Healthy Hydration for Kids

Sources

Every recommendation on this site comes from one of these. Numbers match the citations on each page.

  1. Healthy Eating Research. Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations. Technical scientific report, 2019. Developed with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Read the report. Summary from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030. Released January 7, 2026. Read the guidelines.
  3. Institute of Medicine (National Academies). Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate, 2005. Adequate Intake values for water by age, as tabulated in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 2013.
  4. Vos MB, et al. Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2017. Read the statement.
  5. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate? Pediatrics, 2011. Summary.
  6. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Dehydration. Read on HealthyChildren.org.
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rethink Your Drink. Read on CDC.gov.
  8. American Dental Association, ADA News. Sparkling water habits to protect teeth, quoting ADA spokesperson Edmond Hewlett, DDS. Read on ADA News. ADA News notes that republishing an article does not mean ADA endorses its content.
  9. Nemours KidsHealth. Dehydration (for parents). Read on KidsHealth.org.
  10. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: drinking water in school cafeterias. Read on USDA.gov.
  11. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source. How Sweet Is It? Sugar in popular drinks, per 12 oz serving. Read the chart.

Typical sugar amounts for common drinks are rounded from standard product labels. Brands vary, so check the Nutrition Facts on the drink in your hand.

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