Teenagers and the beverages they want to drink..

[Colleen]

I thought you were going to say two cans of soda a week ~ which would still be two more than acceptable, imo ~ but...two cans a DAY?!!! And then tea and lemonade, too? Oh, my good grief. Consider the bad habit your fostering in your children: Spending money on junk drinks that contribute to poor health? No. Not good. At all.

 

I really don't know what the teen factor has to do with this, btw. My teen drinks what he's always been drinking, and what his brothers drink: Water (not bottled in plastic) and milk (raw in our case, since we produce it right here on the farm). At this time of year, I buy a gallon of fresh apple cider each week, as a treat.

 

My advice: Stop buying soda. Period.

[momof2boys]

I know exactly how much sugar soda has in it. They don't drink more than 2 cans a day and about 2 weeks out of the month they do not get any soda because we don't have any in the house until payday(guess I should have stated this). They drink lots of water ,tea ,juices in addition to the soda. I do not consider drinking a couple of cans of soda any worse than allowing them to eat candy,cakes, pies,etc.. on a daily basis. We rarley have those things in our house. However, I think that we are going to limit our soda to pizza, or hamburgers. We usually have one or both of these meals a week. I think that I will continue to allow them to have soda when we go out to eat(which is very rare). Thanks or everyones responses. What we allow our children to have and not have is an individual thing I guess and each of us has to do what we think is best for our family.

Thanks,

Gloria

 

P.S. As far as their teeth go they both have beautiful teeth and go to the dentist every 6 months and have never had a cavity. Other than the soda they eat very healthy diets and get plenty of calicum and all the necessary nutrients in their diet. I think it is funny how people think that if you give our child soda during the day then they must get lots of sugar and have healthy diets.

Edited October 27, 2009 by momof2boys

[momof2boys]

Colleen, the tea is unsweetened and lemonade is rare. We eat a very healthy diet and I am not worried about fostering bad habits in my boys. they can do without when they have to with no problems. I was asking about teens because that is what I have and what I wanted to know about. They do not like tap water and if they will drink more water if it is bottled natural spring water then I buy it. It is worth it to me. But I guess to each his own.

Thanks for your comments.

Gloria

[Spy Car]

I know exactly how much sugar soda has in it. They don't drink more than 2 cans a day and about 2 weeks out of the month they do not get any soda because we don't have any in the house until payday(guess I should have stated this). They drink lots of water ,tea ,juices in addition to the soda. I do not consider drinking a couple of cans of soda any worse than allowing them to eat candy,cakes, pies,etc.. on a daily basis. We rarley have those things in our house. However, I think that we are going to limit our soda to pizza, or hamburgers. We usually have one or both of these meals a week. I think that I will continue to allow them to have soda when we go out to eat(which is very rare). Thanks or everyones responses. What we allow our children to have and not have is an individual thing I guess and each of us has to do what we think is best for our family.

Thanks,

Gloria

 

Hey Gloria, take 90 minutes and watch the video I linked to earlier. Then think about it. Reason through the scientific explanation and ask yourself if it doesn't make sense?

 

I'd be surprised if your attitudes towards sodas, candy, and other fructose and sucrose containing foods remains the same.

 

All the best,

 

Bill

Edited October 27, 2009 by Spy Car

[TravelingChris]

I don't buy soda at all. I don't find it healthy since it ruins teeth. My teens drink milk, juice, and water mostly. The girls also like hot chocolate and lemonade which they make from mixes I buy in big containers. I enforce rinsing the mouth for my youngest after juice or lemonade or using straws. She has enamel problems. They also drink tea occasionally and the oldest and youngest drink coffee at times. My oldest likes soda but he would have to buy it and he has no funds and no way to make any since he has an 18 credit semester with all upperlevel or grad level classes.

[Spy Car]

For those who care, the afore-mentioned video also shows how fruit juices and chocolate milk are not healthy beverage choices.

 

Bill

[Heather in WI]

No teenage boys yet, but I'm sure we'll have to deal with this when they get older.

 

So far the older two are allowed one soda a few times a year (family birthday parties) and that's it. We limit theirs to non-caffeinated, regular cane sugar soda (like the Jones or Boylan brands) instead of HFCS- or Splenda- based sodas.

