Choosing healthy beverages for children and adolescents is just as important as choosing healthy foods, as it impacts everything from oral health to chronic disease risk. That’s why leading health and nutrition organizations developed new healthy beverage recommendations for families with children ages 5-18.
These evidence-based recommendations were created as part of a collaboration by experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association, who were brought together by Healthy Eating Research with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
To make choosing healthy beverages easier for families, the organizations created these three categories:
Beverages to drink
These beverages are recommended as part of a healthy diet because they provide essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.
• Plain drinking water is the best option to keep kids healthy and hydrated. It’s also the most accessible and affordable.
• Plain, pasteurized milk is another healthy option because it provides important nutrients that growing kids and teens need.
Beverages to limit
• 100% fruit and vegetable juice can be part of a healthy diet, but daily consumption should be limited. Whole fruits and vegetables are better choices because they provide dietary fiber, contributing to a feeling of fullness.
• Plant-based milk alternatives like oat milk and almond milk should be limited because they are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk, which provides essential nutrients. Many also contain added sugars and non-sugar sweeteners. If your child is allergic to dairy milk or has a dietary restriction, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian.
• Flavored milks, like chocolate milk and strawberry milk, should be limited because they contain high amounts of added sugars and non-sugar sweeteners.
Beverages to avoid
These beverages are not recommended because they offer no nutritional value.
• Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sports drinks, sodas, fruit drinks, fruitades, aguas frescas and sweetened waters are high in added sugars, which can put children at risk for dental cavities and diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Drinks with non-sugar sweeteners, such as aspartame, stevia and monk fruit, also should be avoided.
• Drinks with caffeine or taurine should be avoided. These include energy drinks, coffee and tea. Evidence suggests that there is no safe amount of caffeine consumption for children younger than 18 and that even small amounts can lead to poor sleep quality, increased blood pressure and depressive moods and anxiety.
Learn more at healthyeatingresearch.org.
