| Welcome! This new page on the MDA website will spotlight childhood
health and nutrition. We will be offering tips for both parents and health
professionals. In the future we'll be expanding our list of references and
resources. Thanks for visiting, and for helping MDA give ALL children
a healthier future!
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| I'M THIRSTY! WHAT'S TO DRINK?
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Tips for Parents
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| Everyone needs to drink plenty of water and 2 to 3 glasses of milk per day. |
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- Kids need to drink low fat or skim milk to get the calcium they
need for strong and healthy, bones and teeth. Make sure milk is
offered at meals and snack time
- Some older children may be lactose intolerant—asks your health
care provider or a
Registered Dietitian
for information on lactose free dairy foods and drinks.
- Tell kids not to wait until they are thirsty to drink water,
drink it all day long. Suggestions: Carry a water bottle to school,
go for water at the drinking fountain, and keep a pitcher of water
in the fridge at home.
- Go easy on soda pop, fruit punch, flavored fruit or juice drinks,
sport drinks, sweetened iced teas. The drinks have little or no
nutritional value. As a rule, don’t keep these drinks in the house.
- 100% juice is a healthy choice, but limit to 1 serving a day.
That is 6 oz or ¾ cup per day. Eat whole fruit instead to get fiber,
vitamins, and minerals.
- Resource: Michigan Department of Community Health. Healthy Kids Healthy Weight.
Think Your Drink.
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Tips for Health Professionals
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Milk
- Adequate intake (3-4 servings per day) of milk group foods
during childhood and adolescence is important for bone mass
accretion and strength. For children over the age of 2 years,
drinking low fat milk (skim-1%) is an excellent way to meet calcium
needs. Nutrient intakes of children and adolescents who drink milk
are higher in calcium, vitamin B12, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
- Milk intake has been associated with decreased risk of osteoporosis,
hypertension, and colon cancer. Drinking milk may help prevent tooth decay.
- Use of flavored milks may help increase milk intake and therefore
improve nutrient among children and adolescents. There is no evidence
that consuming flavored milks contributes to overweight. Flavored
milks are considered tooth safe by the American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry.
Sweetened Drinks
- Replacing milk with sweetened drinks, such as soda, fruit punch,
and bottled teas, is associated with weight gain and lower nutrient
intake. Children and adolescents who consume mainly soda and other
beverages high in added sugar are drinking empty calories.
- In June 2003, a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics
found that children who consumed more than 16 ounces of sweetened
drinks per day drank less milk, but did not consume fewer calories
from solid food. Net caloric intake for these children was 244
greater than for children who did not drink sweetened drinks,
which resulted in extra weight gain.
Juice
- Juice beverages should be 100% fruit juice and pasteurized.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics policy on The Use and
Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics recommends that fruit juice
should be used as part of a meal or snack.
- Children should not be allowed to carry juice around during the
day; this practice promotes dental caries. Likewise, juice should
not be sippedthroughout the day or used as a pacifier.
- Excessive juice consumption results in increased energy intake
and may contribute to the development of overweight.
- “Fruit juice offers no nutritional advantage over whole fruit,”
therefore, children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits to
meet their recommended number of servings.
- It is recommended that only infants able to drink from a cup
(approximately 6 months or older) be served juice.
- “Intake of fruit juice should be limited to 4 to 6 oz per day
for children 1 to 6 years old.”
- Intake of fruit juice should be limited to 8 to 12 oz per day for
children 7 to 18 years old.
- Resource:
The Use and Misuse
of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics.
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References/Links
Obesity Evaluation and Treatment: Expert Committee Recommendations-
an article from PEDIATRICS Vol. 102 No. 3 September 1998.
Michigan Department of Community Health
National Institute on Child Health and Human Development
US Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control
United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
UDIM is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan.
National Dairy Council.
Visit the Health Professionals link for the 3-A-Day campaign, Nutrition Library,
Newer Knowledge of Dairy Foods, Statements, and Consumer Education materials.
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