Go into any gas station or grocery store and all of the zillions of bottles of liquids in all colors of the rainbow can make if very difficult to figure what is the good stuff and what should be avoided.

One tip when trying to decide on a ‘healthy’ drink to give your kids is to look at the type of drink.  Energy drinks should be avoided at all costs.  Many contain varying amounts of unregulated vitamins, herbs, or caffeine.

Vitamin enriched waters can also seem like a great idea, but different varieties can contain high amounts of sugar, artificial colors, and significantly high calorie counts.

Hydration drinks like Gatorade or PowerAde can be a better choice, but don’t forget that they are still full of calories and sugars.  Choices with lower calorie counts are usually a better pick.

Another great alternative is to make your own hydration drinks! A super easy recipe from Superhealthykids.com will keep in your fridge for up to a week- just store in individual containers and shake it up before drinking.

• 3 cups of coconut water
• 1 cup 100% juice
• 1 cup ice
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• Squeeze of lime and orange (optional)

Put all ingredients in a high powered blender, and blend for 1 minutes. Pour into containers and enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for later. Will stay good in the fridge for 1 week.