Food & Recipes

Top 10 Healthy Summer Foods for Children

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10. Top Summer Food: Thirst Quenchers 

At the ballpark, at the carnival -- it's hard to find a good replacement for soda, says Zied. "Even lemonade isn't a great option, with all the added sugar."

"One soda once in awhile is fine," she says. "But I also give my kids the option of choosing whether they want a can of soda or three cookies instead. I let them make the choice. That empowers them to not waste calories."

• Share those huge lemonades -- divide it in cups. Dilute with a bit with water.
• Carry fruit juice with you. Or, flavor ice water with an artificially sweetened powder. "If it's hot, they're not going to fuss over drinking water," Zied says.
• Another option: Make a spritzer with exotic fruit juices (like pomegranate or noni juice) plus sparkling water. Or, use blueberry extract with sparkling water. "Kids love blue food," says Rarback.