 

I imagine when they're older, it will be a couple of times a week like their dad. :)

Edited October 27, 2009 by Heather in WI

[Colleen]

What we allow our children to have and not have is an individual thing I guess and each of us has to do what we think is best for our family.

We eat a very healthy diet and I am not worried about fostering bad habits in my boys...I was asking about teens because that is what I have and what I wanted to know about...But I guess to each his own.

 

Yes, to each his own, and of course each of us does what we think is best for our family. You asked, though, and it's clear from the majority of responses that most people wouldn't allow their children (teen or otherwise) two cans of soda daily, regardless of whether or not they want it.

[Haiku]

I do not consider drinking a couple of cans of soda any worse than allowing them to eat candy,cakes, pies,etc.. on a daily basis.

 

I doubt most of the people who posted on this thread would allow that, either. It's not really relevant whether soda is better or worse than other forms of junk food. It's junk food.

 

I think it is funny how people think that if you give our child soda during the day then they must get lots of sugar

 

Well, they DO get lots of sugar. Nearly 20 teaspoons a day if you let them drink two sodas a day. I can't imagine who would say 20 teaspoons is not "lots of sugar."

 

Tara

[Murphy101]

Hm. I would refuse to have such a marital argument.

It's not healthy.

It's addictive.

Dh doesn't like them to have it.

I personal never drink the stuff. (my body can't process the bubbles!)

So it's not worth arguing about to me.

I'd simply stop buying the junk and thus there's nothing to fuss about at all.

 

My dh drink diet pepsi out of the 2 liter like other people drink from a can. It's terribly addictive and hard on teeth and kidneys. Not to mention everything they miss when drinking pop. Iow if they are drinking pop then they are not drinking milk or water.

 

Dh's addiction started when his type 1 diabetic self came home from school and the first ever can of diet pepsi was sitting on the table all ice cold and waiting for him. Finally he could drink something other than water without worrying about insulin. He was beyond thrilled and has been a loyal customer ever since.

 

But neither of us permit it for any of the kids.

The teens are given a bit of leaway in that once in a while they get root beer or my mostly milk coffee on the occassions when they'd like to feel more grown up. :)

Edited October 27, 2009 by Martha

[Heather in the Kootenays]

No soda in our house - only water and milk. It's expensive and unhealthy. Why bother? They sometimes get soda when we're out.

[WiseOwlKnits]

My kids are (obviously) younger, but DH and I gave up Coke when DD was 2. Between the two of us, we'd go through a 2-liter of Coke/Dr. Pepper/Sunkist in a day or less. We feel we're their best role models and didn't want our children growing up seeing their parents hooked on Coke and thinking that was OK. After we gave it up, my DH lost 40 pounds, without upping his exercise or changing anything else about his diet. I wish I could say the same, but I do feel like I'm a better role model. We don't plan to change anything as they get older and I won't have it in our house because I don't want to get hooked on it and I don't want to encourage them to drink it.

 

Having said that, our DD has had Sprite on a few very very rare occasions, probably twice in the last year. She didn't really like it that much and hasn't asked for it again. Our DS hasn't ever had even a sip...but what 2-year old really needs to be drinking that stuff? LOL!

[brightside]

Years of soda really destroyed the enamel on my teeth. According to my dentist the clear sodas are even worse than the dark colas (more acid). I can no longer have any sodas or any citrus juices since my enamel is so delicate and damaged. My dentist maintains that if you have to have a soda or citrus juice drink to use a straw if possible and finish it straight away (don't drag it around for an hour sipping on it) and rinse with clear water afterwards. YMMV

[amy g.]

I don't like my kids to drink soda, but I sure enjoy having a Diet Pepsi when my stomach is upset.

 

That is until I watched this documentary on Aspartame.

 

http://www.levieneelman.com/health/documentary-aspartame.html

 

 

Ummm...holes in my brain? I think I have enough of those already.

[Lolly]

4 teens here, well almost.

