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Beverages

Milk and water are healthy beverages for kids.

What children drink can have a major effect on how many calories they consume and how much calcium they get to build strong bones.

That said, milk and water should be your main "go-to" drinks for toddlers and preschoolers.

(See Infant feeding for ways to encourage mothers’ nursing efforts for babies.)


Giving the Right Drinks in the Right Amounts

Here are some helpful hints about how much of which kinds of beverages kids should get at what age — and which drinks to avoid altogether.

 
Make way for water.

When it comes to keeping kids hydrated, it doesn’t get much better than plain old water. And it’s wise to serve toddlers and preschoolers only water at meals — so that they don’t get filled up with milk or juice, making it less likely they'll have room to eat.

 
Make room for milk.

Here are some guidelines on what kind of milk to give to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers:

  • Infants (up to 12 months old) should get only breast milk and/or formula — never cow's milk.
  • From 1 year (12 months) to 2 years (24 months) old, stick to whole milk — toddlers need the dietary fats to help their brains and bodies develop and grow like they should.
  • For 2- to 5-year-olds, start serving fat-free (skim) and low-fat (1%) milk.

A word on milk: Don’t overdo it. Kids shouldn’t get more than 16 to 24 fluid ounces (2 to 3 cups) a day. That’s because milk affects how the body absorbs iron. Milk doesn’t contain much iron either. And when kids don’t get enough iron (or “iron deficiency”) it may lead to anemia (a very common nutritional deficiency in kids). That can affect their physical, mental, and behavioral development.

 
Juice news you can use.

Babies don’t need any juice at all. And 4-6 ounces of juice a day (that's less than one cup) is more than enough for children over age 1. Just make sure it’s 100% fruit juice — not fruit drink, punch, or cocktail.

 
Say "so long" to sugary drinks.

Wondering how bad a couple of sugary drinks here and there can be? Consider this: A 12-ounce non-diet, carbonated soft drink contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. And kids who guzzle down one or more 12-ounce sweetened soft drinks per day are 60% more likely to be obese.

Tools & Resources

From Nemours' KidsHealth.org:

» View Our Resource Center

Try to keep healthy beverages for kids, like water, available.

When you can:

  • Offer water all day
    and during meals.
  • Don’t serve sugary drinks.
  • Allow one serving
    (4-6 ounces) of 100%
    fruit juice per day.
  • Give low-fat or non-fat milk for kids 2 and up.