Make water your kids’ drink of choice when thirsty
Did you know the human body is made up of 70% water? That’s why dietitians and nutritionists are constantly promoting its benefits and why it’s important that you do the same thing with kids. But in our modern world, with fizzy soft drinks and sugar-laden smoothies everywhere you look, it’s easy to see why kids would want to reach for these first. Here’s how to hype-up the H20.
Why drink water?
In a nutshell, we need it to survive. Our bodies have lots of important functions and they need water to do many of them, including oxygenating our blood, digesting our food, strengthening our immune system, and rehydrating our bodies. Yep, water has got a big job to do!
Water is also better for us as it is cheap, almost always readily available, it has zero sugar and kilojoules, and its fluoride content can help strengthen teeth and bones and minimise dental problems. Plus, it’s the #1 best way to quench your thirst. True!
How much water in enough?
The body is an amazing structure that automatically regulates the amount of water in our systems to keep us hydrated. However, when it doesn’t have enough, it can become dehydrated, which can turn nasty quite quickly. A good indicator is the colour of your urine. If it’s a dark yellow, your body is holding onto water and it’s time to drink up!
There is no ‘magic number’ in terms of how much water kids should drink every day. Depending on their age, kids need 7 to 10 cups of water a day, and even more when playing sport. A great way to get this in, is by having water readily available throughout the day, whether it’s having water out to drink around mealtimes, when they are thirsty, when the weather’s warm, and when they’re exercising.
Hydration helpers
Water is best to hydrate, but you can add in other options to give your child’s fluid intake a boost.
- Fruits and vegetables contain more water than you’d think and come with added fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals. Try to keep it colourful and varied. Great options include watermelon, orange, banana and vegetable sticks (like carrot, cucumber, capsicum and celery).
- Milk is another great option for hydration. Plain varieties are best, but in moderation flavoured milk is a good option too. Milk also has the added bonus of protein and calcium that will help your child develop strong teeth and bones.
- Other options you could include (in moderation) to keep things varied include 100% fruit juice (250ml or less) with no added sugar, and sparkling and/or flavoured waters with no added sugar.
- Where you can, skip the unnecessary sugary drinks, cordials, energy drinks, or sports drinks.
Help! My kids won’t drink water
Water tastes bland, contains no sugar and can in no way can compete with the fizzy, colourful deliciousness of soft drink, so how can you get your kids to drink more of it?
- Pack a refillable water bottle whenever you go out and when they’re playing sport. Even better, buy them a super-cool version they’ll want to show off.
- Always have cold water in the fridge at home. Serve water to everyone at mealtimes and show your child that you actually enjoy drinking water.
- In summer, include a frozen water bottle in their lunch box. Water is actually so much nicer consumed cold, and it will also double up as a freezer block.
- Add some fresh fruit like berries or sliced citrus to water.
- Fill a fun shaped ice cube tray with water and freeze for hot days.
- Add fresh fruit and water to ice cube trays or ice block moulds.
- Use colourful or curly straws in their favourite cup.
To learn more about the importance of drinking water, check out this article on dehydration and how to avoid it.
Acknowledgement
Content sourced from Growing Good Habits, with contributions from Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s team of expert nutritionists, dietitians, and exercise physiologists.
