What's a Preschooler to Drink?

What's a Preschooler to Drink?

What's a Preschooler to Drink?
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	6.79

Vocabulary

challenging words:

flavoring, controversy, banned, calcium, preschoolers, caffeine, low-fat, moderation, obese, difficulty, fiber, sugary, supermarket, therefore, mass, overweight

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What's a Preschooler to Drink?
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     Drink options have come a long way. Just take a walk down a supermarket aisle and see for yourself. There are juice boxes, ten percent juice bottles, one hundred percent juice bottles, low-fat milk, whole milk, water, flavored water, and soda. Having choices can be good, but what is a good choice for a preschooler?

²     The two best beverages for ALL children are milk and water. A preschooler can usually do best with 2% or whole cow's milk. For ages one to three years old, 500 mg of calcium a day is recommended. For ages four to eight years old, that amount increases to 800 mg of calcium a day. This calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Milk and other dairy products are obviously indispensable to receiving the right amount of calcium. The amount of calcium a child consumes while growing plays a huge role in bone mass in one's adult life. Therefore, preschoolers should be drinking two cups of milk, or consuming that equal amount in dairy products, each and every morning.

³     What about the child who can't stand plain milk? A parent or caregiver should try chocolate or strawberry flavoring before giving up on milk. This might help the taste without adding a lot of sugar. It is recommended that premixed drinks with these flavors be avoided. Why? The premixed drinks add large amounts of calories, sugar, and fat.

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