Hydration – @my.little.food.critic
With the weather warming up, we’ll all be spending more time outdoors. On hot days, it can be difficult to keeps kids hydrated as they don’t always recognise signs of thirst, or want to take a break from playing to get some fluid in.
Here are my top tips on how to keep your little one’s well hydrated:
1. Eat your water!
Hydrating fruits and veggies are a great way to amp up fluid intake. Cucumber, watermelon, broccoli, strawberries, celery, lettuce, oranges and pineapple are some of our favourites!
You can serve them as snacks on their own as well as alongside a little bit of fat/protein, to help keep them full. For example, some fruit and yoghurt, or veggies and hummus.
2. Lollies & ice cream
Who doesn’t love a lolly on a hot day?! Simply whizz up some hydrating fruit, add some water, milk or yoghurt and pop into lolly moulds for a fun and hydrating snack.
Homemade ice cream is another fab option, if you have some ripe bananas, chuck them in the freezer and when frozen you can blend them to create the most delicious ice cream. I like to add some tropical fruit to add some extra hydration.
3. Make it fun!
Fun and colour cups/bottles and straws can inject some fun into drinking water for little ones and encourage them to drink throughout the day.
You could even add some cucumber, lemon or mint to their water for a fun drink.
4. Serve up snack platters
Sometimes a full meal can feel a little overwhelming for kids on hot days, instead serve up lots of hydrating fruits and veggies on a snack platter. This gives them the option to choose what they want and keep them well hydrated.
