Teenagers and the beverages they want to drink..

[AngieW in Texas]

This makes about 3 cups worth of smoothie (2 servings so my dd and I can each have one).

 

All the fruit is frozen. I slice my bananas into fourths and freeze them on a tray in the freezer, then put them in a ziplock once they're frozen.

 

1/4 banana

8-12 cherries

handful of spinach (about 1/4-1/3 cup if you scrunch it down into a measuring cup)

fill to 3 cup mark on blender with "berry medley" (mix of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

fill to just above 3 cup mark (maybe 3 1/4 cup) with orange juice

 

I sometimes have to stop the blender and shake the jar. Occasionally I have to add a tiny bit more juice. I've actually measured the juice amount before pouring it in and it's about 1 cup.

 

Don't try adding spinach without blueberries or blackberries. If you just have strawberries, cherries, and raspberries in there with spinach, it will turn the smoothie a brownish color. The blackberries and blueberries are what keep it the beautiful red color.

 

Target has a frozen berry blend that's just blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. You could start off with just strawberries and blueberries, but gradually replace some of them with the berry blend.

[angela in ohio]

This makes about 3 cups worth of smoothie (2 servings so my dd and I can each have one).

 

 

Thank You!! :001_smile:

[Haiku]

generations of us grew up on soda so it can't truly be evil

 

I don't think that's true at all. I think that the ridiculously high soda consumption that we see these days is a relatively new thing, and I think the epidemic of obese adults and children is just one of the effects of it.

 

A quick Google search turns up links to confirm my hunch:

 

http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/NewsReleaseDetails.aspx?id=35

 

"Research shows that over the last 30 years Americans consumed 278 more calories per day even as physical activity levels remained relatively unchanged. One of the biggest changes in diet during that period was the enormous increase in soda consumption, accounting for as much as 43 percent of all new calories. According to Goldstein, that research, combined with this new data on soda consumption, offers conclusive proof of the link between soda and obesity."

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2329746/

 

"The past 30 years has been marked by increased consumption of sugar-sweetened soda among both children and adults. In the late 1970s, 2.8% of energy intake for Americans was from sugar-sweetened soda. By 2001, this proportion had risen to more than 7.0%, accounting for one third of the 16% increase in total daily calorie intake during the same period. Energy consumption from soda increased among all age groups and from all sources, including vending machines, restaurants, fast food establishments, and grocery stores and supermarkets. Notably, the increase in soda consumption has mirrored the emergence of obesity as a major public health threat in the U.S."

 

http://www.agd.org/public/oralhealth/Default.asp?IssID=316&Topic=N&ArtID=1281

 

"Studies show an increase in soda consumption over the last three decades. Soda consumption has increased from approximately 20 gallons of cola per person a year in 1970 to more than 50 gallons per person a year in 2004."

 

Color me naive or judgmental or whatever, but I honestly can't believe that parents are cool with their kids drinking two or three or more sodas per day. To me that seems like intentionally putting your kids' health at risk.

 

Tara

[Rose in BC]

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

 

Well when I was a child and teen we literally only had pop at Christmas. That was it. It was a bonafide treat because it only happened once a year.

 

I know that is not typically true today because even in my home, where I reasonably strict about these things, my kids drink it more than once a year.

[BikeBookBread]

Well when I was a child and teen we literally only had pop at Christmas. That was it. It was a bonafide treat because it only happened once a year.

 

I know that is not typically true today because even in my home, where I reasonably strict about these things, my kids drink it more than once a year.

 

My childhood experience was almost "ditto"...it was ginger ale around the holidays (in small glass bottles), or 7-up (again in small glass bottles) rarely at Grandma's house at Sunday night dinner. I did get a can of pop (Shasta flavor of my choice) when I went on a field trip at school; this was the only time that the school allowed us to have pop, too - maybe 3 times a year at the most. I remember how hard it was to finish a whole can.

 

Think about the size of the glass bottles we (well, some of us) had growing up. Maybe 8 ounces - and I got to share this bottle with my cousins! A "big" bottle to share was about 16 ounces. The plastic 2 liters didn't even show up until I was in upper high-school grades. I just don't remember people drinking pop all the time.

[RoughCollie]

I stock the fridge with milk, chocolate milk, and orange juice. The kids can drink either that or water.

 

DH brings sodas home (caffeine-free) and we disagree about that. I was raised in a junk food free home and I don't really like soda. DH, OTOH, is a junk foodie.