 

I buy diet sodas for fil. The kids are not supposed to drink his soda. Sometimes, I find a can where a can should not be. Other than that, I buy a 2 liter Mexican soda when we have tacos. They have real sugar in them. I do allow them to get a soda if we are at an order by number fast food restaurant. If you are being bad, why not take it to the limit? Other than that, it is water. Except for dd17, she is allowed a bottle of green tea a day.

 

Btw, I had the one a day rule here too. It just didn't seem to work. The soda kept disappearing. Sort of like fil's diet sodas, only in much larger quantities. They tend to stay away from his diet ones because they know it is poison. Not nearly as much desire.

[Kathleen in VA]

Thought this was intersting:

 

http://www.blisstree.com/healthbolt/what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-drink-a-coke-right-now/

 

Thanks for posting that - very interesting. It also reminded me that the video Bill (SpyCar) mentioned also makes the point that the sugar you drink in soda and fruit juice actually becomes fat due to the way the liver metabolizes it. That's why so many kids these days are obese - they are literally drinking fat. :tongue_smilie:

[Danestress]

My kids only have it when we are out at a restaurant or at a party. I almost never buy it for the house.

 

But my children do eat a lot of sweets. We have something around for dessert almost every night. I don't love that they eat sweets that way, so I try to compensate by not having lots of "hidden" sugar sources. We drink almost no soda because they are already eating sugar in other things. If we were not sweet eaters, I wouldn't be as concerned about soda.

[JudoMom]

My guys aren't teenagers yet, but I don't see my position changing in the future, so I'll post anyway.

 

My guys get 1 cup of milk/day (with breakfast) and 1 cup of juice/day (with dinner). The rest of the time they get water. Soda is a treat.

 

I was able to drink as much soda as I wanted growing up, and I had to work hard to give it up and aquire a taste for water. I think the diet stuff isn't healthy (it has affected me negatively) and there are too many calories in regular soda.

 

In addition to the health reasons, if I let my boys drink 2 cans a day it would be at least a $14 a week habit. This is the main reason I'm sure I won't change my position.

[BikeBookBread]

It is my intention to re-start the Sugar Wars :glare:, but if you have a chance, watch King Korn, especially the part about high fructose corn syrup and pop... it is available on Netflix as DVD and instant-view. The questions about sugars are complex issues, but dumping sugar-pop might be one of the easiest and best things to do for your family, and a good place to start.

[nukeswife]

I think it's really a personal thing to decide. You and DH need to come to a compromise that you can live with.

 

Many seem to feel that soda is the enemy and will rot the teeth right out of your head. I'll probably get flamed for this but I'm a soda drinker, I usually have between 2-4 cans a day. I can't stand drinking water straight, even if you put lemon or some other fruit etc in it I just can't drink it. Dh and I also don't limit soda for our kids. Our oldest who is 10 doesn't like it, never has and only drinks water or milk, our middle child is almost 8 and is like her mom and drinks 1-3 sodas a day, our youngest is 4 and will have the occasional soda if we're out but mostly prefers sweet tea or chocolate milk. None of the kids are big candy eaters.

 

As for the teeth well my oldest has had the most dental work of them all but eats the least amount of sweets of us all. My middle dd has never had a cavity ever and is also the most fit of us besides the 4 year old.

 

I don't think you can blame dental problems on sugar alone, there are many other factors that go in to it. I have had many dental issues over the years, but all of my dentists attribute it to the high amounts of antibiotics and steroids I was on as a child due to my asthma, not the amount of sweets I was allowed to eat.

 

Just some info from a different persepective, but all of this was to say you really need to find a middle ground you and dh can live with.

[LauraGB]

I have only glanced at all the responses so far, and I plan to watch the video later (so thanks for posting it!), but I wanted to chime in. My personal opinion has always been that soda is "poison" - dramatic, I know;), but my take on it.

 

My mother drank a lot of Pepsi (think the 8 pack bottles from back in the day - the whole pack, every day!). She has had dentures since she was 48 yrs old. Her teeth didn't look bad because she thoroughly took care of them, but they fell out and her dentist said it had a lot to do with her soda addiction.

