You’re keeping them fed but are you keeping them watered? From six months, your kid should be having sips of water with each meal. But you probably knew that because the sippy cup has been thrown on the floor more times than you can count. The truth is, water should always be your go-to. The sugar and additive-free drink is a safe bet for keeping them hydrated and helping them wash food down. Now they’ve mastered sipping, drinks are another way to introduce new flavours to your kid’s diet. While the supermarket is stacked with unhealthy, sugary drinks, there are plenty of healthy choices to add more flavour to your little monster’s beaker.
Coconut water
Coconut water offers naturally sweet spin on your regular water. Plus, did you know it’s packed with vitamin C, calcium and other nutrients? It just has that replenishing quality that leaves you feeling revitalised — ideal for replacing those electrolytes if your kid has been sick or had diarrhoea. You can also jazz up plain water with slices of fruit like lemon or cucumber.
Fruit juice
You’ve got to be careful with this one. Giving them too much can be sugar overload and run the risk of tooth decay, which isn’t what we want. That doesn’t mean they can’t have it all together. For over ones, fruit juice should be diluted; one part juice to 10 parts water. Also, limiting juice to mealtimes will help to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Vegetable juice
Prepare a batch of carrot or tomato juice; experiment throwing in lots of different veggies. This feels such a cheat way of helping them get the right nutrients down. Veggie juice can be quite tart, so don’t be disheartened if they don’t like them all. It’s okay to mix them with fruit juice, like apple or pineapple and then top it up with water too.
Berry milkshake
Blend up some berries with their usual milk to give it a sweet and fruity kick. To make it a bit thicker, blend in half a banana too. Remember, while your berry milkshake is bound to be a healthy hit, you need to be careful with shop-bought ones that can be loaded with sugar.
