middle, there’s very little talk about what they should drink, and how much. And yet, children’s beverage choices make a huge impact on how many calories and nutrients they consume in any given day.

Some recent research scarily spells this out. A 2014 report by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity revealed that the typical 8-ounce “kids drink” marketed to children contains 16 grams of sugar, more than is recommended for some children in an entire day. And while I assumed that I was among the last generation of children who might discover an Orange Fanta in a lunchbox and not bat an eye, it turns out that today’s kids are drinking more sugary beverages than ever: From 1989 to 2008, calories from sugary beverages increased by 60% in children ages 6 to 11, and the percentage of children consuming them rose from 79% to 91%, according to a Harvard School of Public Health research review.

Kids’ ballooning packaged beverage consumption has a lot to do with the incredible number of choices they have—and the insidious marketing that targets them. Sodas are still in heavy rotation in many kids’ diets—despite worrisome new evidence out of Johns Hopkins showing that the cosmetic caramel color in colas and other dark drinks are carcinogenic to animals and may pose a risk to humans, too. They are also exposed to more types of juices than ever, as well as sports drinks and caffeinated “energy drinks.” Lately, it’s the latter group that’s really gotten doctor’s attention. In 2013, one-quarter of the sugary beverage ads viewed by preschoolers and children specifically promoted energy drinks, which the American Academy of Pediatrics says has no place in children’s diets, period. Some energy drinks have up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per serving (about 4 times the amount in a cup of coffee), For children under 12, as little as 2.5 milligrams per every 2.2 pounds of body weight (that’s just 75 milligrams for a 66-pound 7- or 8-year-old) can pose a danger, say University of Michigan pediatric researchers. It’s no wonder that emergency rooms around the country are reporting an uptick in cases of cardiovascular problems and seizures in people, including young children, who’ve consumed energy drinks.

While I know this is sounding like a finger-wagging screed against fun drinks, I’ll admit here that juice is on our grocery list, prompted mainly by my 3-year-old, who would happily subsist on apple cider and orange juice if given the option. (I try to limit him to a cup of either a day. Not always successful.) My other two boys are mainly water- and milk-drinkers, but my oldest son has recently acquired a taste for Sprite, which I allow him on occasion, and if hot chocolate drinking was a competitive sport, my middle child would be a champion. Gatorade, for all of them, pretty much represents an elixir from the Gods. Which is why I’m writing this post: I’d like some more clear-cut advice about what’s okay to serve on occasion, and what to keep out of the house, period. With thankful nods to the AAP, Nemours Foundation, other health policy researchers, and my always trusty advisory board, here’s what I’ve come up with.

25 Superfoods For Kids

January 22, 2015 by Kelley 1 Comment

I love the idea of superfoods—produce and proteins that naturally pack a nutritional wallop in each bite. However, the typical superfood lists found in magazines and health websites aren’t exactly workable for my family of three boys. If I have trouble finding, much less enjoying, goji berries and kombucha, how am I going to get my six-year-old on board?

Thankfully, Dana White, R.D. who is on our advisory board, has compiled a go-to list of kid-friendly superfoods in her fantastic new book, First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers, which includes tips and easy recipes for feeding children of all ages. Whereas many healthy food lists are compiled by sources whose expertise lies, er, elsewhere (i.e., bodybuilders and massage therapists), Dana is a certified dietitian and mom who knows her stuff and provides stats and delicious recipes to back it up. Click here or on the image link in our “Great Reads” column on the right to pre-order the book or its Kindle edition (it’s available Feb. 3), and check out 25 of her 50 favorite superfoods for kids, below. One of my New Year’s resolutions: adding one new food from this list to my shopping cart each week, and trying it out with my kids. (Next up: coconut milk smoothies.)

And here’s a hint: Go ahead and tell your kids that you are serving them a “superfood,” and explain to them how it benefits their bodies (“carrots can help your eyes have super vision”; “salmon is good for your brain and can help you learn,” etc.) They may be just a little more motivated to try it.

Apples

Full of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, this is a naturally sweet treat that’s great to always have on hand.

HHK recipe: Best Easy Applesauce, Six Ways

Avocados

A great first food, this creamy green fruit has heart-healthy monounsaturated fats as well as vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and potassium.

Beans

Black or kidney beans can pump up the protein and fiber in kids’ diets, and are soft and easy to eat.

Bell Peppers

There’s more vitamin C in a bell pepper than an orange, and kids who are opposed to cooked veggies often love to snack on raw red pepper strips.

Berries

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries are all filled with antioxidants called anthocyanins, which protect blood vessels and the nervous system and improve eyesight.

HHK recipe: Summer Berry Corn Muffins

Broccoli

Served raw, steamed or oven-blasted with a bit of butter, these “little trees” contain cell-protecting antioxidants as well as fiber and other vitamins.

Brown Rice

Brown rice has 10 times more energy producing B-vitamins than the white kind. Get kids started on it early, and try brown rice crackers, breads, and pasta, too.

Carrots

These bright-colored veggies, served raw or cooked to bring out their natural sweetness, provide all kinds of nutrients important for growth, development, immunity and vision.