 

Dh insists that he lost 50lbs in his later teen years "just" from eliminating soda from his diet; most likely what happened is that after eliminating all the empty calories and non food from his body, his energy levels increased and his cravings went down and his body started to metabolize his food correctly. To this day, it is a rare occurance for him to buy a soda (although, I have seen him do it a few times over the last 15 years).

 

Rarely will I let the kids have soda. If we go out for pizza, a root beer is potentially less harmful than a glass of tap water, given the state of our city's water supply.

 

Also, on a side note, while I dislike regular soda and everything it stands for, DIET soda is even worse. (Guess what my mom drinks now, btw, because somehow she missed the point entirely) The false sugar in there is a hundred times worse than the real stuff anyday.

 

JMO :)

 

ETA to actually answer your question, lol! Don't buy it - save your money for something better. If your kids are used to soda, there are a lot of good quality juice spritzers; the sweetness and the bubbles are there :-) Knudsen is one that comes to mind that my kids like for special occasions at home.

Edited October 27, 2009 by LauraGB
changed harmless to harmful because it made more sense :-)

[DesertDweller]

My dd, who is fourteen, limits herself to one can of soda per day. There may be exceptions occasionally, and there are many days that she doesn't have any. She is lactose intolerant, so generally, her other beverage of choice is water. She occasionally likes white grape juice, but we seldom buy it.

 

We've discussed the reasons too much soda is unhealthy and loaded with sugar and calories, etc. She's made the choice to limit it based on that.

[Ruthie]

My oldest is now 13 and none of my kids drink soda.

 

I allowed my children to have their first sip when my youngest was 7 cause he was so curious and they offered it during a history class in co-op.

 

My other two watched to see what would happen. My son took one sip and began to cry cause it burned his throat ;).

 

No one has touched it since. They don't drink juice either.

 

Soda is nasty, gross and just plain yuck. I was fortunate, though, to have not had the habit started when I was young. Now chocolate...

[Snickerdoodle]

I allowed my children to have their first sip when my youngest was 7 cause he was so curious and they offered it during a history class in co-op.

 

 

 

 

My two had it exactly one time and my younger vomited all over the restaurant after trying it. Perhaps he vomited for totally unrelated reasons (who knows, I think he was overheated) but the correlation between soda and vomit is very strong now for my boys. :lol:

[lionfamily1999]

I have two teenage boys and it is a constant battle with my husband on what they drink. They like to drink soda and I usually let them have 2 cans of soda a day and then they drink tea and sometimes lemonade. I know that soda is not healthy for you but personally I do not think that drinking 2 cans of soda a day is going to necessarily hurt them. They do drink bottle water also. My husband thinks they should never drink soda and everyday fussies about it. So I was wondering what you guys let your teenagers drink during the day. I myself drink 1 can of soda almost everyday but I do drink a ton of water during the day also and my husband even fussies about my one soda a day. But he will drink soda on the weekends and even buys it at work occasionally. When I question him about drinking soda on the weekend he always says that if it were not in the house he would not drink it, which is probably true. So what do you guys think?

Gloria

If it's a real bone of contention, then I'd drop the soda, if only for peace. Talk to your dh, maybe you can compromise on one a day? I do think he may be suffering from 'do as I say, not as I do' if he's drinking it as well.

 

Soda is not great for you, but I don't forsee an early death from one or two a day. Dh drinks it, the kids drink ginger ale, but I abstain, my stomach can't take it anymore.

[tonya in sc]

No soda in the house except for parties. They can order soda when we eat out, which is 1-2x a week. Most of the time, they drink tea. Which is, of course, just another form of caffeinated sugar water. But I'm ok with that.

Blessings,

t

[Georgiana Daniels]

We have a 1 soda per day rule for my teen (and that's what I have too.)

 

I must mention--when I was growing up I was only allowed 1 soda per week, and my parents were strict about it. Well, it backfired because as soon as I was able to buy it on my own, I OVERindulged. In a big way. Still trying to get over the habit.

[angela in ohio]

My oldest is now 13 and none of my kids drink soda.

 

I allowed my children to have their first sip when my youngest was 7 cause he was so curious and they offered it during a history class in co-op.

 

My other two watched to see what would happen. My son took one sip and began to cry cause it burned his throat ;).

