Kids. Sweet enough without soda.
Americans eat almost 100 pounds of sugar each year. To have that much sugar in your diet, you would have to have about 26 teaspoons of sugar each day. That may sound like a lot of sugar, but you’d be surprised at how much sugar is in some top-selling fruit drinks and sodas?
What does it take to reach 26 teaspoons of sugar?
A popular 20 ounce cola has 17 teaspoons of sugar. If there are 17 teaspoons in just one bottle it would not take very many of these drinks to reach 26 teaspoons. How many teaspoons are in your favorite drinks?
It is important to limit sugar to manage body weight, lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and maintain healthy teeth. Next time you’re looking for a fruity drink, try adding a slice of your favorite fruit to water to add some flavor without all the sugar.
Kids (aged two to 10) should drink water and 1 percent or fat-free white milk instead of sugar-sweetened drinks and whole milk.
- Soda, sport drinks, chocolate milk and juice have a lot of sugar, which adds empty calories.
- Sugary drinks lead to tooth decay and end up replacing milk in children's diets. Skim or 1 percent white milk is best for kids.