HHK recipe: Carrot-Apple Muffins

Cheese

Cheese packs protein plus bone-building calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus—try mild versions like Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or American at first.

Chicken

The flavorful dark meat contains healthy, polyunsaturated fat, and the mild flavor and tender texture makes it a great first protein for babies.

HHK recipe: Honey-Lemon Chicken Thighs

Coconut

Swap water for coconut milk as a cooking liquid for rice or noodles or add it to smoothies—it’s a natural source of electrolytes (sodium and potassium), and most boxed versions are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

HHK recipe: Hummingbird Bread

Corn

Do you know corn is actually a whole grain? It’s full of the antioxidant zeaxanthin, which benefits vision, and also contains some fiber and protein. Opt for unprocessed versions—in popcorn or corn on the cob.

Cucumber

Low in calories, high in water content, and pleasingly crunchy and mild, this is a great choice for kids who turn their nose up at other green veggies.

Eggs

Hard-boiled, scrambled, or mixed into baked goods, eggs contain just about everything that’s good for growing bodies: protein, healthy Omega-3 fats, and vitamins A and D.

Honey

Suitable for kids over age 1, honey is a natural sweetener for oatmeal, cereal, and baked goods; a teaspoon or two can also help soothe coughs.

Kale

Surprisingly kid friendly when used as a crunchy salad ingredient or baked into chips, this leafy green vegetable contains oodles or vitamin K plus iron, potassium, calcium, and folate.

Kale Chips

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 cups

You can find these packaged in the chip section of many supermarkets, but making your own is quick, easy, and cost-effective. Excerpted from First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers by Dana Angelo White. © 2015 by Dana Angelo White. A Perigee Book, Penguin Group USA, A Penguin Random House Company.

Ingredients

1 large bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped (about 6 to 8 cups)
1-2 Tablespoons of oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
A pinch of paprika, cumin or mild curry powder (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Place kale on baking sheets. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once or until leaves just become crispy.

https://www.happyhealthykids.com/superfoods-for-kids/

Milk

One cup provides about a quarter of the daily recommended amount of bone-building vitamin D, and is also a great source of vitamin B12 for DNA formation and energy metabolism.

Oats

Use it in granola, cookies, or muffins—it’s full of heart-healthy soluble fiber.

Oranges (and other citrus)

Oranges and clementines are sweet, simple treats most kids love; try dipping segments in dark chocolate for a special treat.

HHK recipe: Orange Juice Sherbet

Pasta

A classic kid-favorite food, pasta is enriched with vitamin B and iron, and is excellent fuel for active little ones. Start with easy-to-digest white versions, but introduce whole grains early so kids can acquire a taste for them.

Pears

A truly under appreciated fruit, pears are a serious source of fiber and vitamin K. Pearsauce is a great alternative to applesauce.

Pork

Chops and tenderloin are low in fat, and have more B vitamins than most other meats. Slow cook to make tender for tots—they’ll love the mild flavor.

Pumpkin

High in vitamin A and antioxidants like beta carotene, it can be pureed and served plain for babies or added to muffins and quick breads for the whole family. Don’t forget the seeds—a tasty source of iron.

Seafood

In June, the FDA increased their recommended amount of fish that children should be eating. Low-mercury choices like cod, salmon and shrimp are high in protein and a good source of Omega-3 fats that are vital for brain development.

HHK recipe: Kid-Friendly Fish Recipes

Yogurt

Each cup contains a hefty dose of protein, calcium, and gut-friendly probiotics, and many brands are fortified with Vitamin D.

HHK recipe: Popeye Smoothie

How Important is Cow’s Milk for Kids?

October 21, 2014 by Kelley 2 Comments

Got milk? Maybe not, if you’re on trend with the latest federal data. What used to be an automatic addition to families’ weekly shopping list is being replaced by a widening array of dairy alternatives, such as soy, almond, rice, and hemp milks. Other parents are ditching the idea of milk altogether and just sticking to water, juices and other drinks. Since 1975, cow’s milk consumption has dropped 25 percent.

The problem: Kids who don’t drink cow’s milk often lose out on certain key nutrients, particularly vitamin D. Canadian researchers report that children who drink milk alternatives are twice as likely to have low levels of the vitamin, which is crucial for healthy bone development. (When vitamin D levels are low in our bodies, we’re unable to absorb bone-building calcium.) Five years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommended daily intake of vitamin D for children from 200 IUs to 400 IUs. Virtually all cow’s milk sold in the U.S. contains D3, an animal-derived form of the vitamin that the body seems to absorb particularly well, and 3-4 cups will supply a child with his recommended 4oo IUs for the day. Many, but not all, alternative milks are fortified, and when they are, it’s usually with plant-dervied D2, which most experts believe to be a less potent source of the vitamin.

