Healthy Drinking

Cut out the Sugary Drinks

Children in the Caribbean drink large quantities of sugary drinks putting them at risk of becoming obese or overweight.  Caribbean children’s frequency of consuming sugary drinks was found to be amongst the highest out of 187 countries. Furthermore, teenagers (12 to 15-year olds) in Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago reported drinking sugary drinks three times or more a day, and in St Kitts and Nevis it was found that children consumed at least one carbonated soft drink a day.

Soft drinks are very high in sugar, for example a can of coke contains 9.75 teaspoons (39g) of sugar and even juices contain high levels of sugar, a 330ml box of Rica Orange Juice contains 10.6 teaspoons of (42.2g) sugar – that’s more than coke!

We’re encouraging children to cut out the sugary drinks and drink water instead.

Recommendations and Tips

It is recommended that children drink the following quantities of water:

  • 8-year-olds: 5 glasses a day (1 litre)
  • 9 to 12-year-olds: 7 glasses a day (1.5 litres)
  • 13+: 8 to 10 glasses a day (2 litres)

Tips:

  • Try fruit infused water such as lemon, lime, strawberry, orange with a bit of mint
  • Opt for non-sweetened bush teas which you can drink hot or cold. Some of our favourites are lemongrass and basil tea
  • How about freshy poured coconut water (not the store-bought, sweetened variety), you going to want it straight from the coconut!
  • Always have a bottle (not plastic) of water in your children’s backpack
  • If you are going to give your children juices or sports drinks, dilute them with water
  • Have a glass of water with every meal and snack, instead of a soft drink or juice