 

The kids can go through a 12-pack of soda really quickly, so when DH gets tired of not having any in the house when he gets home, he keeps in the trunk of his car for awhile, and the problem (mine alone, apparently) is temporarily solved.

[Stacy in NJ]

I occasionally buy it when we have take out, or we drink it when we eat out. We don't drink it everyday. My boys usually drink plain water, and dh and I drink flavor seltzer. We're not big milk drinkers, but do eat quite a bit of yogurt and cheese.

[NCW]

so I'm just addressing the original question - when we have soda (rarely) the kids split one can/bottle. My spouse and I may split a bottle, or I just have a swallow. We don't do artificial sweeteners, and diabetes is a true killer. Soda has no redeeming qualities other than yummy taste - so it's considered a treat, not really a beverage. It's highly correlated with obesity, as well, but probably everyone knows that.

 

ncw

[LadyAberlin]

Well I was in a health/nutrition seminar one time and they said the amount of sugar in a can of soda is enough to wipe out your immune system. It really is bad and with the flu going around, I'd be putting a stop to it. My kids are little and they aren't allowed sodas. They are allowed 1 100% juice box a day and the rest of the day they can have milk or water. If they seem to be drinking a lot of milk I'll make start drinking more water. Caffeinated teas and sodas are also dehydrating. You need to drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water a day. So if you weigh 100lbs you drink 50oz and it can't be caffeinated drinks they don't count.

[Barb_]

I don't think that's true at all. I think that the ridiculously high soda consumption that we see these days is a relatively new thing, and I think the epidemic of obese adults and children is just one of the effects of it.

 

A quick Google search turns up links to confirm my hunch:

 

Tara

 

Not to mention our young adults are the first generation to grow up on HFCS sweetened soda. Prior to 1985 soda was sweetened with sugar. We have yet to see what the health ramifications will be as they hit late middle age. I suspect we will see heart disease, certain cancers and other diseases of old age hit younger populations, much the same as type 2 diabetes used to be referred to as adult-onset diabetes because it was rarely diagnosed in children.

 

Barb

[Caitilin]

We only serve milk on cereal at breakfast, and one small cup at supper, so maybe 1 1/3-1 1/2 cups per day. Occasionally, we have orange, or orange/pineapple/(banana) juice with supper, but it's about 1/2 cup per child. All the rest of the time, they drink water. Dh drinks coffee with a sickening amount of sugar and drinks soda. I don't buy either one, so I am not enabling. ;) I drink 2-3 mugs of hot tea with milk daily, no sugar; the rest of the time I too drink water. I grew up with a very crunchy, mostly veggie mother, so NEVER had sodas--maybe twice a year? My kids have a soda occasionally, but probably not more than once every 3 months or so. At that level, I don't sweat it.

 

I have no plans to start purchasing soda, or to have it in the house when my kids hit the teens. I figure it's going to be a WYSIWYG situation. :)

[lionfamily1999]

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'...

Dh is a mechanic and he says, Diet Coke works best :p

 

It does remove the corrosion, of course, you can do the same thing with plain old tap water :) He says, the reason he recommends soda is because people generally have that with them, and it doesn't add to the corrosion (water can make it worse if you don't dry it).

[Caribbean Queen]

I used to drink soda daily. As an experiment I stopped drinking soda for 2 weeks to see if I would feel any healthier. At first I felt miserable because I was addicted to it. Then I felt so much better. The soda had been making me feel sick, but I was so used to feeling that way that I didn't realise it. I have never gone back to drinking it regularly. I drink about 12 cans worth a year.

[DarlaS]

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'...

 

I've never met anyone addicted to orange juice like with soda. I know it could be addicting (has every bit as much sugar) but soda seems to have a much stronger hold on people.

 

Drinking it just does not make you want more. It has 1/10 the sodium, which is no doubt a big factor.

 

The ph of oj is 3.30 - 4.15. For soda it's anywhere from 2.4 up to 4. Most are pretty close to OJ but some are quite a bit more acidic.

 

FWIW, I don't buy OJ either. We drink water here most of the time when we are thirsty. Thirst means that your body needs water.

 

Every time I leave my home though, I'm reminded of why many people resist drinking water. City tap water really is nasty! :ack2:

[phathui5]

I think that unless they're drinking hard liquor, I would leave them alone. I wouldn't regulate what or how much a teenager wants to drink, in terms of soda, tea, juice, etc.

[Plucky]

Momof2, are you tired of this thread already? I'm surprised how long it's gotten.

 

My kids drink water and milk. Right now I am also offering apple cider and light egg nog. My kids get soda when we eat out or are at an event where it's offered.

