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!

During WWII, a sort of squash was available at the child health clinics to ensure young children got their vit C, along with proper baby milks which people were not always using. My FIL was given diluted cows milk. The clinics were very influential as the only good source of nutritional advice for young children, and there was a lot of good stuff going on to make children healthier. Children then used to get TB, rickets, polio etc.

Also rose hips were made into a syrup that could be diluted to provide a supply of vitamin C for children. Blackcurrants too.

A lot of older people blame the Clinic Orange Juice (which was a thick acidic gloop) for their crumbling teeth. They were also around before fluoride was added to toothpastes.

Even in the 1970s, clinics were selling Delrosa. By then, supermarkets were coming in and you could buy stuff cheaper from them. People used to buy the ones with vit C in if they could. Cartons of fruit juice were around, but expensive.

Old recipe books have recipes for barley waters and fruit syrups. You can buy these in other countries too.

Water tastes different in different parts of the country tastes different depending on the minerals etc it picks up. When I go home, the water that was tasteless is !

So many people are addicted to diet coke. I wonder if that has been studied. Would you drink 12 cans a day of any other fluid, Apple? You'd probably get sick of it before the end of the day. I'm sure some of the ingredients are addictive.

Sorry for the mild derail

12 cans of Diet Coke a day? Wow.

So many people are addicted to diet coke. I wonder if that has been studied. Would you drink 12 cans a day of any other fluid, Apple? You'd probably get sick of it before the end of the day. I'm sure some of the ingredients are addictive.

I can easily drink 2 x 2 litre bottles of sparkling water on top of the 12 cans of DC a day. Yes, I do pee rather frequently. The problem that has developed that I can't really cope with non-carbonated beverages, unless downing giant glasses of water out of thirst (not sipping, you see).

Unless it's red wine, of course.

I want a Diet Coke, now.

Yes, I do pee rather frequently
Never mind peeing, I'd be burping all over the place

BTW thank you to the poster that explained the background of why squash is part of British culture! I think that post answered the OP's initial question rather well

I (and the DCs) will happily drink tap water but we also enjoy full sugar squash. I do find that water has a 'taste' the water from the tap at work is foul! DD and I tend to drink infused water. I currently have a concoction of lemon, cucumber and mint on the go, yesterday's 'recipe' was strawberries, mint and lime. I will drink Coke very occasionally - maybe once every couple of months- but NEVER Diet Coke.

I don't understand how very young children even figure out that squash exists.

That's like saying you don't understand how teenagers under the age of 18 figure out that alcohol exists.

Presumably you don't expect parents to also only drink milk or water? Kids see their parents drinking squash and fizzy drinks and juice. They see other people drinking things other than milk or water. they taste other people's drinks. They want to try something different. They hear people talking about squash and juice and fizzy drinks etc. Kids are capable of observing the world around them and you're not going to be able to keep drinks other than milk or water a secret unless you never let your kids around people who might expose them to any other type of drink. You'd never leave the house!

janecc How the hell is full sugar squash shudder better than no addd sugar?
No added sugar doesn't mean artificial sugar is added to the drink.

Sugar is much worse for you than we previously thought. It's not diet so much as a health drink if it doesn't have sugar.

Not sure I trust artificial sweeteners either though ...

" How the hell is full sugar squash shudder better than no addd sugar?"

have you ever actually read the ingredients label of a no added sugar fruit squash? Obviously something like 'Rocks' would be better. If you have to give small children squash that is.

My dc don't drink squash they drink flavoured water that has 0.5% sugar which is natural sugar.
I'm Irish...squash here is called diluted orange/blackcurrant. So yes I have "read the ingredients" which is why my dc don't have diluted drinks

If I were you LucyBabs I would lay off the aspartame, it's making you babble and contradict yourself.

Hahaha! There is no aspartame in anything I drink and the same for my dc.
We don't drink diluted juice, we don't drink diet drinks and I don't contradict myself

I do the same with my dd Op. She has diluted fresh fruit juice not squash. She hates squash

Mind you she usually has water and milk so i suppose I'm lucky really

'Water, Sugar, Orange Fruit (5%), Orange Juice from Concentrate (4%), Acid (Citric Acid), Natural Flavourings, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Natural Colour (Beta-Carotene), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Stabilisers (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum)'

^^ Ingredient list for 'Mi Wadi Cordial Orange Squash 1 Litre'

'Water, Fruit Juices from Concentrate (Apple 8%, Blackberry 1%, Strawberry 1%), Acid (Citric Acid), Natural Flavourings, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Sweeteners (Steviol Glycosides, Sucralose), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite), Natural Colour (Anthocyanins), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Emulsifiers (Acacia Gum, Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins)'

^^ Ingredient list for Mi Wadi 0% sugar Apple Berry

What the frig is mi wadi squash?

Anyway there is no concrete evidence sweeteners are harmful.

Why all the hate for chemicals? Oxygen is one. Water is two and we're all made up of loads.
Several 'health practitioner' types have been caught out when asked if their product contains the chemical dihydrogen oxide!

Anyway there is no concrete evidence sweeteners are harmful.

But still its a good idea to avoid them and drink the sugared ones that we know are harmful isnt it? .

I really cba with this debate on mn, personally I prefer to stick to evidence not internet hysteria but hey ho I'm quite clearly in the minority. I don't let my children have unlimited squash, they drink water and milk as well. Just can't see the harm. And in RL other people tend to do the same I find.

The Mercola link about aspartame is bollocks

Im so confused. Having just looked at Rocks Squash, it still contains sugar & acid.
Innocent Juice is £3 and has to be drunk within 3 days. So 2 a week is £24 a month. I couldnt afford that.

buries head in sand

Basic brown I think you've misread my post. I said there is no evidence that artificial sweeteners are harmful. You seem to be saying the same thing

I think you've misread mine calpol I'm agreeing with you with reference to the 'sugar is better' posts elsewhere

minitiae sure, kids see (and want) what their parents are drinking but I don't know any adult who drinks squash, much less a fruit shoot. It's always been easy for me to drink diet coke but not allow my children to have it (right up until my oldest turned 13 - he drinks a bit of it now and there's not much I can do about that).