What drinks do you buy for Middle Schoolers?

[ewatkins]

Now that the kids are home for the summer, they are thirsty. We serve milk at dinner and I have always been against soda as too much sugar, empty calories, diet stuff not good for you, etc. But what are the alternatives? The "juice" boxes are expensive, also pure sugar. Ditto with Gatorade, PowerAde and all those colorful flavored drinks. Is Sprite a "healthier" choice? Do you serve diet because at least it is low sugar? I have tried telling them "just have water" but that only lasts so long.
Any suggestions?

[donleyk]

We drank Kool-aid as kids. I think they still make a sugar free....

We also just drank milk when we were thirsty.

Kids have any interest in unsweetened iced tea? My parents didn't drink it sweetened so that's how we drink it.

[lorilei]

We drank water as kids. That's just how it was. We did have Kool-Aid, but that was given out in limited quantities.

The nice thing is, I grew up without a need for juice/sugar/soda... it just never became a habit. And I appreciate that.

How about making ice cubes from Kool-Aid to put in glasses of water? Or ice cubes with fruit juice?

The sugar content (overall) would be super low -- but the kids would get a kick out of how it looked. And the water might have more appeal with a tinge of color/flavor.

[Molli526]

On the same vein as the Kool-Aid cubes or juice cubes, I like to make ice cubes with lemon or lime slices. Very easy, just slice up the fruit, thickness to your liking, add water and freeze. It adds a nice zing to the water, while making it cold. Cheap and healthy :)

[tbb113]

For my kids and their friends I have:

24 cans of diet soda (a week...when its gone...its gone)
2 64-oz containers of juice (my older son drinks this usually straight from the carton...that way he doesn't have to share it)
unlimited crystal light lemonade mix
8 frappacinos (my older son who is 15 drinks them for breakfast/pick me up)

And of course they can have unlimited water.

[monsoon]

I like to serve juice mixed with seltzer water to my son. Sometimes I put frozen grapes or berries in it. It cuts the sugar in half he thinks of it like a soda. I also serve it in a pretty glass so he feels like the grown ups.

[ReneeV]

If you don't object to Splenda, you could make Decaf Iced tea with Splenda or even KoolAid with Splenda.

My mom used to give us orange juice mixed with plain ol' seltzer over ice in the summer. We loved this. It wasn't as sweet or calorie dense as plain juice and was also economical because selter can be purchased inexpensively. If your kids like this, you can try some of the flavored seltzers with other types of juices, just to keep it interesting!

Lorilei,
I like the idea of water with flavored ice cubes too. I may have to try that with my boys this summer! Thanks.

Renée

[Jazzmatazz49]

I always did the "when it's gone it's gone" thing that TBB mentioned. I also made iced tea and put in a small amount of sugar or sweetener, depending on my lifestyle at the moment. My kids drank a lot of water.

[Mlasley]

We like the fruit20 a lot. No calories, spring water beverage made with splenda and comes in some really nice flavors. We get the 24 pack case at BJs.

[ande]

What about iced herbal tea? So far my son pretty much just drinks water and a little milk and juice (he's 3.5). My husband and I occasionally have soda or iced tea and when we do, we make him some iced herbal tea with just a touch of sugar. He loves it (but like I said, he's just 3.5).

[memartha]

Two drinks my kids like are seltzer (no sugar, just the flavored bubbly water) and seltzer mixed with juice (you mix yourself).

In the summer, I also have a thing of powdered lemonade mix and now and then we mix up a pitcher, but it is full of sugar.

I am against artificial sweeteners for kids (splenda, nutra sweet, etc.). My kids get soda now and then, at the movies or on a trip, so I don't let them have it at home.

[mbrogier]

My mom did lemonaid and sweetened iced tea with less sugar. We also drank a lot of water. We never had koolaid or soda around. We loved it when she would do lemonaid pops in the freezer.

[rosie_one]

I hear you... who knew quenching thirst would be so complicated?

I'm not crazy about fake sugar for kids either. Sprite is in no way "healthier" than coke, in my mind, but at least it doesn't have caffeine in it. I feel like too much caffeine can really throw off a kid's sleep pattern. I buy the j-max juice pouches. They are 100% juice and a little larger than the regular version. But, I only buy limited quantities. My kids also love Propel (gatorade fruit flavored water), but that is mighty expensive too. I sometimes will mix a little roses lime juice into a pitcher of water for them. They like that. I also go for the 100% juice popcicles.

Mostly I make them suck up and drink water though. That has gotten easier since we got a fridge dispenser.

[newcook]

We drank water as kids. That's just how it was. We did have Kool-Aid, but that was given out in limited quantities.

Ditto that.

We had milk with meals, water in between meals, and from time to time as a special treat on very very hot days Kool-Aid.

Daniele

[memartha]

Rosie One brings up a good point... if you have something like a fridge dispenser or a cooler (we call them "bubblers" in New England) with a spigot that dispenses cold water, it is infinitely more appealing than the tap. Even a jug or pitcher of ice cold water in the fridge lets the kids grab something and pour, much like a 2-liter bottle of soda would. Maybe have a bowl of sliced lemons and limes alongside the pitcher inthe fridge to perk it up?

[hollysmom]

I'm joining the 'just drink water' club this year after telling Holly that I cannot afford to keep the neighborhood in cheese sticks and juice boxes all summer!

SSM