Go out to eat and I guarantee you’ll see a kid drinking soda. It’s so common you probably don’t think much about it but the consequences are startling! Before I even go there, let’s go back down memory lane. Do you remember when a soda was a treat? I mean, who says to their mom, “I’ll have soda instead of milk with my dinner?” Now, the choices for a beverage are soda FIRST; you have to request drinks like juice, milk or even water!

The American Heart Association just published a study on the impact drinking sugary drinks has on childhood obesity and it’s pretty grim. The study emphasized that hundreds of million of dollars could be saved by drinking less soda and other sugary drinks like juice. So what’s a parent to do? If your kids have to have their soda try switching to a low-cost, healthier alternative. Mix half of their favorite juice with half of seltzer water and you have a much better “soda” option. I’ve tried it with my kids and they’re hooked. They even say that the seltzer water alternative is way better than a soda. I hope they say that in 5 years!