The Best Kids' Drinks to Pack
for Back-to-School Lunches
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD and Christina Newberry Published in September 2008
(HealthCastle.com) With summer coming to an end it's time to start planning (and shopping) for healthy back-to-school lunches. One of the easiest ways to up the health-factor of your kids' school lunches is to make sure you're choosing the best kids' drinks to pack in their lunchboxes or brown bags.
Top 5 Kids' Drinks to Pack for Back-to-School
Milk
Milk provides lots of essential nutrients, including protein, potassium, Vitamin D, and calcium. Depending on their age, most kids need 2 to 4 servings of dairy every day to meet their calcium needs. What you may not realize about milk is that a serving of 1% milk contains fewer calories than a serving of juice!
Calories per serving (250 mL 1% milk carton) : ~ 105
Yogurt drinks (and Kefir)
Yogurt drinks (and the fermented milk beverage called Kefir) provide many of the nutritional benefits of yogurt in a drinkable form that doesn't taste or feel too much like yogurt - so they're good even for picky eaters. They're rich in protein and calcium, and count as a serving of dairy. They also contain beneficial active live culture, which may help improve gut health and boost immune system.
Calories per serving (~ 4 oz): ~ 90
Water
Water is the perfect drink to replenish fluid loss from sweat and kids' activities. You may be tempted to throw a bottle of sports drink (or energy drink) in the lunch box instead, but sports drink is not ideal for kids. Sports drink is also known as energy drink precisely because it is a bottle full of energy - that is, calories. Most kids don't suffer from the "energy crisis" experienced by adult athletes, so they don't need all those extra calories. Many sports drinks are also packed with caffeine and herbs that are not appropriate for kids. A bottle of plain old water may not be glamorous, but it's a much better choice.
Calories per serving: 0
100% Juice
If a juice box or carton contains 100% juice, the label should day so. If the container doesn't say 100% juice, it's probably "juice drink," which can contain preservatives, sweetening agents, and even oil! If the ingredient list is a few lines long with ingredients that sound like your Chemistry 12 textbook, it's very unlikely 100% juice. Keep in mind that even 100% juice gets 100% of its calories from sugar, so the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 - 6 oz a day for kids under 6 and 8 - 12 oz a day for kids over 7.
Calories per serving (250 mL): ~ 120
Soy drinks
One serving of soy milk provides about 8g of soy protein. A diet with significant soy protein reduces total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the "Bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides. Plus, numerous studies have indicated that populations that consume soy products (as in Japan and China) have lower incidences of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. You may not think you need to worry about these concerns for young kids, but the point is that soy milk is a tasty kids' drink option with significant health benefits. Make sure to choose calcium-fortified and lightly-flavored (less sugar added) soy drinks.
Choosing a healthy kids' drink option is an important part of packing your child's lunchbox. By avoiding drinks with too much sugar or too many calories, and picking one of the healthier option loaded with nutrients, you can maximize the nutritional value of your kids' back-to-school lunches.
(HealthCastle.com) With summer coming to an end it's time to start planning (and shopping) for healthy back-to-school lunches. One of the easiest ways to up the health-factor of your kids' school lunches is to make sure you're choosing the best kids' drinks to pack in their lunchboxes or brown bags.
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