Do you know how much sugar your kids are drinking?
Active kids need to stay hydrated but sometimes the drinks that they reach for aren’t the healthiest. In fact, many of them are loaded with sugar.
Lianne Phillipson-Webb, registered nutritionist, founder of Sprout Right, and AfL Role Model, went live on Facebook to talk about the sugar content in common drinks.
If sweet drinks are a battle ground in your house, watch this video with your kids. It’s hard to unsee the amount of sugar that goes into popular choices that kids ask for:
- Gatorade (710mL): 10 ½ tsp sugar
- Sprite (500mL): 13 ½ tsp sugar
- Minute Maid Lemonade (450mL): 13 tsp sugar
- Coca Cola (500mL): 13 tsp sugar
- Gingerale (500mL): 10 ½ tsp sugar
*Nutrition label conversion: grams of sugar divided by four (4) = teaspoons of sugar
Unlike Lianne’s video demonstration, which uses granulated sugar, most drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which can be worse for the body. Even sugary drinks that are sweetened naturally, like Coca Cola Life, contain up to a third of children’s daily recommended intake of sugar.
Guidelines for daily consumption of sugar
Lianne’s Facebook page notes the following guidelines for daily consumption of sugar:
- Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19 grams or 5 teaspoons of free sugars per day
- Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24 grams or 6 teaspoons of free sugars per day
How to get your children to drink more water
Bottom line: water is best.
Because Phillipson-Webb is also a mom of two, she understands that it can be a struggle to get kids to drink anything, let alone water. For this she suggests striking a balance by serving kids water while preparing small amounts of their requested drink, like milk and juice. This is especially important when kids get home from school and hydration is key. Fancy straws are encouraged!
How do you get your kids to drink more water? We want to hear your tricks!
