Avoid flavored milk, caffeinated, sugary or low-calorie beverages in kids below 5 years, recommend pediatric organisations

The recommendations were developed as part of an unprecedented collaboration by experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Heart Association (AHA) under the leadership of Healthy Eating Research (HER), a leading nutrition research organization, and with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Choosing healthful beverages for children is just as important as choosing healthful foods,” said registered dietitian nutritionist Terri J. Raymond, president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “These consensus recommendations provide a strong base for registered dietitian nutritionists and health care practitioners to help educate children and parents alike, and create examples of healthy dietary patterns for children ages 0 to 5 in order to support optimal physical and cognitive growth and development as well as overall health.”

The recommendations outlined below by age are intended for healthy children in the United States and do not address medical situations in which specific nutrition guidance is needed to manage a health condition or specific dietary choices such as abstaining from animal

Among the consensus recommendations:

• Children aged 5 years and under should avoid flavored milks, toddler formulas, plant-based/non-dairy milks (unless they're lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy), caffeinated drinks, and sugar-sweetened or low-calorie sweetened beverages.


• Infants aged 0 to 6 months should only be given breast milk or infant formula.


• Infants aged 6 to 12 months should also be offered sips of water when solid foods are introduced.


• Children aged 12 to 24 months should drink whole milk. The groups say that a small amount of 100% fruit juice is acceptable, but real fruit is better.


• Children aged 2 to 5 years should continue drinking milk, but they can switch to skim or 1%. Water is also recommended. If caregivers offer a small amount of juice, they can dilute it with water.