Healthy Drinks: An Easy Read Guide
We should all take in enough fluid each day to keep us healthy. We’ve put together this Easy Read guide for Healthy Drinks.
Do you drink enough?
If you do not drink enough you may become unwell.
You may feel thirsty, dizzy or tired.
Your pee may be dark yellow.
Your eyes may be dry and sore.
Your mouth may be dry and smell bad.
Everyone should drink about 8 glasses of fluid a day.
Water is best.
Water
Water is a cheap healthy drink.
It has no calories, and no sugar to damage your teeth.
If you do not like plain water, you could try it with a slice of lemon, or some squash.
Tea and Coffee
Tea and coffee can be healthy if you do not add sugar.
There are sweeteners you can add to hot drinks instead of sugar.
Milk
Milk is a good source of protein and minerals.
It helps keep your teeth and bones healthy.
Juices and Smoothies
A Glass of juice or smoothie counts as 1 of your 5 fruit and vegetables a day.
Drinking more does not count for your 5 a day and can be bad for you as they are high in sugar.
Unhealthy Drinks
Sugary drinks taste good but are bad for your teeth and can make you gain weight.
Most flavoured milks and milkshakes have lots of sugar in.
Fizzy drinks, flavoured water, and squashes can all have added sugar.
Check the label on drinks to help you make healthy choices.
Green is healthy, red is unhealthy.
Energy drinks and sports drinks
If you are doing active sports for a long time, energy and sport drinks are great.
If you are not doing sports, they can be unhealthy.
This is because they contain lots of sugar and caffeine.
If you are doing exercise it is best to drink plenty of water.