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Ontario’s Childcare IndustryHealth, Safety & NutritionFOR A HEALTHIER DIET, JUST ADD WATERBy: Maria Dicresce-Niles, Nutritionist, Food For Tots.with files from www.Healthylicious.caWhen summer is in full swing and the weather ishot and humid, it’s easy to remember to makesure young children stay hydrated and getenough fluids during the day. On cooler days, it’s easy toforget, but it is just as important, because children maybe more inclined to be active. Many young children loveto drink juice and milk, which is great, but water is thebest way for both children and adults to stay hydrated.Water is very important for our bodies because it is vitalfor bodily functions – it carries waste away in urine andallows sweating to cool the body temperature down. Thebonus is that it doesn’t contain any empty calories, so itis a safe and wise choice for all children.When children are small, it can be tricky to tell ifthey’re getting enough water. Usually by the time ayoung child says he or she is thirsty, a level of dehydrationmay already be beginning to occur. It’s also importantto understand that young children feel things differentlythan adults, so they cannot always tell they are thirsty.Children may perspire very little or not at all, so parentsand caregivers need to be aware of the warning signsthat a child may be dehydrated. Some of the earlysigns include sleepiness and lack of energy, irritability,crying, dry lips or tongue, constipation, sunken eyes ora sunken fontanel – the soft spot on top of the head ofnewborns. If you or a parent are ever concerned that ayoung child is dehydrated, yet will not drink anything,contact a doctor or pediatrician immediately.You may also wish to share with parents this easyway to tell if a child needs to drink more water as partof his or her daily routine. Tell parents to pay attentionto the colour of their child’s urine. If it is dark yellow, itusually means the child is not getting enough water.Ideally, it should be colourless or a very light yellow andthere should be no odour.In addition to encouraging their children to drinkmore water, parents can make a point of including waterrichfoods in children’s diets. Many fruits and vegetablesare high in water. Cantaloupes and apples are 85% water,spinach is 90% water and lettuce is 95% water. Milk is agood source of water since it contains 88% water. Parentscan also add water to children’s fruit juice. A mix that is50% to 75% water can provide enough fruit flavour toentice children who don’t like drinking straight water.Parents may also try offering children seasonalbeverage options, such as frozen juice popsicles in thesummer and warm apple cider in wintertime. Mostsupermarkets sell fresh-pressed apple cider in theproduce department. It’s naturally sweet, packed withvitamins and can be made a special treat by adding apinch of cinnamon.NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER,BE HYDRATION-WISEChildren who are underweight or obese aremore susceptible to dehydration.Some experts believe that low water intake andchronic mild dehydration can be contributing factorsto childhood and adolescent obesity, variousforms of illness and even some types of cancer.Beware of giving children sports drinks, whichtend to be high in sugar and calories. Althoughthey’re often marketed as an essential part ofathletic activity because of their electrolyte content,children may not need them in the quantitiesin which they are packaged. An eightounceserving is generally sufficient to meet thehydration needs of a child exercising at highintensity for 90 minutes.SUMMER/BACK TO SCHOOL 2012 • ChildcareTODAY 17