 

No one has touched it since. They don't drink juice either.

 

Soda is nasty, gross and just plain yuck. I was fortunate, though, to have not had the habit started when I was young. Now chocolate...

 

My oldest dd had never had soda as a little one. My m-i-l insisted that she HAD to try it to be a normal kid. So, at about 5, dd had her first sip of soda in the food court at the mall, bright orange soda. She took one big drink and then spewed it all over m-i-l, crying that it burned her mouth. Of course, I was horrified. ;)

 

I was drinking Coca-Cola with my Pop Tarts for breakfast from kindergarten on. I finally kicked the habit (5-6 cans/day) cold turkey about three years ago. I was so sick I thought I was dying for about two months, but now I am free!! I can now drink a caffeine-free root beer with dinner at a restaurant every once in a while.

[KingM]

This is instructive:

 

http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

 

 

And they're getting two sodas a day. So yeah, quite a bit of sugar.

[Laurie4b]

I agree with your husband. I have 3 teenagers. No soda . We'll let them get it sometimes when they are out or at a ball game. I never buy it. Lemonade would be in the same category.

 

Our kids drink water, milk, tea, and certain 100% fruit juices (only 1 glass of fruit juice per day.)

 

Liquid calories are a fast track to obesity because your body doesn't "note" them the same way it notes solid calories consumed. Additionally,soda is totally empty calories--not a nutritional thing about it. Sodas and lemonade are both acidic and that combination is really hard on tooth enamel.

[angela in ohio]

This is instructive:

 

http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

 

 

 

The bad news from that list: fruit juice, chocolate milk, lemonade, and tea have a LOT of sugar. The good new: Mike's Hard Lemonade doesn't look so bad... :D

[SonshineLearner]

Boy, I'm the bad one around here. I LOVE tv... LOVE chocolate... and LOVE Soda. Of course, my tv is hard to not watch, I try not to keep Chocolate in the house, either... and I drink soda when out or maybe once or twice I'll bring soda home. My son is really affected by soda and caffeine. Moderation is the key... the less the better. I need to remember juice and seltzer. That's what I drank when I was younger. Also, the sodas without the high fructose syrup are better. I try to purchase those....

Carrie:-)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I allow soda only about once a month - it is usually when we are eating out either at someone's house for a party or at a restaurant. Most of the time I will try to redirect them to lemonade instead as a treat. Otherwise - at home we drink water or herbal tea. Ds12 likes a good mint tea. We do occasionally have a small glass of juice at breakfast.

[eternalknot]

Ds12 likes a good mint tea.

 

I just tried "mint" tea for the first time this week, and it was QUITE delicious! My kids love mint, and on a whim decided to add some fresh leaves to their (plain) white tea. It was so good, we've had it this way every night since :) it's a refreshing change of pace.

[hsmom3tn]

I used to let my kids have one soda a day, since that is what I was allowed when I was a child. A few months ago I decided to stop buying cans of soda in order to cut down on our grocery bill. We were spending a lot on them because everyone that lives here and everyone that came over would drink them. Now I only buy soda in 2 liter bottles for the weekend. They usually choose Hawaiian Punch and a soda. They are allowed to have one big cup a day or two small cups. This way they're not drinking too much and everyone gets some. It has saved us a lot of money, and they don't really seem to miss having soda during the week.

[justamouse]

We don't drink soda. Period. The only time I buy it is for guests-or parties. High Fructose corn syrup will destroy your blood sugar.

 

We just don't drink empty calories. And the soda, now that I have it so rarely, makes us pretty sick. The Pepsi Throwback without the HFCS sits OK with me though, which was nice.

 

When I give my kids sugar within a half hour they are NUTSO. It's like they mainlined it and can't contain themselves. We eat carrots and hummus, wasa with cheeses, fruits, lots of tea (herbal) tons of water and milk. My kids are also beanpoles, too though so I freely let them drink as much whole milk as they want. I tease them that I need to feed them sticks of butter.

