Foods that keep kids hydrated

Water......the basic need of life! Every people, even small kids know that air and water are the essential needs for living. The 2/3rd part of human body contain water and it is really a vital component of human body. So how to keep kids hydrated should be a main concern for parents, regardless of season. There are lots of health benefits of being hydrated, so kids need proper hydration!!! Your kid needs to consume enough fluids and get the right nutrients to grow strong and healthy. Actually, kids often require more hydration than the adults because they tend to lose a larger proportion of body fluid throughout the day than adults as they are very active and growing! So they require the consumption of as much fluid as they can to stay properly hydrated.

Water helps almost every part of the kids’ body function. Water carries oxygen and nutrients to each and every cells of the body. It helps to convert the eaten food into energy, helps the body to absorb nutrients and regulate body temperature. It removes wastes by detoxification and cleanses body system. It makes up 75% of kids muscles and almost 90% of their brain!

So it is very important to keep your kid hydrated and first of all, the knowledge of dehydration’s signs is essential as it can be hazardous. The signs are:

• Early signs include irritability and fatigue; the child may be crabby and less energetic
• Dry mucous membranes
• Decrease in urination
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Clammy skin
• Sunken eyes

Minute dehydration deteriorates the immune cells in the mouth, eyes, and nose which are the entry points for viruses. So kids will be at a higher risk of colds and flu when they do not get sufficient water.
So, ensure that your child take enough fluids to avoid dehydration, and for that serve foods and snacks with high water content which are healthy and help to keep hydrated.

Foods that keep kids hydrated

Hydrating fluids

• The perfect & a calorie-free hydrator is water, but kids often do not like simple water.
• They prefer sports drinks or flavored drinks such as fruit juice. So, try to provide your child flavored water, mix juice with the similar amount of water to get kids habituated for drinking water.
• Sports drinks also help your kid to stay hydrated, if your kid is very active. Electrolytes in the sports drinks help to restore minerals like potassium and sodium which can be lost while kid sweats. But give Sports drinks to your kid only when your kid is doing a prolonged physical activity because sports drinks also contain calories.
• Stay away from iced tea and sodas. Soda and tea contain caffeine which is a stimulant that kids do not tolerate well and caffeine is also a diuretic that plays a role in dehydration.

Vegetables and Fruits

• There are many Vegetables and Fruits which contains a high volume of water.
• Berries, watermelon, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, grapes, celery cantaloupe and oranges are some foods which are good for human body, as well as they contain 70 to 95 percent of water.
• You cannot stay with your kid at every time, but you can pack hydrating foods in your kid's lunchbox. You can pack watermelon, orange wedges, honeydew melon or a container of mixed fruit in your kid's lunch. You can also add extra lettuce in your kid’s sandwich.

Milk

• Milk is loaded with calcium, Vitamin D and protein.
• Milk can hydrate your kid without saturated fats and it provides optimal nutrition.

Yogurt

• Yogurt is also very healthy and it contains up to 80 percent of water.
• You can serve it as either plain or with fruit. Make a sorbet by blending yogurt with some frozen berries for ten second.

Frozen fruit bars or Popsicles

• This will help to supply the water needed by your kid, when he/she is dehydrated. But choose the low sugar bars or 100% fruit bars to control the sugar intake.
• You can also make natural juice without artificial ingredients, extra sugar, preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
• Popsicles are always a good reserve to keep in freezer for children who don't like to drink sufficient water. You can also make homemade Popsicle for your children by pouring your slushy drink into Popsicle-type molds and after that freeze it.

Beans, oatmeal & pasta

• These all foods can absorb water above 50% of their weight when they cook.
• Make fun shaped pasta such as wagon wheels and the bow ties, and serve to your child.

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