Provide healthy water for children from 1-4 years old

Children from 1 to 4 years old are in a period of outstanding development, so a healthy and balanced diet for children is very important. At this age, children can already drink many different types of water to meet the body's requirements. So what dose and type of water do parents need to supplement so that the child can use it best?

Normally, the proportion of water in the body of infants and children will be larger than that of adults. However, young children have less tolerance to high temperature environments and are more likely to experience dehydration if they do not drink enough water every day. Especially, if children live in hot climates, it is extremely important to encourage them to regularly drink water every day.
For children aged 1 - 4, parents should give them about 6-8 glasses of water per day, equivalent to about 150-200 ml of water. Parents should let children drink water during main meals or snacks, but it should be noted that children should drink more when they are physically active in hot weather and sweat a lot. Filtered water would be the best option and should be provided throughout the day.
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Each type of drink has different pros and cons. Therefore, you should carefully consider each drink to be able to make the healthiest choice for your child. In fact, filtered water and milk are very useful drinks for the absorption of important nutrients such as calcium, protein and iodine by the child's body.
On the other hand, young children are often carefree and can hardly realize that they need to drink water when thirsty. Children at this age still need a lot of support and care in terms of daily diet from adults. Therefore, it is important to encourage children to drink water regularly throughout the day.
Here are some drinks that you should consider offering your child, including:
2.1. Water Water is the purest and most ideal choice for children during a long active day. It has the ability to hold water and does not add any calories or chemicals that are harmful to the child's body.
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2.2. Milk Milk is a beverage that provides many essential nutrients for the development of children. Milk usually includes a large amount of calcium, protein and iodine. For children under 2 years old should drink whole milk. Children who have a balanced, healthy and complete diet can have skim milk after 2 years of age. However, skim milk or 1% milk is not suitable as a main drink for children under 5 years of age. In addition, some calcium-fortified dairy-free milk alternatives, such as soy, oat or almond water, are also considered a healthy choice for children 1 to 4 years old. Besides calcium, these milk alternatives are often fortified with many other important vitamins and minerals, which can be provided to children from 1 year of age. Except rice milk is not suitable for children under 5 years old.

2.3. Juices from fruits, vegetables and smoothies These drinks often provide a significant amount of important vitamins and minerals for the child's body. However, you should not give your child juices that are high in free or pure sugars (highly acidic) on a regular basis, as they can damage the enamel of your child's teeth. Ideally, parents should dilute juices or smoothies before giving them to children.
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2.4. Sugar-Free Drinks Although these drinks are able to retain water in the body without the need to add added sugar, they can contain added acids or caffeine which is harmful to the overall health of children aged 1-4 years. .
2.5. Sugary drinks These are the least healthy choice for young children because they not only provide a lot of sugar but also have very little essential nutrients. Giving children too much sugar will increase the risk of tooth decay and being overweight. In addition, sugary drinks also make children feel full for longer and reduce appetite during meals.

2.6. Coffee and tea Tea or coffee, especially when sweetened, is not suitable for young children. In fact, they contain large amounts of the stimulant caffeine and can reduce the amount of iron absorbed from food. It is also not beneficial for the health of the child if giving tea or coffee to the child during meals.
For children of this age should not be bottle-fed to drink. You can give your child a free cup or a cup with an open lid as soon as they are ready. Children aged 1-2 years can get all the nutrients they need from solid foods, but you should still continue to breastfeed your baby along with solid foods. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), you should breastfeed children aged two years and over with appropriate complementary foods.

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Reference source: nutrition.org.uk