Most kids get a healthy dose of vitamin D during the spring and summer if their arms and legs are regularly exposed to the sun. But from now through March, sun-dervied D is in short supply in much of the U.S., meaning children in the northern half of the country must get their daily D through their diets. Kids can get some of the vitamin through fortified orange juices, cereals, yogurt, cheese and eggs, though those food sources rarely measure up to cow’s milk when it comes to the amount of D per serving. What does: fatty fish. Salmon, tuna, and mackerel contain as much or more vitamin D—the potent D3 kind, no less—per serving than milk. But these fish aren’t on kids’ menus for a reason. Milk is considered to be the “best” form of vitamin D mainly because most kids are happy to consume it; if they don’t or can’t, it’s tough to find an alternative children will get enough of.

If your child doesn’t drink a few glasses of D-fortified milk everyday and isn’t able to get enough vitamin D through the foods above, there is a solution: supplements. Yes, they are an added cost, and hard to remember to dispense in the chaos of a morning, but they can be an important investment, particularly now, when the leaves are starting to turn and the sun goes into hiding for several months. The supplement-review company Consumer Lab has rated Carlson Super Daily D3 400 IU for Kids highly. They are liquid, tasteless drops, so they should go down easy (or easily snuck into food or a drink). It’s $13 for 10 ml, and since only a drop or two is a daily dose for a child, the bottle will last awhile. (If your child already drinks fortified milk, be sure to consult your doctor before using a supplement, since there is a thing as too much vitamin D, points out HHK adviser Dana White, R.D. A blood test can confirm whether your child is getting adequate amounts.)

Also, if you have any recipes that have turned your kids into salmon or tuna lovers, please share below or here. I’m working on a post about helping kids like fish—many parents’ nutritional white whale—so your recipe could make it into an upcoming piece on the site.

photo credit: Hades2K via Photopin, cc license

Preseason Sports Reminder: Drink Up

August 17, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

It’s around this time of summer that kids not only get back to school, but back to sports practice. For older children and teens, especially, preseason can be serious stuff: A time to prove their worth to coaches and teammates after time away. Unfortunately, this annual ritual of excitement, adrenaline and stiff competition takes place amid sweltering temperatures countrywide. It’s a pressure-cooker combo that can set the stage for dehydration, which has played a role in serious sports-related health scares, and even deaths, in recent years.

Photo by: Capt Kodak via photopin cc

HHK advisory board members and moms Julie Kardos, M.D. and Naline Lai, M.D. have written extensively on the subject in their blog Two Peds in a Pod. They advise parents to think beyond just sending kids to practice with a loaded, easy-to-sip-from water bottle (which is of course important too). Kids should not only drink every 20 minutes during a sports activity, but sip from a water bottle throughout the day and up to an hour prior to it. Afterwards, the more competitive players who churn up a sweat should turn to electrolyte replenishers such as Gatorade and Powerade. Though the citric acids in these sports drinks can put kids at higher risk for cavities when swigged regularly, they can be extremely helpful when kids endure 20-30 minutes of sweating, which causes the body can lose more salt and sugar than is healthy.

Even more important is to equip your kids with knowledge about what dehydration feels like. “Because thirst does not always correlate with dehydration, children often misjudge their own hydration status,” says Dr. Lai. “Headache and nausea are some of the first symptoms kids should be aware of.” Arm them, too, with the good sense to ask a coach for a water break if they’re feeling lightheaded or “just not right,” says Dr. Lai. With proper hydration, they’ll come back even stronger in the next drill.

Fancy Fruity Ice Cubes

August 15, 2014 by Kelley 1 Comment

Water may be, bar none, the healthiest beverage of all, but let’s face it: Unless it’s hot or you’re playing sports or exercising, plain water can be a yawn, and that’s especially true if you’re a kid.

But there are some fun ways to make tap water and its slightly more vivacious cousin, seltzer, a little bit more exciting for kids, particularly if you are hosting a playdate or picnic. They are also great to make kids feel a part of the mix if grown-ups have started cocktail hour (or, as my nephew once understood it, “cottontail hour”—which is obviously what my extended family now calls it as well). Some ideas:

-Add a splash of juice for taste and color

-Use a fun glass (I like these 12-ounce straw cups from GoGo Kids because they are BPA-free, feature bright colors, can go in the dishwasher, and are, in my experience, virtually indestructible.)

-Make fancy fruity ice cubes in advance, and add them to a pitcher or glasses of water.

The fancy fruity ice cubes are really fun to make. And, if you want clearer cubes—which involves boiling the water beforehand to remove air bubbles—the activity includes a science-experiment-component, which allows you to make something delicious and flex your excellent-parent muscles at the same time.

Fancy Fruity Ice Cubes

Ingredients

4 c water
1/4 cup berries, diced small
1/4 cup cherries (natural or maraschino, with stems)
1/4 cup lemon wedges, peel removed, diced small, rolled in sugar
A couple shredded mint leaves (optional)

Instructions

Boil water in small saucepan, and let it cool. (This helps remove trapped gases in the water, which leads to clearer cubes. For even clearer cubes, boil and cool twice.)
While water is coming to a boil, arrange fruits in an ice cube tray, using whatever combination your kids like best. Our favorites were lemon and mint, and mixed berry.
Carefully pour cooled water into liquid measuring cup, and then into the individual ice cube wells.
Freeze until frozen--about 1 hour. Pop out and add to a pitcher of water or juice.

https://www.happyhealthykids.com/fancy-fruity-ice-cubes/