Avoid sugary drinks, drink water. Simply put.

AVOID soft drinks, sweet tea, fruit juices, Kool-Aid, Capri Sun, Sunny D, etc.
DRINK more water. Drinking more water keeps your body hydrated, provides a feeling of fullness, provides essential electrolytes like minerals, elimination of body wastes and toxins, keeps skin healthy, and much more!

Water has zero calories. Sometimes, if you think you are hungry, you may just be thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water instead!

Sugary drinks like soft drinks provide us with “empty calories” – sugar calories with no beneficial nutritional content.

With my focus of practice being child nutrition, below is a common guideline for kids’ drinks:

~ Each day ~
16 oz. of low-fat milk
4-6 oz. of 100% juice, or none
water for the rest of the day

If children start there early years following the above guideline, it will be customary for them, and a greater chance for them to make these better choices as an older child and then adult.

So, next time your child asks you for a soft drink, offer juice. Next time your child wants juice, try diluting it, or make sure it is 100% fruit juice with no added sugar.