What is the best beverage for toddlers to be drinking?

Question

Beyond water, I've heard arguments for milk and 100% juice. Just curious. Thanks.

Answer 1

Even 100% juice contains tons of sugar and carbs.My 19 month old son's doctor said do not give him any juice.bad for teeth and health and all.
I give him flavored water and sparkling water and he loves that and still it is good for him-no sugar.Try that!

Answer 2

Milk isn't all that great. 100% juice is okay, but high in sugar. Water really is best. Look at the vitamin content of apple and grape juice - nothing there is really all that great, and there aren't a whole lot of nutrients. Orange juice at least has vitamin c and potassium..
Soy milk is good - it's high in protein and not too fatty - and the fat in it is better than animal fat. Silk has a 'Very Vanilla' milk that tastes awesome - I'd give that before juice. But I'd always offer water more often than anything else. Flavored water that doesn't have any sweeteners is good for a change...but I'd avoid nutrasweet or splenda for kids.

I saw some drinks flavored with xylitol recently - xylitol is great. It prevents cavities AND helps prevent ear infections. AND it's a natural sweetener with very few calories and no aftertaste..

Answer 3

Aside from water, milk is good, but only 2 servings a day. Juice is great to be served with meals because the calcium in milk can prevent certain vitamins from being asorbed, while juice actually aid in the asorbtion of minerals. Drinks like soda and koolaid really should never be given to children.

Answer 4

Toddlers should drink milk every day. It helps with brain growth, the vitamins are a vital part of their diet. However, too much milk will cause them to gain too much weight.
I like to give my son 1 sippy cup a day with 2 oz of 100 % juice and 6 oz of flouride water (nursery water). They don't really need all the sugar of straight juice, it's not good for their teeth. After he finishes that he gets water. Water is great for them. If they learn to drink water early in life, that will hopefully encourage them to drink it later in life.

Answer 5

What my pediatrician recommend is after turning 1, a child should drink around 24 ounces of milk a day and that for... lets say until he's an adult. For the juice, if your kid eats plenty of fruits, he does'nt really need fruit juices, he should have water, but if he does'nt eat fruits, you can give him a few ounces a day, not too much, it will show on his appetite (and of course only 100% pure).
There you go!

Answer 6

Milk and water. Juice isn't needed as long as your child eats fruits...but if you have to give them juice choose the no sugar added splenda juices. I am a diabetic and honestly juice is just sugar water and my pediatrician agrees, there is no need for juice as long as you are eating your fruits and vegetables or taking vitamins.

Answer 7

Our doctor suggested water and milk, but to stay away from juices other than occasionally and now my daughter loves milk and water - I can't really ask for anything healthier.

Answer 8

Milk is, of course, vital to the wellbeing of your child. Make sure to buy organic milk, as the hormonal additives in normal milk may cause negative effects on your child.

Answer 9

Nobody needs juice. It is very high in sugar (even the ones without added sugar are high in fruit sugar). At least when you eat fruit it has fibre to keep you full.

The best beverage for toddlers is breastmilk.
Second best is goat's milk, which is closest to breastmilk.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp
Third best is formula milk.
Fourth best is cow's milk, which can cause anemia among other problems:


http://www.askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp#T031014
SWITCHING TO MILK
I've been feeding my baby iron-fortified formula. When is it okay to switch to whole cow's milk? Research comparing cow's milk and formula-fed infants during the first year of life has shown that cow's milk is irritating to the intestines of a tiny infant, causing infants to lose a tiny bit of blood in their stools, contributing to iron deficiency anemia. There is very little iron in cow's milk anyway, and the iron that is there is poorly absorbed. Concern about iron-deficiency anemia has led the American Academy of Pediatrics, backed by solid research, to discourage the use of cow's milk in children under one year of age. One of America's top pediatric hematologists (blood specialist), the late Dr. Frank Oski , Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkin University (and co-author of a book entitled: Don't Drink Your Milk) advised parents to be cautious and not rush into the use of cow's milk, even during the second year of life. At present it would seem prudent to continue giving your baby iron-fortified formula during the second year of life and very gradually wean him to dairy products, beginning with yogurt. If your toddler generally has a balanced diet and routine hemoglobin tests show that he is not even close to being anemic, then switch from formula to whole milk sometime during the second year, but don't be in a hurry.

NUTRITIP
Dairy Dates

• no cow's milk before age one
• whole milk until two
• nonfat or low-fat milk after two

Answer 10

Both of them are good for the toddler.