Have you read a good beverage label lately? Labels can tell us exactly what is in a product, such as added sugar. Many of us don’t realize how much sugar there is in some of the beverages we drink. Sport’s drinks, for example, have become a staple after many types of athletic contests. But are they really better than water? If you looked at most sport drink labels, you would see that they typically have 8 ½ teaspoons of sugar (per 20 ounces)! And soda generally has over 16 teaspoons of sugar in every 20 oz. bottle. Is this really what we would like our families to drink?
While there may be some instances where different beverages are acceptable, you should generally encourage your family to drink more healthy beverages like water, fat free milk, or 100% juice. You can even “spice up” a glass of water by crushing cool summer fruits in it (think: infused lemon water as an example).
Remember that your children look to you to lead by example. So, reach for a healthy beverage the next time you would like something to drink, and your healthy modeling will have your family following suit! “Drink more water” –it’s what’s good for you.
