Beverages
Healthy drinks are essential for growing kids
Sugary drinks and juice may be convenient and popular, but they add unneeded calories and can lead to cavities. This page gives you six goals from the Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) for serving healthy beverages in child care settings. Each goal includes tips and resources to help you make changes that support children’s health.
Best Practices
Click any goal below to find supportive resources that can help child care programs promote healthy beverage habits.
- “Locate soda and other vending machines off-site.”
- “Make drinking water easily visible and available for self-serve indoors.”
- “Make drinking water easily visible and available for self-serve outdoors.”
- “Offer 100% fruit juice 2 times a week or less.”
- “Offer sugary drinks (Kool-Aid, sports drinks, sweet tea, soda, punches) rarely or never.”
- “Serve skim or 1% milk to children over 2 years.”
Resources to: “Locate soda and other vending machines off-site.”
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. This includes a link to a e-book about water that you can play/read to your day care kids, as well as a water tip sheet. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
Resources to: “Make drinking water easily visible and available for self-serve indoors.
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids
Summary: Tips on how to reduce and replace sugary drinks, as well as resources for child care providers to compare beverage recommendations and swap out sugary drinks. Click on the "Professionals" tab to find simple yet informative handouts, fact sheets, shareable graphics, and more.
Source: Healthy Eating Research
Access: https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. This includes a link to a e-book about water that you can play/read to your day care kids, as well as a water tip sheet. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Increasing Access to Drinking Water and Other Healthier Beverages in Early Care and Education Settings
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/media/pdfs/ECE_early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final-508reduced-1.pdf
- Making Healthy Choices: Week 10 – Think about your drink
Summary: Newsletter featuring tips for increasing water consumption and reducing drinks with added sugar.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Access: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/TR.10.pdf
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
- Nibbles for Health: Nutrition Newsletters for Parents of Young Children
Summary: Newsletters that may be downloaded or printed and distributed to parents to keep them involved in building healthy eating and drinking habits. Spanish versions are also available in the downloadable booklet listed in the left-hand menu.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/nibbles
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2-5 years old. See pages 33-35 and 51-53.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
Resources to: “Make drinking water easily visible and available for self-serve outdoors.
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids
Summary: Tips on how to reduce and replace sugary drinks, as well as resources for child care providers to compare beverage recommendations and swap out sugary drinks. Click on the "Professionals" tab to find simple yet informative handouts, fact sheets, shareable graphics, and more.
Source: Healthy Eating Research
Access: https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. This includes a link to a e-book about water that you can play/read to your day care kids, as well as a water tip sheet. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Increasing Access to Drinking Water and Other Healthier Beverages in Early Care and Education Settings
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/media/pdfs/ECE_early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final-508reduced-1.pdf
- Making Healthy Choices: Week 10 – Think about your drink
Summary: Newsletter featuring tips for increasing water consumption and reducing drinks with added sugar.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Access: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/TR.10.pdf
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply tips to a child care program for children ages 2-5 years old. See pages 33-35 and 51-53.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
Resources to: “Offer 100% fruit juice 2 times a week or less.
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations
Summary: The CDC’s Early Childhood Nutrition: Resources page contains toolkits and resources to help advance nutrition, including through healthy beverage intake, in child care settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HER-HealthyBeverage-ConsensusStatement.pdf
- Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids
Summary: Tips on how to reduce and replace sugary drinks, as well as resources for child care providers to compare beverage recommendations and swap out sugary drinks. Click on the "Professionals" tab to find simple yet informative handouts, fact sheets, shareable graphics, and more.
Source: Healthy Eating Research
Access: https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. This includes a link to a e-book about water that you can play/read to your day care kids, as well as a water tip sheet. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Increasing Access to Drinking Water and Other Healthier Beverages in Early Care and Education Settings
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/media/pdfs/ECE_early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final-508reduced-1.pdf
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply tips to a child care program for children ages 2-5 years old. See pages 33-35 and 51-53.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
Resources to: “Offer sugary drinks (Kool-Aid, sports drinks, sweet tea, soda, punches) rarely or never.
