Posted on: May 19, 2011

Breaking the Soda Habit, Kid Style

Tips to help parents change the drinking habits of children

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

When a soda can is an appendage to a child’s hand and the water faucet is squeaky from disuse, parents should probably start enforcing a break in the soft-drink habit.

Today, they’ve got lots of support.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are among the foods to consume less of in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. These fluids are singled out because they pack calories without nutrients. Americans are getting more added sugar from soda or sugar-sweetened fruit drinks than from candy or dairy-based desserts, such as ice cream, according to the experts reporting in the guidelines.

Those sugars add up, especially for children.

A child’s daily can of soda could result in a one-pound weight gain each month, says Leah Sabato, registered dietitian, The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.

However, having nutrition smarts may not be enough.

Parents still need some strategies to get a child to drink more healthful beverages.

Parents should start by examining their own habits, says Sarah Krieger, registered dietitian, spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association.

“If you’re drinking soft drinks in front of your child, he’s going to ask for a sip,” says Krieger, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Take a child shopping for healthier beverages.

“Let him participate and choose a non-soft drink beverage,” Krieger says.

Understand that what works with young children might not be effective with teens.

A 13-year old who is drinking soda isn’t going to buy into this scheme, according to Krieger. But parents might get lucky.

“Your teen may have friends and role models who act as food models. They may be drinking water,” she says.

As kids are weaned off sugar-sweetened beverages, parents may wonder which beverages are preferable. Here are recommendations from nutrition experts.

Milk:

Children ages 2 to 9 should consume 2 servings daily from the dairy group, which could be two cups of fat-free or low-fat milk (or low-fat yogurt or cheese; see www.mypyramid.gov for details). Children ages 9 and older should consume 3 servings daily.

Fruit juice:

Be moderate, says Leah Sabato, who advises families on reducing their consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. She hears from parents who are substituting fruit juice for soft drinks.

“But it’s so calorie dense; maybe more so than soft drinks,” she says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting toddlers and young children to 4 to 6 ounces and children and teens to 8 to 12 ounces of fruit juice (not drink) a day.

Carbonated water:

Don’t serve it to young children because it could make them feel overly full, Krieger says.

“Once in a while it’s fine.”

Plain water:

Although it’s what parents want children to drink, don’t set a target number of glasses per day.

Instead, let children regulate how much they drink and when.

“Let your children have cues to their own thirst. Otherwise it becomes a control issue,” Krieger says.

Coffee and/or tea:

This probably won’t be an issue until the teen years, but caffeinated coffee and tea could affect an adolescent’s ability to sleep, according to Krieger, who recommends decaffeinated versions.

Chocolate milk:

“I love chocolate milk because there’s no other food that provides the nutritional quality of milk. I like it as the dessert of the meal,” Krieger says.

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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"

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