- National Drinking Water Alliance
New Healthy Beverage Videos from 1,000 Days and the UConn Rudd Center
The UConn Rudd Center and 1,000 Days have released two new videos that dispel the marketing hype about fruit drinks and toddler milks, inform parents about why they are not recommended for young children, and encourage parents to “keep it simple, keep it real” by serving water and plain milk to their toddlers.
Nearly one-third of toddlers consume sugary drinks at age 1, rising to almost half of 2- to 4-year-olds.¹ Both fruit drinks and toddler milks have added sugars. Toddler milks also have more sodium and less protein than plain milk, and they can cost four times as much. Fruit drinks have almost no juice and most have diet sweeteners in addition to added sugars.
Fruit drinks are the most common type of sugary drink served to young children. Toddler milks are aggressively marketed to parents of young children, and sales are growing rapidly. Research shows that providing sugary drinks to toddlers can increase their preference for “sweet” and may reduce their acceptance of unsweetened beverages such as plain milk and water.
These 45-second videos dispel the marketing hype and shed light on what’s really in these drinks in an upbeat, easy-to-follow way.
Reducing sugary drink consumption, especially toddler milks and fruit drinks, by young children is critical for a healthy start. To learn more and help spread the word click here (videos available in English and Spanish).
¹ | Kay MC, Welker EB, Jacquier EF, Story MT. Beverage Consumption Patterns among Infants and Young Children (0–47.9 Months): Data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2016. Nutrients. 2018; 10(7):825. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10070825