 

Here's the thing though, I don't deny them sweets at all. I just regualte when they ahve them. I love chocolate, and it's so good for you so I let them have at the Dove Darks. (Dove Dark is one of the kinds that was used in medical studies for fighting heart disease) I let them drink hot chocolate (I make it from scratch with Hershey's Dark powder with the bioflavinoids). They actually drink it every morning. *g* But soda and fruit juices? Except for some OJ every day, nope.

 

Edited to add--My 19 yo is in a position where he cannot have sugar much at all anymore, and he just told me he feels like he doesn't have ADHD anymore. His concentration has made a huge improvement, and when he was home? Drank anything with sugar that he could get his hands on, which was gallons and gallons of fresh OJ.

Edited October 27, 2009 by justamouse

[BikeBookBread]

I let them drink hot chocolate (I make it from scratch with Hershey's Dark powder with the bioflavinoids). They actually drink it every morning.

 

 

That sounds really good right now. What do you use for sweetener? ETA: ...if anything :)

[justamouse]

That sounds really good right now. What do you use for sweetener? ETA: ...if anything :)

 

Demerara dark raw sugar. But just enough that it takes the bitterness away, not so that it's sweet. And I add cayenne and cinnamon into it too. Just a flick of the cayenne really sparks the chocolate.

 

You're right, that does sound good now...:D I love it because bitter chocolate kills my sweet tooth.

[BikeBookBread]

Demerara dark raw sugar. But just enough that it takes the bitterness away, not so that it's sweet. And I add cayenne and cinnamon into it too. Just a flick of the cayenne really sparks the chocolate.

 

You're right, that does sound good now...:D I love it because bitter chocolate kills my sweet tooth.

 

THANKS! I have raw sugar on hand always (for my coffee addiction :glare:). I think I'll try this tomorrow morning for the girlies.

[Jean in Wisc]

My teens drink water, milk, and sometimes tea or coffee. Fruit juice or lemonade is on hand, but we probably do not have it more than once or twice a month. We only drink caffeinated drinks to help us stay awake when driving.

 

My dh buys soda, but the kids don't drink it. My boys wouldn't touch a soda--I almost think they consider it evil...but then, if you drink it and run cross-country, it makes you throw up, so, in their experience, evil might just be true. LOL!

 

Jean

[Rosie_0801]

I think people ought to fund their own bad habits. If I was the OP, I'd let my kids drink soft drinks if they were willing to spend their own money on it. I'd bet in a few months, they'd find the effort required to earn the money would reduce their habit :D My mother used to pull that trick on us. "Are you willing to clean the bath in order to earn the money to buy that?" There are very few things worth cleaning the bath over. ;)

 

Rosie

[GailV]

My sister likes fizz, so in the warmer months she buys club soda and will sometimes add juice to it for a soda-esque feel.

 

Dh juices a lemon and a lime, dumps that in a glass, and fills with cold sparkling mineral water -- he got hooked on this in Mexico, and it's his version of soda.

 

We keep some regular soda in the house for visitors, but none of us drink it. Mostly we drink water.

[Kari C in SC]

I don't know what kind of soda they drink, but I can tell you that Mountain Dew can cause a ton of dental problems. My dh is a Mountain Dew junkie and we now have about $4000 of dental work tied to the damage it has done on his teeth. Not one dentist, but two have said it is the worst thing you can drink. Luckily insurance has covered half and slowly convinced my dh to ween himself from MD. Now he drinks Sierra Mist, but I would love to see the day that he doesn't drink much at all.

[AngieW in Texas]

I actually required my oldest to drink a can of Mountain Dew before every Tae Kwon Do class because it helped her to focus. It worked much better than Ritalin did and didn't have any nasty side effects. She asked to stop because she got tired of it (only had TKD 2x/week). She has a soda maybe 2-3x/month.

 

My 14yo won't touch anything that's carbonated. She has a cup of juice every morning. Aside from that she mostly drinks water. She occasionally makes lemonade (starting with fresh lemons). She has a smoothie every night that is whole cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, 1/4 banana, handful of spinach, and orange juice blended together.

 

My 14yo and 16yo also drink chocolate milk, but I buy just one gallon each shopping trip and I go every 2 weeks. When it's gone, it's gone.

