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AlaskaParent.com spring 2024 alaska parent 11health & wellnessSugar-sweetened drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the daily diets of US children.A 12-oz soda can have 10 teaspoons of added sugar. A 16-ounce glass of a powdered orange drink has about 11 teaspoons of added sugar. A 20-ounce bottle of “traditional” Gatorade or Powerade sports drink, for example, contains 34 grams of added sugar (or 8 ½ teaspoons of sugar).That means even one of these sugary drinks a day can be too much. “A few teaspoons of added sugar in one drink may not sound like much, but consuming that every day can add up to too much sugar for kids,” says Diane Peck, registered dietitian with Alaska’s Physical Activity and Nutrition program. “Over a year of drinking one sweetened drink a day, kids will have consumed a lot of added sugar and calories that can cause weight gain and health problems.”What can you do? Alaska’s Play Every Day offers these recommendations for limiting added sugar:• Cut back on buying sugary drinks. Limit them to special occasions.• Look at the ingredients list on back of the bottle. New Nutrition Facts labels make it easier to spot the added sugar in foods and drinks. If a sweetener by any name is in the first three ingredients, the food or drink is likely loaded with added sugars.• Choose water or low-fat milk instead of sugary drinks.• Pack water. Make it easier to choose water by carrying a water bottle with you. Pack a water bottle in your child’s backpack or lunchbox.• Make water tasty, and fun. Add lemon, lime or mint. Let your child drink water through a special straw, or in a fun cup or bottle. Freeze 100-percent fruit juice in small ice cube trays and toss a few cubes into a glass of water. Try unsweetened, sparkling, or carbonated water.Sugary Drinks: THE MAIN CULPRITSource: playeveryday.alaska.gov