Each of us should drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day.Â
- Fruit juices and smoothies count towards 1 of your 5 portions of fruit & vegetables each day. These contain a lot of free sugar, so a small glass (150ml max.) no more than once a day is the healthier choice
- Milk, especially skimmed or semi-skimmed can be a good choice
- Tea and coffee also count
- The best drinks for children are plain water and milk
Having lots of drinks with added sugar or fizz is bad for your teeth
- Swap to sugar-free or reduced sugar squash
- Swap sugary fizzy drinks for diet fizzy drinks. After a while, you could swap the diet fizzy drinks for water or a low-sugar squash
- Adding fruit slices to plain water can make it a little less boring
- Count how many glasses of fluid you normally have in a day. Aim to add one glass each day for a week (or until you reach 8!)
Alcohol
Alcohol also contains lots of energy. To minimise the health risks associated with drinking alcohol, the guidance is to have no more than 14 units per week.
One unit is the same as one small single measure of spirits. A 175ml glass of wine or a pint of standard strength lager or cider contains 2 units.
- Swap alcoholic drinks for low or non alcoholic ones
- Swap sugary alcoholic drinks such as liqueurs, alcopops and flavoured ciders or mixers for lower-sugar alternatives.
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