Between parties, lazing by the pool, and other social events, sugary sweet beverages are at their peak. Learn how to keep the sugary drinks in their place, while still keeping good-tasting hydration front and center. 

We all know that children should cut back on soda and soft drinks. Even lemonade, sweet tea, and fruit juice drinks can be problematic if your child drinks more than 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) each day. If you have soda lovers in the house, you may wonder if diet soda is the answer. 

In this article, I’ll cover some healthier options with less sugar and the considerations you can think about when it comes to diet drinks and other beverages like mineral water, flavored waters, and fizzy drinks. Healthier alternatives to sugary beverages is the answer! 

Frequent Soda Consumption in Children

In 2016, soda sales were at a 30-year low. Soda makers and marketers scrambled to convince the public that artificial sweeteners were safe. In 2020, sales of Coca-Cola Zero, a sugar free soda that tastes similar to the original coke, increased.

Today, nearly 2/3 of children consume sugary sweet drinks each day in the United States. Twenty percent of this comes from soda, according to a report from the State of Childhood Obesity. These beverages add to the overall sugar intake we are seeing in children. Focusing on sugary drinks is a good way to improve the health quality of your child’s diet!

Is Diet Soda Bad for Kids?

The FDA gives artificial sweeteners a stamp of approval. Studies have shown that in typically consumed amounts, these are safe for humans. As such, they are steeped in our food supply. You’ll find just about every beverage brand has a sugar-free option.

As a childhood nutrition expert, I recommend a very limited role for diet sodas in a child’s diet. I prefer families use a natural sweetener, like Stevia. 

However, using a sugar-free soda or a diet drink may be a good temporary solution as children change from drinking regular soda, rather than quitting them cold turkey. The end goal in my mind, however, is to minimize diet or no-calorie sodas in the diet. 

Diet soda has zero calories and contains no added sugar, so why might it not be healthy for children?

Kids are growing, and that process requires many nutrients (over 40!) from quality food. Soda offers many grams of sugar and diet soda provides artificial sugar, both of which don’t meet the nutrient and growth requirements of children. An occasional soda is probably OK, but this is a decision for you to make.

Artificial sweeteners, although proven safe in adults and mice, have not been tested in children. We simply don’t know the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on growing children.

Also, research shows the use of artificial sweeteners and their intense sweet flavor may trick the brain and tongue into thinking it has had something sweet and it may lead to sugar cravings but this is not conclusive.

Studies also show that individuals don’t eat less when they consume artificial sweeteners. They tend to eat more. This defeats the entire purpose, doesn’t it?

A Word on Caffeine for Kids

Many diet sodas contain caffeine, and some have a higher caffeine content than regular soda. Caffeine is not recommended for children, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stands against the use of caffeine in growing children. Large doses of caffeine, such as those found in energy drinks, are dangerous for kids and teens. And, kids can drink too much caffeine from diet soda, too.

Here’s a caffeine comparison:

• Energy drink (12 oz) = 108 mg of caffeine
• Diet Soda (12 oz) = 43.2 mg of caffeine
• Soda (12 oz) = 22.5 mg of caffeine

My advice for kids: keep it real, keep it nutritious, and keep it safe. Water is ideal, but sometimes kids want a flavorful drink. I’ve come up with some homemade soda ideas for the families I work with to help them transition away from relying on traditional sodas and sweet drinks.

Need more help with your child’s snacking? Check out this resource!

Healthy Soda Alternatives for Kids

You will see a theme emerging as you read on. Fruit-infused water is a refreshing drink without a high sugar content. Substitute your child’s favorite fruit juice, bubbly or plain water, and/or fresh fruit to create a great soda alternative. Here are a few ideas:

Grape Soda

• 1 to 2 ounces of 100% Grape Juice
• 8 to 12 ounces of sparkling water (I use Pellegrino)
• Ice

Cherry Soda

• 1 to 2 ounces of Cherry Juice
• 8 to 10 ounces sparkling water
• Ice
• 5 to 6 whole, fresh cherries (optional)

Mandarin Orange Soda

• 1 baby mandarin orange, cut in half and juice squeezed into glass (or use canned mandarin oranges packed in their own juices)
• 8 to 12 ounces of sparkling water
• Ice

Citrus Soda

• Orange, lemon, lime slices
• 8 to 12 ounces of seltzer water (I used Polar Seltzer)
• Ice

Red Berry Soda

• Strawberries, sliced
• Raspberries
• 8 to 12 ounces Lemon Seltzer water
• Ice

These are simple, healthy alternatives to soda without the calorie, sugar, or caffeine impact. Although they showcase a splash of juice, it’s in a small amount and within the current recommendations of the maximum recommended intake for juice each day.

If your child enjoys drinking soda, try these homemade fizzy beverages as a way to transition to a sweet drink free diet. Your child will get fewer calories from sugar which will make room for healthier foods and drinks.

Try these or create your own concoctions and see if your child likes them. Let the creativity blossom! Kids love the idea of soda substitutes and it satisfies their desire to create in the kitchen!

Here are some other beverage options with zero sugar:

• Plain or sparkling water (add a slice of lemon!)
• Plain iced tea or herbal teas 
• Coconut water
• Canned seltzer water with flavors added (lemon-lime, strawberry, watermelon, tangerine…the flavors are endless!)

What other substitutes do you use for soda or sugar-sweetened beverages?