Soda Alternatives Your Kids Will Love
Breaking the Soft Drink Habit With Delicious, Healthy Drinks
Jun 14, 2009
Making the transition to a soda-free life isn’t always easy, especially when you offer only bland beverages to replace fizzy, sweet, colorful sodas. Here are some delicious recipes designed to help your family break the daily soda habit.
Fruit Fizzies
Fruit fizzies (or fruit sodas) are a combination of 1/3 pure juice and 2/3 plain carbonated water (such as seltzer or sparkling water). Orange and pineapple juices are a sweet, easy sell. Pomegranate, blueberry and black cherry juices are delicious antioxidant powerhouses that pack a punch, so you may want to cut down the ratio to 1/5 juice to 4/5 seltzer in those cases.
You can also combine fruit purees with the seltzer. Simply blend berries, mangos, or other fruits in a blender, and use them in the same way as juice. Let your kids explore produce, frozen fruits and 100% juices and nectars at the grocery store, and let them come up with their own combinations.
Seltzer or sparkling water is available by the bottle at nearly every grocery and convenience store. However, to reduce waste and, ultimately, save money, consider purchasing a soda siphon to make your own seltzer at home.
Fruit Tea Coolers
Fruit-flavored tea bags are an almost instant way to flavor water − no need to hot brew! Buy a variety pack (like Celestial Seasonings’ Fruit Tea Sampler) and let your kids pop their choice of teabag into cold water. Within minutes, the flavor will intensify, and kids love to watch the water change color. Keep teabags, age-appropriate glasses and water within easy reach so that your kids can serve themselves.
Apple/Cucumber Water
This is an ultra-refreshing change of pace, especially in the summer months. Simply add sliced apples and cucumbers to a pitcher of water, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Try tossing in fresh mint, too.
Natural Sodas
There are a variety of natural sodas on the market, such as Hansen’s and Izze. Although free from artificial additives or caffeine, they still contain quite a lot of sugar (cane and/or naturally-occurring fructose) and should be consumed only in moderation. However, they are a better choice for your child’s health.
Eliminating soda from your children’s daily diet is one of the best things you can do for their health, both now and in the future. For more information about soda’s damaging effects on children’s bodies, and to discover strategies for reducing your family’s soft drink consumption, read “Reducing Soda Consumption Improves Children’s Health”
Soda may seem impossible to give up, and the kids may put up a fight at first…but enter into this healthy transition with a positive attitude, and introduce your family to a fun, creative world of new drinks!
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