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Mothers of School-Age Children

Healthy Eating

Hydration

It’s easy with their busy lives for children to neglect their fluid requirements, in fact most people do. Unfortunately, thirst is a relatively poor indicator of hydration status. By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Encourage your children to start the day with fluids and continue drinking throughout the day. Have them take a water bottle to school with them, encourage them to drink water or an equivalent whenever they get the chance.

  • It doesn’t always have to be in the form of water; it can come in the form of watery fruits (watermelon, grapes, oranges), vegetables, rice, pasta, milk and yogurt.
  • If your child is well hydrated they will be more energized and will perform better in sports and in school.

If your child is participating in physical activity for 60 minutes or less at a time then water is the best bet for proper hydration. If the activity is a prolonged affair that lasts beyond 60 minutes then you can consider a sports drink. This will provide you child the energy s/he needs to continue performing to the best of her/his ability.

  • Look for one with sodium, potassium and preferably a 6 - 8% carbohydrate concentration in it (e.g., Gatorade, Powerade).
  • Make your own sports drink. Anything stronger (like fruit juices, fruit drinks and soft drinks) can cause stomach upset. Here’s a great recipe:

Home Made Sports Drink

  1. ¼ cup fruit juice (your choice-just make sure it is real juice not fruit drink)
  2. ¼ teaspoon salt
  3. 4 tablespoons sugar
  4. 3 ¾ cups of water

Mix all the ingredients together and store in the fridge. Easy!!