Drinks Your Kids Should Stay Away From

There are lots of drinks out there that promote themselves as healthy drinks for kids when that couldn't be farther from the truth. Even drinking large amounts of 100% fruit juice isn't great for kids since they contain a lot of sugar. Some of the biggest drink offenders include:

- Sports drinks - Contain tons of added sugar and sodium.
- Diet sodas - Artificial sweeteners like aspartame are not good for anyone, but they are especially bad for children. Remember that caffeine should also be avoided as it affects children a lot more than adults.
- Energy drinks - Do you really want your child to be more hyper than they already are?
- Flavored milk - Making your own chocolate milk is fine, but pre-flavored mixes typically have much higher amounts of sugar, fat and calories.
- Fruit drinks - These drinks don't actually include fruit, or any other health benefits.

By learning which drinks are healthy for kids, which should be consumed in moderation (basically everything except water), and which drinks to completely avoid giving to your little ones, you can start your child on the road to lifelong healthy eating.

Choosing delicious and healthy kids' drinks like the ones listed in this article are also great for adults, and setting a good example is the best way to teach healthy eating (and drinking) habits to your children.

So the next time your children start bugging you for a soda, why not create any of these delicious drink choices instead? Your kids will get the sweetness they are craving without all the additives and other junk they definitely don't need. Plus, with drinks this delicious, your children may start asking for your now-famous fruit sodas and smoothies instead of sodas or sports drinks.