To not understand why most people in the UK give their toddlers and small children 'diet' drinks? Is it a fad?

[Bellarosa1234]

I have lived in the UK for several years and now have a toddler DD. I have noticed all my English friends feed their toddlers diet drinks? Like robinsons squash, supermarket no added sugar squash, no added sugar flavoured waters etc. Am I missing something? Why do toddlers and children need diet drinks? When I lived at home we would dilute fresh fruit juices at meal times for the children? I did that infront of a friend and she made me feel like a bad mother. She said fruit juice is bad and full or sugar? I went to have a look at some "squash" in the supermarket and it seems like it is a con? My friend said it was kind for children's teeth but it still has fruit juice and added acid. Am I missing something? Obviously I want to do my best by my children but I just can't understand why people think diet drinks are great for kids, can anyone enlighten me? Thanks in advance!

*I would rather my child drank sqash than just water.

I've seen plenty of research stating that it's better hydration to have drink with salt and sugar in it than plain water*

Whaaaaaaaaaaat. No, your child definitely does not need salt or sugar in their drink to hydrate them. Plain water will do that. Sugar will however decay their teeth so they will need some nice lovely extractions or fillings. Do double check with a dentist/doctor if you do not believe me- they are hugely against sugary drinks. You weren't the mum on that TV programme last year who was going on about how healthy squash was and gave it to her DD to drink at night (kid needed 4 teeth out under general anesthetic), were you?

Sugar free squash is not diet. It's just no added sugar

They've got artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Same as Diet Coke.

Fruit juice isn't good for your teeth or your waistline. Very, very few people of any age group benefit from drinking gallons of calories.

Water is best, but I don't particularly want to drink nothing but chlorinated, bleachy tap water all day long and I'm not hypocritical enough to expect the kids to either so we have sugar-free squash.

Sorry I just mean most people out of the small amount of people I know. I am the only one who doesn't buy it. I've been told I need to think of their teeth. Is diluted juice with meals that bad? I looked at the robinsons squash that seems to be popular and it has fruit juice and acid in (and diet sweetners) surely that is not great for teeth either?

If you are trying to avoid sugar and rotten teeth, you'd probably give no added sugar drinks. Watered down juice also has quite a lot of sugar in it.

Personally, I hate and distrust artificial sweeteners even more than sugar, so I prefer mine to drink good old water.

As Beatrix said, it is particularly important between meals. Dilute juice with a meal is less of a problem.

My understanding is that if you are going to give diluted fruit juice, then you do so at meal time and not in between. I also think it depends on the age of the child - my DD is only just one, so I still have complete control over what she does and doesn't have, but accept that this will change in a few years when she starts going to parties and school.

I do think it's a cultural thing, to be honest. We live in Germany and no one buys diluting juice. I'm not even sure you can buy it here! When we visited relatives in Scotland, the kids were offered it.

I don't understand why people think it's better than natural fruit juice drank in moderation. What is it even made of?

I can't answer your questions about what's better, but normal practice will really depend on the groups you move in and who you ask. A thread like this will naturally attract those who are interested in the subject of artificial sweeteners, especially any perceived harms.

Surely 150ml of juice diluted throughout meals does not add many calories a day? And provides some vitamins?

The "mealtime" thing is so that the mouth has time to recover from the sugar (and increased acidity) in the period between meals. After an hour or so, the acidity is back down to safe levels. If you drink sugary drinks continuously through the day, this never happens; the mouth stays acidic which promotes decay.

The Diet argument seems to be splitting hairs. The drinks are generally low calorie as the main sweetener is artificial. They just aren't marketed as Diet but as kids' drinks.

Why is it when it is a debate about breastfeeding v formula, cloth v disposable nappies, co-sleep v cot everyone argues it is parenting choices but when it comes to food/drink it becomes mandatory that everyone conforms??

Op it is really none of your business what other people give their kids to drink.

And all the "mine only have milk/water" congratulations

I will continue to give my dd a range of drinks and food as I see fit and teach her about moderation which IMO is a far healthier method

Here's the ingredient lists from diluting juice and fresh orange juice.

Robinson's Diluting Juice

Water, Orange Fruit from Concentrate (10%), Acid (Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Natural Flavouring, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Saccharin), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Stabiliser (Cellulose Gum), Emulsifier (Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins), Natural Colour (Carotenes)

Innocent Orange Juice
17 Juicy Oranges (100%) squeezed into every bottle

Yes I am from Germany too and just find it odd that my 2 year old is offered diet drinks at friends houses. I accept as I don't like to be rude but I just didn't understand if I was missing out on something. So it's to protect teeth then? I googled that and it seems only at meal times is best like juice as the no added sugar squash still has acid in?

Beatrix - I assume the OP just means regular fruit juice, diluted with some water. It's not a special product.

Cointreau
Yes, that's what the dentist told us too. Best to have juice at the beginning of the meal, and finish with water. And if we were to give juice between meals, then to chew some gum afterwards.

Jesus. Myself and the DCs were brought up on Ribena, water and milk. We don't have brown stumps for teeth.

OP why does it matter? I give my children squash because they like it and you don't . Do you have evidence I am causing them harm....?

Have 5 gold stars for your superior parenting skills

I would rather my child drank sqash than just water.

I've seen plenty of research stating that it's better hydration to have drink with salt and sugar in it than plain water

I have literally heard it all now. Unless your toddler is doing Iron Man competitions.

"Most people in the UK"?

Aaah Beatrix, you're talking about orange squash! Not the same thing at all.

Sugar free squash is diet. Check the labels, they all have artificial sweeteners. It's almost impossible to buyers ones without.

Squash is popular in the UK because fresh juice drinks here have historically been expensive- oranges don't grow here and apples were used for cider.

Sugar free/ no added sugar are all the same as "diet" drinks- they all have sweetener. So do flavoured waters, the biggest con out there!

Water and milk hydrate beautifully, no need for squash. It's only in cases of illness or extreme exercise that you need to worry about electrolytes.

Full sugar squash, diet squash and diluted fruit juice are all bad for teeth and should only be drunk with a meal, so the mouth can recover. Don't clean teeth straight afterwards as the fruit acid softens the enamel, wait at least 20 min.

Any other questions?!?

Bella
I always just allowed the kids to have squash when we were out but didn't buy it at home. When we lived in UK, they had Saftschorle (homemade from fresh juice plus sparkling water).

I don't think squash is harmful, but prefer to give the kids food and drink that is less processed. As others have said, everything in moderation is a good rule to have.

I am not saying I have 5 star patenting, far from it. I was concerned I was down something wrong by not giving this drink as it seems all my friends recommend it for healthy teeth. I was just confused by it. It just seemed strange to me to give fruit juice mixed with diet sweetners instead of just fruit juice. Sorry I did not want to upset anybody.