 

I'm finding that my teen is drinking more soda and now drinking energy drinkis, too, as he is able to get out more on his own and buy his own drinks. I don't like it, but there is not much I can do.

 

I drink a daily diet soda in the morning to wake up. Not a big deal to me. Hope this helps.

[ConnieB]

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'...

 

Well we don't drink OJ either, nor several other beverages. But OP wasn't asking about OJ or anything else, she was asking about soda.

 

And those who think that since their kids have wonderful dental checkups now they're fine to continue it.....I'd ask the dentist about that before assuming it to be good. Some people have great teeth to begin with so they can drink soda their whole life without enamel damage....but the AVERAGE person will find when they reach middle age that over the years the damaged has been happening without their knowing.....and along with failing eyesight and lowered metabolism and all the other things we swore would never happen to us....happens.

[ConnieB]

This makes about 3 cups worth of smoothie (2 servings so my dd and I can each have one).

 

All the fruit is frozen. I slice my bananas into fourths and freeze them on a tray in the freezer, then put them in a ziplock once they're frozen.

 

1/4 banana

8-12 cherries

handful of spinach (about 1/4-1/3 cup if you scrunch it down into a measuring cup)

fill to 3 cup mark on blender with "berry medley" (mix of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

fill to just above 3 cup mark (maybe 3 1/4 cup) with orange juice

 

I sometimes have to stop the blender and shake the jar. Occasionally I have to add a tiny bit more juice. I've actually measured the juice amount before pouring it in and it's about 1 cup.

 

Don't try adding spinach without blueberries or blackberries. If you just have strawberries, cherries, and raspberries in there with spinach, it will turn the smoothie a brownish color. The blackberries and blueberries are what keep it the beautiful red color.

 

Target has a frozen berry blend that's just blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. You could start off with just strawberries and blueberries, but gradually replace some of them with the berry blend.

 

 

We love smoothies!

 

Sams CLub has a berry mix that is raspberries, marionberries and blueberries...and also a frozen fruit mix (from Dole) that is strawberries, mango, pineapple and peaches. I love to use fresh in the summer when it's reasonably priced, but the frozen is wonderful when you run out what you bought fresh and froze, lol. We have a juicer and do apples and bananas. Pretty much whatever is in season or around the house. Watermelon is another great juice and for that you don't even need a juicer...seed it and throw it in the blender and its plenty of watery juice to thin out the fruits, but very ripe watermelon can be a bit of a flavor hog....less ripe isn't as strong. Sometimes we'll throw in some plain yogurt for a more creamy smoothie.

 

We eat enough spinach for salads that I don't worry about that vitamin rush....but I may just try some in the next smoothie......I'm thinking it would help cut some of the sweet of all those fruits...I'm not as much of a sweet eater as the rest of the family so I tend to double/triple the plain yogurt in mine to cut the sweet....but it usually ends up being a spoon eating smoothie instead of a drink that way. THe spinach in the juicer may solve that minor dilemma. Thanks for the idea!

[ConnieB]

I don't think that's true at all. I think that the ridiculously high soda consumption that we see these days is a relatively new thing, and I think the epidemic of obese adults and children is just one of the effects of it.

 

A quick Google search turns up links to confirm my hunch:

 

http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/NewsReleaseDetails.aspx?id=35

 

"Research shows that over the last 30 years Americans consumed 278 more calories per day even as physical activity levels remained relatively unchanged. One of the biggest changes in diet during that period was the enormous increase in soda consumption, accounting for as much as 43 percent of all new calories. According to Goldstein, that research, combined with this new data on soda consumption, offers conclusive proof of the link between soda and obesity."

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2329746/

 

"The past 30 years has been marked by increased consumption of sugar-sweetened soda among both children and adults. In the late 1970s, 2.8% of energy intake for Americans was from sugar-sweetened soda. By 2001, this proportion had risen to more than 7.0%, accounting for one third of the 16% increase in total daily calorie intake during the same period. Energy consumption from soda increased among all age groups and from all sources, including vending machines, restaurants, fast food establishments, and grocery stores and supermarkets. Notably, the increase in soda consumption has mirrored the emergence of obesity as a major public health threat in the U.S."

 

http://www.agd.org/public/oralhealth/Default.asp?IssID=316&Topic=N&ArtID=1281

 

"Studies show an increase in soda consumption over the last three decades. Soda consumption has increased from approximately 20 gallons of cola per person a year in 1970 to more than 50 gallons per person a year in 2004."

