Rethink your Drink!
We are heading into hot chocolate season! Whether hot or cold outside, grocery stores are full of sugary drinks in bright colors and splashy labeling to catch our eyes. Nutritionists and other healthcare providers call these “sugar-sweetened beverages” and caution against drinking them frequently and/or throughout the day. Sugary drinks, like junk foods, contribute to cavities and excessive body weight above what is healthy. Not only that, infants and toddlers are constantly developing their palate, learning what sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory tastes are. Giving frequent sugary drinks/snacks teaches them that they need excessive amounts of sugar for something to be “sweet enough”!
Check out this poster Dr. Katie made in the past, which shows the measured amounts of sugar in different types of drinks:
Our goal is for our children to take in healthy calories, not empty ones! As you can see on the poster, water is the only drink with zero sugar – it’s the best for our teeth. “Sugar-free” or “diet” drinks usually still contain acid, which damages our teeth, and/or artificial sweeteners, which can be up to 100,000x(!!!) more sweet in taste compared to real sugar. When we think about teaching our kids what “sweet” means, we don’t want them to associate the flavor with such a high level of sweetness. As they grow, they will want, and sometimes demand, higher levels of sugar just to feel normal. In fact, dieticians and nutritionists recommend against giving kids under 5 years old any type of artificial sweetener. If you have questions about this due to any unique medical history needs for your child, please bring it up to your pediatric dentist and pediatrician for discussion!
In 2018, several healthcare professionals held a summit to create recommendations for drink choices for kids up to 5 years old, including newborns. Check out the amazing website (www.healthydrinkshealthykids.org) and tabs for each age group – they’ve put together guidelines and suggestions to help you and your whole family make healthy choices with drinks!
We won’t tell you to never give your children a sugary drink – everything in moderation! A weekend restaurant trip, holiday, or birthday party is a great opportunity to enjoy a special treat. For families looking to transition from daily sweet drinks, a helpful tactic is not to keep any in the house. Make your grocery shopping day your child’s treat day by purchasing one single serving of their preferred treat; they can get excited about having it that day or that weekend! We want this to be framed as a positive change, not a punishment, so kids will adapt more comfortably. We want everyone to have their best possible oral and general health!
In summary, we recommend that everyone drink water throughout the day, drink milk with meals (if they drink milk), and drink any other sugar-containing drinks on special occasions. Stay hydrated and enjoy those special treat moments this fall and throughout the year!
www.healthydrinkshealthykids.org