Drinking water is essential for our bodies to stay healthy, hydrated, and function properly. However, sometimes instead of grabbing a glass of water, we instead prefer to drink other beverages such as sports drinks, energy drinks, juices, and sodas. Though these drinks are delicious, it is easy to overlook the main ingredient that makes these drinks so appealing: sugar. Today's Nutrition Play of the Day from the Ripken Playbook will show you that in moderation, treating yourself to a sugary beverage is fine, but drinking them too often or in place of water does not support good nutrition.
In today’s Nutrition Play of the Day from the Ripken Playbook, your challenge is to check out the sugar content of your favorite beverages and think of healthier options you can drink instead.
For a healthy diet, children are recommended to consume less than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar and at least eight cups of water daily.
Hydration Challenge
Materials
- Paper
- Pen/pencil
Let's Begin!
- For three days, anytime you drink a beverage other than water, read the label and record the number of grams of sugar in the drink.
- Look at which of your drink choices have the highest sugar content and create a plan for how you can drink less of these beverages and choose healthier alternatives.
- Following your healthier beverage plan, again track the sugar content of the drinks you consume for three more days.
- Were you able to reduce your sugar intake? Which drinks had a surprisingly high sugar content? What healthier beverage options did you try instead?
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For more ways to stay eat healthily check out more Nutrition Plays of the Day from the Ripken Playbook and check out our Healthy Choices, Healthy Children – Nutrition edition!