4 Common Kids Drinks That Have More Sugar Than Christmas Candy

Since Christmas just ended, sugary candies are sure to abound in your kids’ stockings and piles of gifts. Now, normally, we make it a point to stress the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene to prevent damage to teeth (or dental gear) while enjoying extra treats. However, did you know sugary drinks are a commonly overlooked culprit of tooth decay? Pretty shocking, we know.

So, we’ve come up with a list of those drinks that are pretty common yet most don’t know have tons of sugar. Whether your children are trying to stay hydrated playing sports or want to enjoy juice at home, you should definitely keep an eye on the labels if you want to keep their teeth healthy.

Hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate is a holiday and wintertime staple for drinks. But before you let your kids go crazy with hot cocoa, you should know that a regular 8 ounce cup has 24 grams of sugar. And let’s be honest, your kids are going to drink at least 2 cups in a sitting, so that’s 48 grams of sugar. For comparison, a regular size Hershey’s bar has around 17 grams.

Gatorade.

Gatorade is another common go-to drink for kids who are active in sports. Unfortunately, they may not be the best choice for post-exercise rehydration either. While it can vary between flavors, a typical 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade averages 34 grams of sugar. Yikes.

Grape juice.

Tooth decay can often be a result of parents giving toddlers various “healthy” fruit juices at home. Did you know that grape juice contains more sugar than almost any other type of juice? A 12 ounce glass of grape juice contains more than 58 grams of sugar. That’s 20 grams more than a bottle of Coke, a common holiday-marketed drink.

Lemonade.

Ahh. One summertime favorite, Lemonade, is absolutely loaded in sugar. A regular 20 ounce bottle has about 67 grams of sugar. Surprising, isn’t it? While you definitely will still want to let your kids enjoy this tart drink, just be aware that it’s loaded in sugar.

We want people (young and old) to be able to enjoy some sugary treats not only during Christmas but also year round. Just make sure to brush your teeth after meals, after eating all those yummy winter treats, and after drinking sugary drinks to keep teeth and dental gear in great shape. It’s the things you’re least suspecting that will creep up on your dental health!