Cut out sugary drinks for kids

Nearly two-thirds of boys and girls ages 2 to 19 drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage daily. Children do not need to include any fruit juices or other sweet drinks to have a healthy diet. Intake of sweet drinks reduces the quality of your child’s diet, has links to weight gain and poor oral health, and also exposes them to the ‘habit’ of drinking sweet drinks. For children, studies have shown that consuming sugary beverages is associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia [high cholesterol], all of which have serious negative downstream health consequences. Consumption of sugary drinks by young children under the age of 5 is associated with an 80‐120% increased risk of cavities. Consumption of energy drinks and sports drinks, which are highly acidic, irreversibly damages teeth through the erosion of tooth enamel.

Encouraging children to eat the whole fruit or vegetable, and drink plain tap water or milk rather than juice is the best way to establish good eating habits early.  Besides having zero calories,water is a no-sugar thirst-quencher. Milk is an important food and part of the food group - milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives - which is required for children’s growth and development. Encourage plain milk in preference to flavoured milks as flavoured milk is higher in added sugar.