My child drinks sweet drinks every day. What should I do?

If your child drinks sweet drinks every day, the simplest change is to make water and plain milk the everyday drinks and keep sweet drinks as an occasional treat. A guide in Ramathibodi Hospital's @Rama magazine puts children aged 6 to 13 in the group whose sugar should stay at no more than 4 teaspoons a day, while a Mahidol University study by Sridonpai and colleagues estimated that one shop cup of pink milk or cocoa holds about 8 to 17 teaspoons. Keeping sweet drinks out of the fridge, buying small sizes and drinking water yourself all help.

How much sugar should a child have in a day?

The guides side by side

Guides differ by country. The NHS and CDC set lower limits for children than for adults, and the @Rama guide puts children aged 6 to 13 in its lowest group, together with working women aged 25 to 60 and people over 60.

The @Rama guide, written by a nutrition lecturer at Mahidol University's Faculty of Public Health, sets the limit by energy needs, with 1 teaspoon of sugar counted as 4 g. It counts all sugars added to food and drinks, including white and brown sugar, honey and syrups.

What counts as sugar here

The NHS explains that free sugars are any sugars added to food or drinks, plus the sugars in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies. The sugar found naturally in milk and in whole fruit and vegetables does not count. So a glass of plain milk is not counted, but a sweetened milk drink is counted for the sugar added to it. The NHS adds that there is no guideline limit for babies under 1, but sugar should not be added to their food or drinks.

How much sugar is in drinks children like?

Drinks from shops and stalls

Between July and August 2016, researchers from Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition surveyed drink shops and stalls on and within 500 metres of the Salaya campus and measured the sugar in drinks from 60 of them. Several of the drinks are ones children often ask for.

The teaspoon figures are the researchers' estimates for a full cup as sold, which was usually 480 to 960 mL, assuming a third of an iced drink is drink and the rest ice. For milkshakes, smoothies and soy milk the figures are for the whole container. A child may not finish a whole cup, so the amount a child actually drinks will be less. The study covered one area in one period, and recipes differ between shops.

Bottled and boxed drinks

A 2025 study by Nguyen Ngoc and colleagues recorded 881 packaged drinks in a major Bangkok supermarket in 2022 and found a median of 5.0 g of sugar per 100 mL. That is lower than most shop drinks, but a whole bottle still adds up, and 40.1% of the drinks contained at least one low- or no-calorie sweetener. The nutrition label shows how much sugar the drink contains.

For what the same drinks mean for adults, see Sweet iced tea or coffee every day: how much sugar is that?

How common are sweet drinks among Thai children?

School students

Pengpid and Peltzer analysed the Global School-based Student Health Survey, collected in 2014–2015 in six Southeast Asian countries. In Thailand, the survey covered 5,894 school students (the median age across all six countries was 14). Asked how many times a day they usually drank fizzy soft drinks over the past 30 days, they answered:

Thailand had the highest share drinking fizzy soft drinks 2 or more times a day of the six countries. The survey asked only about fizzy soft drinks, so iced tea, pink milk and other sweet drinks are not included.

Brands children remember

In a 2024 survey of 2,113 children aged 10 to 18 in 11 Thai provinces, Jindarattanaporn and Chuenchom at Mahidol University found that nearly 40% could recall sweetened drink brands, more than the 35% who recalled snack brands. Children who recalled brands were more likely to buy and consume branded foods and drinks.

At university age

Sweet drinks are still common at university age. In a study of 280 university students aged 18 to 22 in southern Thailand, Petchoo and colleagues found that 79.2% had more added sugar than the WHO recommends and that drinks were the largest source, 46.5%.

These studies relied on what students reported, and each covered particular groups and years. They show how common sweet drinks are, not what will happen to any one child.

What should my child drink instead?

Water and milk

The NHS guide to drinks for young children points to water and milk:

• Water: from around 6 months, offer sips of water from a cup with meals.
• Cow's milk: whole or semi-skimmed milk can be a main drink from age 1. Skimmed and 1% milk should not be the main drink for children under 5.
• Milk alternatives: unsweetened calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drinks can be given from age 1. Rice drinks are not suitable for children under 5.
• Fruit juice and smoothies: from age 5, no more than 1 glass (about 150 mL) a day, served with meals.
• Tea and coffee: not suitable for babies or young children.

Simple swaps

The NHS notes that squashes, flavoured milk, "fruit" or "juice" drinks and fizzy drinks can fill a child up so they are not hungry for healthier food. The CDC suggests adding berries or slices of lime, lemon or cucumber to water for flavour, and choosing plain, unsweetened milk if water will not do.

Are sugar-free or "no added sugar" drinks a better choice?

The NHS says diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and young children, and that even low-calorie and no-added-sugar drinks can encourage children to develop a sweet tooth. In the Bangkok supermarket study, 40.1% of packaged drinks contained a sweetener, so a drink marked lower in sugar may still taste very sweet. For everyday drinking, water and plain milk remain the choices the NHS describes.

How can I help my child drink fewer sweet drinks?

At home

• Keep them out of the fridge. The CDC suggests not stocking up on sugary drinks and keeping a jug or bottles of cold water in the fridge instead.
• Be the example. The CDC notes that you can be a role model for your family by choosing water.
• Set a time for treats. Agree as a family when sweet drinks are for, such as an outing at the weekend, rather than every day after school.

When you are out

• Bring water. The CDC suggests carrying a reusable water bottle and refilling it through the day. In the Thai heat, a cold bottle of water makes it easier to pass the drink stall.
• Go small, or share. Shop cups in the Thai study were 480 to 960 mL. Choosing the smallest size, or sharing one cup, keeps the sugar down.
• Ask for less sugar. The Thai study notes that shops add sugar to suit the customer's taste, so you can ask for less or none.

Talking with your child

Many older children can name sweet drink brands, as the 2024 Thai survey shows. Reading the sugar on a label together, or comparing a cup of pink milk with a glass of plain milk using the table above, helps a child understand why sweet drinks are for sometimes. Change one drink at a time rather than everything at once.

If you are also drinking sweet iced tea or coffee every day, the same steps work for the whole family. See Sweet iced tea or coffee every day: how much sugar is that?