Other Beverages for Children
Don’t be shocked if your child starts asking for other tasty drinks in addition to milk and water as soon as they can communicate. People are biologically programmed to seek sweetness, so once youngsters have a taste of juice or even soda, they are unlikely to forget the flavor of these other drinks. However, experts advise against frequently — at least — acceding to requests to fill the cup with OJ.
Juice and soda have little nutritional value and include excessive amounts of added sugar, which are not healthy for young children, according to Shea.
In fact, the AAP advises limiting fruit juice consumption in children between the ages of 1 and 3 to no more than 4 ounces daily. The AAP recommends completely avoiding fruit juice and concentrating on increasing the intake of whole fruits for kids who are underweight or overweight.
What about soda and sports drinks, among other sweet drinks? Ignore them. It is not advisable to include them in your toddler’s diet because of their high sugar content and low nutritious value.