Published : Oct 24, 2018

How to Invent Healthy Drinks That Will Make Your Kids Forget Soda

Put a can of soda, orange juice, and a glass of water in front of your child and there’s a big chance your little one will quickly grab the carbonated drink. Most children are automatically drawn to colorful, sugary and fizzy beverages simply because they are filling and due to their sweet taste.

Unfortunately, sodas aren’t exactly the healthiest drinks for kids. They contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine. When consumed regularly and in high quantities, they can cause obesity, dental cavities, and even diabetes. Large amounts of caffeine, which kids can end up consuming if they keep drinking sodas, can also cause headaches, jitters, an upset stomach, headaches, and sleeping problems. They may taste great, but they offer nothing nutritious to anyone.

Getting Kids to Drink Less Carbonated Beverages

If your child is fond of drinking sodas, you can put a stop to this unhealthy habit by giving her healthier options to choose from. This means offering her nutritious beverages, preferably those that you made so that you can be sure all the ingredients are fresh and devoid of artificial and possibly harmful substances.

Thinking out of the box is essential if you want to get your kid off the habit of drinking sodas. To make sure that you come up with healthy drinks that your child will really love, keep the tips below in mind:

• Use only fresh ingredients.

Whether you want to whip up a beverage made of your child’s favorite fruits or you want to introduce some new ones, make sure you use only the freshest ingredients you can find. Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially organic ones, always taste better than week-old ones, and they contain more nutrients. In addition, they look more appealing as well. Your child might not want to taste a fresh mango shake if its color isn’t yellow (the shake could turn brown if you used mangoes that are overly ripe, and they will taste a bit off, too, even if you add some sweetening ingredients).

• Use ingredients your child likes.

To wean your child off from sodas, choose ingredients that they like in your recipes. For instance, if she loves bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and carrots, make beverages made of these ingredients first. If your little one has a sweet tooth, add some organic honey, yogurt, or even a scoop of low-fat ice cream to make a drink that suits her palate. You can even add a few teaspoons of PediaSure for kids so that the beverage will taste better and also be more nutritious.

Keep in mind that your goal is to reduce your child’s craving for sodas, so play to her preferences first. You can introduce other ingredients such as green leafy vegetables and not-so-sweet fruits later on.

• Make the beverage cold and refreshing.

Kids love cold drinks, shakes, ice creams, and popsicles, so you won’t go wrong if you use the blender to come up with a cold, tasty drink for your little one. Add some ice cubes to a cup of their favorite fruit, plus some fresh or powdered high protein milk, yogurt, or fat-free ice cream. Put them all in the blender and you will have a refreshing beverage that they won’t be able to say no to.

• Add some texture.

A lot of kids aren’t particularly fond of drinking fresh juices, milk, and water because they find them “boring.” You can get them to drink more of these healthier beverages by adding some texture. For instance, you can add oats to a glass of milk. Aside from the additional texture and taste, you’re adding more fiber to their diet as well. For fresh juices and water, you can add a slice of lemon or cucumber or a sprig of mint. They can munch on these additional fruits and herbs, which can improve the taste as well.

• Make drinking or sipping these beverages really irresistible.

Kids eat and drink with their eyes. You can entice them to drink more of your healthy concoctions by serving them in glasses or containers that they really find appealing. If they have a favorite glass or cup, use this in serving the beverage. You can also consider buying a sippy cup, a tumbler with a straw, or a drinking bottle with their favorite cartoon character so that they will want to drink anything that’s inside it.

Here are a couple of recipes for quick, easy-to-make, nutritious and yummy drinks for your kids:

• Banana Yogurt or Smoothie

Put one ripe banana, one scoop of PediaSure Complete Vanilla, a half cup of milk, and a quarter cup of yogurt in a blender. Blend until smooth or you get the right consistency.

• Peach Jell-O Shake

For this recipe, get a box of unflavored Jell-O or gelatin and cook it as per instructions. When done, let the Jell-O mixture cool for at least three minutes. Next, pour the gelatin mixture, one cup of halved peaches and some syrup, four to five scoops of PediaSure Complete Vanilla, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of crushed ice. Blend until smooth. This is a refreshing, flavorful fruity drink that kids will love.

With some research, creativity, and extra effort, you can get your child to minimize or avoid drinking sodas – one less thing to worry about. You can be sure that they are drinking healthier beverages, too.