Are you thinking of adding a health drink to your little one’s diet? With the increasing number of products available in stores, it is a challenge to know which one is the best one for your child. You have also probably read several contrasting reviews and articles online that make it harder to make the right choice.
The healthiest options like Gritzo are loaded with features that provide your child with optimum nutrition. Here is a list to help you understand these features better:
1. Protein Content
The primary ingredient in a good health drink is protein. It is a vital nutrient which helps in the development of healthy muscles. Protein also supports the repair and growth of the cells in the immune system. There are several instances when protein consumption is not adequate, leading to fatigue, poor muscle development and low levels of energy.
If your child is allergic to protein sources like eggs and meat, has dietary restrictions or is a fussy eater, the protein intake is not optimum. In this case, protein shake benefits kids because it is formulated for children and prevents deficiency-related issues.
The protein source in the health drink is important to note. One of the most common sources is whey protein which is derived from milk. However, if your child is lactose intolerant or follows a vegan diet, then looking for drinks with plant proteins is a good idea.
2. Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Essential vitamins and minerals are ones that you can only get through your diet. The human body cannot produce them. They play an important role in many functions like hormone production, digestion of other nutrients, energy production, muscle function, brain and nerve activity and a lot more.
The main issue with these nutrients is that there are so many that you need to consume in a day that it can be hard to include them all in your regular diet. While the richest sources of these nutrients are fresh veggies and fruits, parents can find it challenging to include them all in the child’s diet. This is where a health drink can help by providing a host of vitamins and minerals in a single source.
The most important vitamins and minerals to look for are:
- Vitamin A
- B Vitamins
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin D ( Preferably D3)
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Potassium
- Sodium
You also need to ensure that the formulation is specific to your child’s age. Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because they are required in very small quantities. Consuming anything over the recommended limit can lead to serious health issues, including toxicity. So, an age-specific formulation is very important to prevent overconsumption.
3. No Refined Sugars
With the most popular health drinks for kids, the sugar content poses the biggest threat to your child’s health. As per the recommendation of the World Health Organisation, your child’s diet should only contain 5% of the total calorie consumption in the form of sugar. This also includes the sugars from fruits, starchy vegetables and other healthy sources.
So, make sure that you look out for added sugars in health drinks. Most popular products contain up to 20g of sugar per 100g of the product. Most of this is sucrose which is one of the unhealthiest forms of sugar. There are many hidden forms of sugar that are mentioned in these products, which can be quite misleading. In general, there are more than 63 names for sugar that are used on nutritional labels including maltodextrin, liquid glucose and corn solids. If you spot any of these, look for an alternative.
The best drinks for your child are those which contain natural sweeteners like cane sugar or unrefined sugar. They maintain the taste that children love, without any adverse effect of sugars.
Here is an important fact to note, sugar can inhibit or prevent the absorption of many nutrients. So, the beneficial vitamins and minerals that we use these kids health drinks for are not used by the body, making the production nutritionally invaluable. No Additives
If you see the words ‘contains added flavours’ anywhere on the packaging, then the product is not healthy for your child. The best health drinks use natural extracts and flavours that enhance the taste of the product.
Additives are usually synthetic ingredients that are not recommended for daily consumption. Even with several beneficial ingredients like vitamins, minerals and proteins that are commonly found in many health drinks, additives and preservatives tend to override the benefits with regular use.
Clinically Tested Ingredients
It is best to choose a product that only uses clinically tested ingredients. The term clinically tested means that the ingredients have been through various tests with actual segments of the population. This helps the creators of the product verify the safety and efficacy of the ingredients. It also ensures that the claims that the product makes- whether it is helping your child grow taller or improving their performance in sports- is supported with actual data and positive results.
While it is debatable whether the control groups used are large enough to make the product suitable for a larger population, clinical testing is an important step in ensuring that the ingredients used are safe. This is when third-party testing comes in handy. A brand that opts for third-party testing is more reliable as they are more committed to giving you the best products and results.
Potential Allergens
If your child has any food allergies, then look out for potential allergens. The most common ones that are found in health drinks are gluten, soy, nuts, fish and dairy. If your child is lactose intolerant, for instance, choose a product that is free from dairy. On the other hand, gluten intolerance requires a drink that is free from malt or other ingredients that contain gluten.
While these features give you a great starting point to choose a drink for your child, always make sure that you consult your doctor before including a new product in your little one’s diet.
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