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.