 

My 11yo drinks one cup of juice every morning, but aside from that drinks mostly water. She buys a bottle (water bottle size) of Sprite every week or two, but she has to buy it with her own money. She has a smoothie 3-4x/week that is whole strawberries, blueberries, and cherries blended in apple juice. I have to add sugar to it, but it gets whole fruit into her that she wouldn't ordinarily eat.

 

My dh on the other hand goes through a lot of soda. Every time I go to the grocery store, I buy him five 12-packs of Mountain Dew and one 12-pack of Nestea. Since this is for two weeks, that means tea 1x/day and Mountain Dew 4x/day. I don't like it, but my dh is annoying healthy on his abysmal diet and no exercise. He has a 28" waist, his cholesterol is 145, and his blood pressure is 100/60. I, on the other hand, struggle to maintain my weight despite working out at the gym 4x/week and watching what I eat. I drink a smoothie every night (the same one my 14yo has), but drink only water aside from that. It's very annoying. I outweigh my dh by 15 pounds despite being 4 inches shorter. My waist is also 5" larger and I have lousy cholesterol numbers.

[angela in ohio]

She has a smoothie every night that is whole cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, 1/4 banana, handful of spinach, and orange juice blended together.

 

Are these frozen? About what ratio of each? I think this might work for my dc, who love strawberries and blueberries, but balk at raspberries, cherries, and blackberries.

[ConnieB]

No soda in our house, ever. It has no nutritional value, empty calories or artificial sweeteners, rots your teeth and the lining of your stomach.

 

As a teen I used to drink soda all the time.....until the day I was changing the oil on my car, had my soda sitting on the sidewalk beside me and my dad walked over and poured it on the corrosion on my battery cables.....and the soda ate through it like a hot knife and butter. He'd been on my case about soda for years, but my mother was a soda drinker so it was always in the house, so of course I drank it too. I won't say it was immediate, but I do look back and see that as the turning point against soda in my life.

 

It does sound like your kids drinks other things that are sweet so hopefully they'll be able to get over the need for soda (assuming you decide to let Dad have his way in this). Most kids I know soda is the only thing they drink, except milk on their cereal, lol.....so they have an enormously difficult time weaning themselves off and of course hate things like water as having no flavor. I have a friend who buys Torani syrups (like they use in coffee shops to flavor coffee) and puts it in water for flavor. She gets it at Smart & Final. I've had this a few times and it is really tasty, but not fizzy like soda.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide.....generations of us grew up on soda so it can't truly be evil, but it's also not high on the healthy list.

[Jean in Newcastle]

It is expensive but for a treat we get Knudson's natural sodas - no corn syrup at all.

[Mrs Mungo]

As a teen I used to drink soda all the time.....until the day I was changing the oil on my car, had my soda sitting on the sidewalk beside me and my dad walked over and poured it on the corrosion on my battery cables.....and the soda ate through it like a hot knife and butter. He'd been on my case about soda for years, but my mother was a soda drinker so it was always in the house, so of course I drank it too. I won't say it was immediate, but I do look back and see that as the turning point against soda in my life.

 

I'm not advocating for giving kids soda. However, this is nothing more than melodrama. Orange juice has more acid than soda and you don't see people doing this sort of thing with OJ. I'm just sayin'...

[MamaT]

Around here soda is for special occasions or when we go out to eat. Mostly we drink water, milk, or tea (coffee for me). I can't imagine allowing my teen to drink soda on a regular basis. It seems to me it would be terrible for his teeth.

[keptwoman]

We have a 1 soda per day rule for my teen (and that's what I have too.)

 

I must mention--when I was growing up I was only allowed 1 soda per week, and my parents were strict about it. Well, it backfired because as soon as I was able to buy it on my own, I OVERindulged. In a big way. Still trying to get over the habit.

Interesting. Do you think that had you been educated as to why your parents were so strict it would have made a difference?

 

We don't have a lot of fizzy drinks in our house. The kids are allowed one can a week on a friday night. For the most part we have their buy in on our food choices, but this is one they constantly rail against.

 

I think we are also fortunate that HFCS is not used in Australia, it tends to be wheat glucose syrup (not that I'm sure that's completely great, but it's better I hope)