What should children drink?

Hi everyone,

The hotter weather is looming (surely it will be here soon), so we thought a tip sheet on fluid and juices might be in order.
Too much juice isn't a good thing

Excessive intake of juices (and milk) provides a great deal of calories from sugars and can displace nutrients. This could compromise the variety and total nutrients (and fibre) that your child gets over the course of the day. This may explain why your child hardly seems to eat but will gulp down milk by the bottle. Plus too much apple or pear juice can also lead to diarrhoea and stagnation of growth, and lastly may contribute to dental cavities. If you do use juice, choose a good quality one and offer no more than 150 mls diluted and divided over a day for young children.


An apple a day; but drinking it isn’t the way

 WHAT SHOULD CHILDREN DRINK?

Children’s fluid needs are best met by water – and then milk. So while the occasional fruit juice (not before six months) can provide some nutrients, it should only be given in small amounts. There are many reasons why fruit juice should not be a regular part of a child’s diet, regardless of whether the juice is pure, fruit pulp, has no added sugar and so on. Eating fruit and drinking water is far better for our children.

BUT ISN’T FRUIT JUICE GOOD FOR THEM?

So many of us believe that if we give our children a little fruit juice, this will ensure they are getting vital nutrients such as vitamin C. While fruit-based drinks and even milk alternatives such as soy, oat and rice milks can be added to a healthy diet (in appropriate amounts), they can present problems. One of the big issues is that juices (and even, to a certain degree, too much milk) displace food, which can lead to nutrient imbalances. Promoting healthy drinking habits by encouraging your children to drink water, and age-appropriate amounts of milk, is far better.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH FRUIT JUICE?

One major concern with young children drinking too much fruit juice is toddler’s diarrhoea. The main sugar in fruit is fructose (literally fruit sugar), along with lesser amounts of glucose and sorbitol. I won’t bore you with the chemistry, but the short story is that fruit juice such as apple and pear tends to cause malabsorption in the intestinal canal, which causes diarrohea and a loss of both nutrients from recently eaten food and fluid.
Too much fruit juice can trigger a chain of events that ultimately inhibits a child’s development and ability to thrive.

Tummy upsets, Loose stools (eg. diarrhoea), Loss of appetite, Poor weight gain, Reduced growth

WHAT CAN MY CHILD DRINK?


Recommendations vary, but when looking for a safe juice for your child, choose citrus juice, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry or white grape juice as they do not contain sorbitol. This is particularly important when your little one already has a tummy upset. Orange juice is especially good because it has equal parts of glucose and fructose and no sorbitol.

HOW MUCH IS OKAY?

While there is no firm consensus on the amount of juice a child can drink – each child reacts differently to varying amounts and types of juices – I recommend erring on the side of caution. (see also Figure 1). For infants (over six months), if you opt to use juices, small amounts of diluted fruit juice (one quarter juice to water and no more than a glass a day) are fine. It’s worth remembering though, that your child will not be disadvantaged if you decide not to give them fruit juice at all, provided they have a diet rich in fresh fruit.

Recommended maximum fruit juice intake per day

1 – 6 years 150ml

7 – 18 years 240 – 360ml (over two servings)

WHAT ABOUT MILK?

Generally, it’s best to wait until after a child’s first birthday before introducing cows’ milk as a drink into their diet. This reduces the risk of reaction or the displacement of ‘milk’ feeds and food.
Keep in mind that reduced-fat products, including milk, are not recommended for young children.
Milk alternatives (calcium enriched) after the first year can be good choices for fluids, many of which are fortified with calcium to overcome deficiencies inherent in the fluid itself. Such drinks also offer a variety of fluids and nutrients, and may be of benefit to children with lactose intolerance or other allergies and sensitivities.

Milk alternatives include:

! Soy ‘milks’ (many of which are now fortified with calcium)

! Nut ‘milks’ such as almond milk (high in essential fats and calcium; not recommended if allergy is present)

! Oat ‘milk’ (notably low-glycaemic index and reputed to be good for the nervous system)

! Rice ‘milk’ (can be quite sweet)

DO YOU HAVE A MILKAHOLIC?

Parents often report that their child won’t eat and is content with just milk. When you consider the energy that milk supplies it is little wonder they don’t feel the need to eat. Ensure that milk is not displacing food; this can cause nutrient deficiencies, failure to thrive and dental problems. If your little one has a healthy varied diet, with food such as yoghurt and cheese, or other calcium-rich foods, one cup of milk a day is generally enough. Meal first, milk later!

Everything in balance: remember that anything you start, you have to be prepared to keep up or put up with the fight to get rid of it later. And lastly, you as the parent stock the cupboards and offer the food and its up to our children to choose from there.

Words by Leanne Cooper

Director of Cadence Health and qualified nutritionist
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