- Be Smart About Sugar
Summary: This resource outlines the problem with sugary drinks and provides practical tips for child care professionals to reduce sugary drinks in their settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/be-sugar-smart/
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations
Summary: The CDC’s Early Childhood Nutrition: Resources page contains toolkits and resources to help advance nutrition, including through healthy beverage intake, in child care settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HER-HealthyBeverage-ConsensusStatement.pdf
- Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids
Summary: Tips on how to reduce and replace sugary drinks, as well as resources for child care providers to compare beverage recommendations and swap out sugary drinks. Click on the "Professionals" tab to find simple yet informative handouts, fact sheets, shareable graphics, and more.
Source: Healthy Eating Research
Access: https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. This includes a link to a e-book about water that you can play/read to your day care kids, as well as a water tip sheet. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Increasing Access to Drinking Water and Other Healthier Beverages in Early Care and Education Settings
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/media/pdfs/ECE_early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final-508reduced-1.pdf
- Making Healthy Choices: Week 10 – Think about your drink
Summary: Newsletter featuring tips for increasing water consumption and reducing drinks with added sugar.
Source: Michigan State University Extension
Access: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/TR.10.pdf
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
- Nibbles for Health: Nutrition Newsletters for Parents of Young Children
Summary: Newsletters that may be downloaded or printed and distributed to parents to keep them involved in building healthy eating and drinking habits. Spanish versions are also available in the downloadable booklet listed in the left-hand menu.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/nibbles
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply tips to a child care program for children ages 2-5 years old. See pages 33-35 and 51-53.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
Resources to: “Serve skim or 1% milk to children over 2 years.”
- Be Smart About Sugar
Summary: This resource outlines the problem with sugary drinks and provides practical tips for child care professionals to reduce sugary drinks in their settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/be-sugar-smart/
- Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Patterns: Infant and Children Meals
Summary: The USDA CACFP meal patterns for adults’ and children’s breakfast, snacks, lunch, and supper encourage access to healthy foods and drinks. The infant plan includes the support of breastfeeding and fruits and vegetable consumption.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/nutrition-standards
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations
Summary: The CDC’s Early Childhood Nutrition: Resources page contains toolkits and resources to help advance nutrition, including through healthy beverage intake, in child care settings.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HER-HealthyBeverage-ConsensusStatement.pdf
- Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids
Summary: Tips on how to reduce and replace sugary drinks, as well as resources for child care providers to compare beverage recommendations and swap out sugary drinks. Click on the "Professionals" tab to find simple yet informative handouts, fact sheets, shareable graphics, and more.
Source: Healthy Eating Research
Access: https://healthydrinkshealthykids.org/
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Click on the Provide Healthy Beverages circle to get information about water, what kind of milk to serve children of different ages, and 100% juices. Use the menu to the left to find more activities and resources.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/provide-healthy-beverages/
- Increasing Access to Drinking Water and Other Healthier Beverages in Early Care and Education Settings
Summary: These assessments provide the best practice recommendations for each question. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of these also opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen at your child care.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/early-care-education/media/pdfs/ECE_early-childhood-drinking-water-toolkit-final-508reduced-1.pdf
- Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: This nutrition toolkit describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Access: https://health.mo.gov/living/dnhs_pdfs/ChildCareModelPolicies.pdf
- Nibbles for Health: Nutrition Newsletters for Parents of Young Children
Summary: Newsletters that may be downloaded or printed and distributed to parents to keep them involved in building healthy eating and drinking habits. Spanish versions are also available in the downloadable booklet listed in the left-hand menu.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/nibbles
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply tips to a child care program for children ages 2-5 years old. See pages 33-35 and 51-53.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
- Team Nutrition Resources for Child Care
Summary: Team Nutrition, under the USDA, provides training and technical assistance to child care providers and program operators, CACFP best practices, nutrition and developmental education for providers and families, and resources to support a healthier environment.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/child-care-organization
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