Drinks

Children are usually more thirsty than adults because their bodies do not adjust well to a sudden loss of fluid, such as occurs for example in an attack of sickness and diarrhoea or during hot weather. A two-year-old needs at least half a litre of fluid a day and a three-year-old at least three-quarters of a litre with more in hot weather. The amount and concentration of urine gives a guide to the adequacy of the fluid intake.

Fruit squashes contain very little fruit and a great deal of sugar and additives, so get your child into the habit of drinking milk, fruit juice and water instead. The label ‘natural unsweetened fruit juice’ on a drink means it must contain 100 per cent fruit and no added sugar or preservatives. Concentrated fruit juice is also pure fruit, but needs diluting because it has been thickened and reduced in quantity. Fruit nectar contains 25–50 per cent fruit, up to 20 per cent sugar and large amounts of water, plus possibly preservatives, but exact quantities must be given on the packet. Fruit drinks have even less fruit and more sugar and water. Fizzy drinks like Cola and lemonade are fine for treats, but are not good thirst- quenchers because they are so sweet: this tends to make children even thirstier, is bad for their teeth and takes their appetite away for more important foods. The amount of sugar in Cola is about 8 per cent, in Lucozade 15–17 per cent. Since most older children do learn to love fizzy drinks, you could let them mix fizzy mineral water with fruit juice to make their own concoctions – cheaper, healthier and more thirst-quenching – or make your own Soda Stream drinks with fruit juices.