Experts: No Caffeine Drinks for Kids, at All

Panel says yes to water and pasteurized milk, no to drinks with caffeine, excess sugar until age 18
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 17, 2025 9:17 AM CST
Experts: Your Kid's 'Hydration Needs' Are Very, Very Basic
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Liudmila Chernetska)

Most parents try to get their children to eat at least some nutritious foods as part of their diet, but the beverages they consume may not get as much attention. Now, new guidelines offer two suggestions for what kids and teens should be mainly drinking, and they're on the boring if healthy side: water and pasteurized milk, according to a consensus statement from Healthy Eating Research. The Washington Post notes that the committee—made up of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, among others—came to their conclusions for youths ages 5 to 18 after analyzing a slew of scientific literature over the past five months.

  • Water: The panel notes that youths' "primary beverage for meeting hydration needs" should be H2O, with a suggested intake of between 16 ounces and 88 ounces daily, depending on a child's age and sex (Today breaks it down by age group). Good ol' tap is the committee's recommended water type, as it's "usually readily available, convenient, affordable, and environmentally friendly; in many places, it is also fluoridated." Bottled water, on the other hand, "does not share any of these characteristics and should only be purchased when tap water is unsafe for drinking."

  • Cow juice: The new guidelines suggest between 20 ounces and 24 ounces daily of pasteurized plain milk for kids and teens, especially low-fat or fat-free versions, as it has valuable nutrients that youngsters need. Plant-based milk products don't do quite the same trick, as they lack those same nutrients, the panel notes. It adds that flavored or otherwise sweetened milk should be avoided.
  • No-no's: What gets the big "not recommended" stamp in the report—drinks with caffeine or similar stimulants, such as those found in energy drinks; sugar (think energy drinks, sports drinks, and soda); or nonsugar sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin. These types of drinks can come with a high calorie/sugar content that can lead to various health risks for kids, including cardiovascular and digestive issues, dehydration, mental health problems, and sleep struggles.
  • Expert advice: "Choosing healthy beverages for children is just as important as choosing healthy foods," Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman Amy Reed says in a release. "These recommendations offer families practical ways to align their beverage choices with their children's individual nutritional goals to support a healthy diet."
(More beverages stories.)

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