 

Color me naive or judgmental or whatever, but I honestly can't believe that parents are cool with their kids drinking two or three or more sodas per day. To me that seems like intentionally putting your kids' health at risk.

 

Tara

 

All very true....of course, that article isn't even talking about MY generation....I'm older than dirt. Let's just say that the 1970 referred to above, was after I graduated from high school. But yeah, each generation seems to be adding more and more of the unhealthy habits and less of the healthy.

[ConnieB]

Dh is a mechanic and he says, Diet Coke works best :p

 

It does remove the corrosion, of course, you can do the same thing with plain old tap water :) He says, the reason he recommends soda is because people generally have that with them, and it doesn't add to the corrosion (water can make it worse if you don't dry it).

 

Ahhh, but with plain old tap water you have to scrub....soda you just have to wait. :001_huh:

[gardening momma]

I haven't read the whole thread yet...2 cans a day sounds like a lot for teens. It's a lot of sugar--unless you're talking about diet, then I'd be concerned about the aspartame. And while it might not specifically hurt them now, it establishes a bad habit for later. For example, right now, 2 cans a day may not add a smidge to their weight, but in their 30's their bodies might start to pack on the pounds with 2 cans a day. My younger brother, who is just now approaching 30 yrs old now, totally cut out all soft drinks and lost quite a bit of weight from that alone.

[Nestof3]

We don't have soda in the house except on birthdays. Family members can order it when we eat out, and Aaron (almost 20) can obviously buy it whenever he wants to at school or whatever. At 20, his nutritional choices are HIS choices.

 

We have lemonade here in the summer, but the boys are only allowed one glass a day. We don't have sweetened tea either, though they make hot tea sometimes.

 

Typically, they are allowed one glass of juice if we have it. They drink water and milk for the most part.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

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

 

Would you share the recipe? :D

[Jane in NC]

I watched a lecture on-line last night that Kathleen re-posted here on WTM in which a Medical Doctor Robert H. Lustig, a UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology methodically explains the biochemistry of how our bodies metabolize fructose and compares and contrasts the biochemistry to metabolizing alcohol and glucose.

 

The science that show why soda and fruit drinks are so dangerous to heath is compelling. This lecture is a hour-and-a-half long, but it might be the best 90 minutes a person could spend if they currently think drinking two sodas a day is an acceptable intake of sweet drinks.

 

It's called "Sugar:The Bitter Truth". Thanks to whoever it was who first posted this here, very eye-opening.

 

 

 

Bill

 

Standing ovation to Snickerdoodle, Kathleen and Bill for bringing this video to the attention of board participants. It is indeed excellent! I knew that high fructose corn syrup is not healthy, but I had no idea how toxic the stuff is. All claims made are documented with studies. The science is compelling.

 

Whew!

 

Jane

[justamouse]

Would you share the recipe? :D

 

 

It's easy peasy. I heat up whole milk, add in one tsp of cocoa powder for every serving I'm making, add in two tsp of raw sugar per serving (I like mine with less, but I would start there for the kids), 1/2 tsp cinnamon for every serving and a dash --DASH of cayenne pepper (although I like mine a bit spicy, so I dash more on mine). Also, sometimes I add in a bit of salt to bring out the other flavors. Like a brownie in a cup. *g*

 

Make sure you use good cocoa powder, as close to pure as you can find. None of that bakers special stuff.

[keptwoman]

After reading this I had a soda last night :rofl: I very seldom have them. It was sugar not HFCS.

I drank it quite quickly because I needed to go out. About 20 mins after I drank it the sugar hit and I could have climbed into bed and gone to sleep. I went from wide awake to just about asleep on my feet at 6pm. It was bizarre! I used to think it was the gin in a G&T doing that to me... now I've realised it's the tonic. It took me about 2 hours to come right. Won't be drinking soda again in a hurry... too much sugar for me!

[Nestof3]

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:

 

Is the same true for wine?

[Kathleen in VA]

Is the same true for wine?

 

According to the articles on wine and ethanol at wikipedia, yes the same is true for wine. All alcohol is made from fermented sugar. Grape juice is fructose and wine is fermented grape juice.

[Nestof3]

According to the articles on wine and ethanol at wikipedia, yes the same is true for wine. All alcohol is made from fermented sugar. Grape juice is fructose and wine is fermented grape juice.

 

Shoot -- that's what I was afraid of.

[Barb_]

Shoot -- that's what I was afraid of.

 

That's why God invented cheese and Triscuits :D

 

Barb

[Nestof3]

That's why God invented cheese and Triscuits :D

 

Barb

 

They do go together so well, don't they? YUM