Drop the Sugary Drinks Now
What kids drink is just as important as what they eat
There are many different type of foods that are the catalysts to our children’s weight gain. Childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States and for many first world countries. And while breads, fast foods and sugar filled dessert are considered the top culprit to childhood weight gain, there is one primary food that contributes the most.
Sodas, pop and soft drinks in general are the major culprits to childhood weight gain. A normal 16-ounce can of soda that can be bought at the convenient store is stacked with up to 200 calories. And the cup of soda that comes with an extra meal can load two times to three times the calories, due to the size of the cup and the sugar content.
Be wary of other store bought drinks that cater to “athletes”. Though despite their packaging and advertising campaigns that involve high profile sports stars, many of these athletic drinks are rich in sugar and even sodium. Also understand that these athletic drinks are manufactured by the same companies that develop soft drinks so truly, there is nothing “athletic” about these drinks.
And now, some of the juices that you find now from major manufacturers and “health food” manufacturers have high sugar content. That is expected with sweet drinks, but in some of these “natural” juice drinks -- they have no natural juice content. It’s quite ironic that drinks advertised as natural juice are not that -- but that is advertising.
In looking at products labeled as natural juice. The number one thing you have to look at is how it is pasteurized. Pasteurization is the heating needed to kill possible microorganisms in dairy and juice drinks. As there are bad organisms in drinks, there are a lot of good ones as well. Unfortunately, the pasteurization process, especially flash pasteurization will eliminate a lot of good minerals and vitamins from juice drinks. Keep an eye on labels for this.
All of this disconcerting to most kids and adults -- it may seem like there is nothing good to drink out there. There are alternatives. Water being the essential drink. Of course you can get this anywhere, but there are flavoring packets that can be added to give a bottle of water flavorful. And these flavoring packets use the right type of sugars and the right type preservatives.
But if you want the natural juice flavor, go out and start juicing. A new fad among hardcore diet fanatics is natural juicing. Using a heavy duty juicer and blending fruits and vegetables is a safe and natural way to get the best vitamins and micronutrients. Your kids can actually eat their vegetables when they are juicing because you can add vegetables and greens to your fruits.
When it comes to drinks, your choices are rather slim. Water, juice, milk and soda. But within these choices are many different options. Unfortunately, many of these options are not healthy for your children despite being “labeled” as healthy. The best advice for parents and kids is to take a good look at every label of every drink in the stores. Cut down on the calories, sugars and sodium -- too much of all that is bad for kids at a young age.
Image credit: Kim Stromstad on Flickr
