Parents must always give healthy homemade or natural drinks to children. Read on to find about the top 5 worst drinks which parents must never include in the diet of children. Kids are high energy little bundles of joy and most of them are blessed with raving appetites. Typically, children have a tendency of consuming drinks which appeal to them on the basis of peer preference, colour, fragrance and taste. As a parent you should know that not all types of drinks are beneficial for your children’s bodies and some are downright dangerous. Here is the list of the 5 worst drinks for kids that all parents should be well aware of. In this articleSoft DrinksPackaged MilkshakesEnergy DrinksPackaged Fruit JuicesUnpasteurised MilkSoft DrinksThe so called aerated beverages or soft drinks are usually a hot favourite amongst kids. Sometimes you may find that kids would much prefer slurping on a can of cola the whole day instead of sipping water. However, delicious the fizz and the aroma of soft drinks might be, the point is that they are full of sugar and have acidic properties. These things in combination can lead to decay of teeth. Each can of soft drink contain at least 9 heaped spoons of sugar. The coloured ones are worse because they have coloured additives which are especially harmful for the delicate digestive systems of kids.Packaged MilkshakesPackaged milkshake is a drink which is loaded with all kinds of fattening substances right from dairy fat to sugar to highly fatty toppings like cashews etc. Milkshakes especially the store made ones have high quantity of emulsified milk products too and those are difficult to digest as well as high in saturated fat. Regular consumption of milkshakes will lead to rapid ascent towards obesity. Kids love the frothy creamy sweet texture of milkshakes though but there are healthier options that you can serve instead. Try making smoothies out of fresh fruit and add a dollop of cream on top to make a delicious yet healthy drink.Energy DrinksEnergy Drinks sometimes contain dangerously high levels of caffeine that can give the body a boost in the 100 milligram level. Well known energy drinks have very high amount of caffeine and almost no nutritive value. Drinking these kinds of drinks can make your child unstable and highly restless apart from disturbing the normal sleep patterns. There are some other controversial energy drinks which contain a stimulating substance called ma huang that is actually ephedrine. As the energy rush that follows the consumption of Ephinedrine wears off the body’s natural cycle of preparing energy can be impaired. Protect your kids from consuming these kinds of harmful drinks.Packaged Fruit JuicesFruit is very beneficial for kids as well as adults but chemically processed additive added “fruit juice” is not. In fact some nutritionists claim that packaged fruit juices are almost as harmful as soft drinks. Learn to read the labels at the back of these drinks and you will find that they are highly loaded with sugar, artificial colour and artificial flavour; all three of which are very harmful for the vulnerable metabolism of kids. The food acids inside that artificial juice can have a dire negative impact on your kid’s teeth too.Unpasteurised MilkMilk is one of the most preferred and nutritionally recommended drinks for children when it is pasteurized; when unpasteurized milk can be harmful and even downright dangerous for kids. Data from the FDA or Food and Drug Administration of USA says that drinking unpasteurized milk can pass on dangerous bacteria like E Coli or Listeria to your kid’s bodies. Soya Milk has phytic acid which causes growth issues in children. Your best option will be to stick to plain pasteurized (only stick to good brands) cow’s milk as it is nutritionally beneficial for your kids.Avoid the above mentioned drinks at all costs for the well being of your child. Such drinks can cause harmful effects on the growth and development of your child. There are wide varieties of healthy drinks which you can include in your child’s diet. So say “No” to the harmful drinks and introduce healthy, homemade and immunity boosting drinks in your child’s diet. Which drinks are not safe for children? What kinds of drinks should be included in the diet of children? Why is it important to include healthy drinks in the diet of children? Discuss here.
Parents must always give healthy homemade or natural drinks to children. Read on to find about the top 5 worst drinks which parents must never include in the diet of children. Kids are high energy little bundles of joy and most of them are blessed with raving appetites. Typically, children have a tendency of consuming drinks which appeal to them on the basis of peer preference, colour, fragrance and taste. As a parent you should know that not all types of drinks are beneficial for your children’s bodies and some are downright dangerous. Here is the list of the 5 worst drinks for kids that all parents should be well aware of.
Soft Drinks
The so called aerated beverages or soft drinks are usually a hot favourite amongst kids. Sometimes you may find that kids would much prefer slurping on a can of cola the whole day instead of sipping water. However, delicious the fizz and the aroma of soft drinks might be, the point is that they are full of sugar and have acidic properties. These things in combination can lead to decay of teeth. Each can of soft drink contain at least 9 heaped spoons of sugar. The coloured ones are worse because they have coloured additives which are especially harmful for the delicate digestive systems of kids.
Packaged Milkshakes
Packaged milkshake is a drink which is loaded with all kinds of fattening substances right from dairy fat to sugar to highly fatty toppings like cashews etc. Milkshakes especially the store made ones have high quantity of emulsified milk products too and those are difficult to digest as well as high in saturated fat. Regular consumption of milkshakes will lead to rapid ascent towards obesity. Kids love the frothy creamy sweet texture of milkshakes though but there are healthier options that you can serve instead. Try making smoothies out of fresh fruit and add a dollop of cream on top to make a delicious yet healthy drink.
Energy Drinks
Energy Drinks sometimes contain dangerously high levels of caffeine that can give the body a boost in the 100 milligram level. Well known energy drinks have very high amount of caffeine and almost no nutritive value. Drinking these kinds of drinks can make your child unstable and highly restless apart from disturbing the normal sleep patterns. There are some other controversial energy drinks which contain a stimulating substance called ma huang that is actually ephedrine. As the energy rush that follows the consumption of Ephinedrine wears off the body’s natural cycle of preparing energy can be impaired. Protect your kids from consuming these kinds of harmful drinks.
Packaged Fruit Juices
Fruit is very beneficial for kids as well as adults but chemically processed additive added “fruit juice” is not. In fact some nutritionists claim that packaged fruit juices are almost as harmful as soft drinks. Learn to read the labels at the back of these drinks and you will find that they are highly loaded with sugar, artificial colour and artificial flavour; all three of which are very harmful for the vulnerable metabolism of kids. The food acids inside that artificial juice can have a dire negative impact on your kid’s teeth too.
Unpasteurised Milk
Milk is one of the most preferred and nutritionally recommended drinks for children when it is pasteurized; when unpasteurized milk can be harmful and even downright dangerous for kids. Data from the FDA or Food and Drug Administration of USA says that drinking unpasteurized milk can pass on dangerous bacteria like E Coli or Listeria to your kid’s bodies. Soya Milk has phytic acid which causes growth issues in children. Your best option will be to stick to plain pasteurized (only stick to good brands) cow’s milk as it is nutritionally beneficial for your kids.
Avoid the above mentioned drinks at all costs for the well being of your child. Such drinks can cause harmful effects on the growth and development of your child. There are wide varieties of healthy drinks which you can include in your child’s diet. So say “No” to the harmful drinks and introduce healthy, homemade and immunity boosting drinks in your child’s diet.
Which drinks are not safe for children? What kinds of drinks should be included in the diet of children? Why is it important to include healthy drinks in the diet of children? Discuss here. 
