Soda pop in the parks - hyper child - alternatives?

[jory29]

This is a weird post, but the last time we went to DL, my DH and I noticed that after every single meal, within around 30-45 min. after we left the restaurant, our son, then 11, would become extremely hyper. FINALLY my DH and I figured out that it was because of the sugar content in the Sprite that we let him drink at meals. At home, we have diet soda only, but when we're walking around in the parks, tired and thirsty, nothing seems better than their icy cold sprite!

If anyone else has noticed their kids becoming more hyped up after eating, it may be the sugar in the soda.

Does anyone have good ideas for what else we can give our kids, besides water? I know we have crystal light packets we can bring with us, but we all don't drink caffeine, so anything with caffeine is out. (That's why we don't let our son have diet coke when in the parks.)

Anyway, I'm interested to know if there are any yummy sugar-free alternatives. We will be making a Vons order too, but don't really want to carry pop around in the parks, and don't want to bring it through the gates.

Why don't they serve diet clear (caffeine free) in the parks, I wonder.

 

[Canyon girl]

The kids meals include apple juice, LF milk, LF chocolate milk, and water. We don't really have a problem with because both of our kids would rather have water. DS does like to have lemonade, but it is that Minute Maid diet type lemon "water." You might also try pineapple juice at the Tiki.

 

[TiggerCate]

My daughter has a problem more with dyes than with sugar (corn syrup in most pop in the U.S.) However, I don't let my kids drink diet soda, because I am not a fan of the artificial sweeteners. She is allowed to drink water (they get used to it when you give it to them frequently) or juices (natural only, not juice drinks). You can either buy it at the parks or bring in juice packs yourself. When I can get away with it, I cut my kids' juice with water. One option is to mix juice with club soda for a "bubbly" juice drink. Milk is also an option.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I like the new Capri Sun water drinks. Basically its water flavored with real fruit juice, no corn syrup. They fit very nicely in a backpack and if you can freeze them (some hotel frigs have a small freezer section or you can just turn the cooler as far as it will go to partially freeze stuff) they will be nice and cold even on a hot day.

Soda is so bad for kids of all ages and it doens't quench thirst! My kids also love ice tea with lemon which is what we get at most cs places as long as its brewed and not instant.

 

[Albort]

Disney Sells Vitamin Water as well... though i think its high in sugar too...

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh yeah, I'm with TiggerCate and Amy&Dan. No artificial sweeteners, and absolutely no high fructose corn syrup, which means anything but natural sodas, Mexican bottled coke you can get from Costco (cane sugar) and the current Pepsi "throwback" or "flashback" products. And actually we haven't tried the Pepsi stuff, and can't have the cane sugar Coke around, as hubby drinks the Coke like crazy b/c it tastes so good then he has a blood sugar problem.


So OP, if you don't notice this difference when he eats desserts made with sugar, or with juice, you will want to look heavily at all the evidence piling up that high fructose corn syrup affects us differently than proper sugar. Disneyland has helped us figure out so many different things tha thave HFCS and corn syrup (DS can't have either, nor can have have even corn syrup solids that are in Dole Whips...but he can have cornstarch and plain old corn, and probably corn oil and corn flour is fine) by watching his reactions. Uncrustables are just evil for him, as they have cs and hfcs.

So anyway! To answer your question. If you guys find that water becomes boring (we haven't yet had that problem, we love water!) someone on the Dis pointed me towards a new product called Simply Lemon. There's also Simply Lime and Simply Orange. It's basically dried citrus, and they've added citric acid and one or two other simple ingredients, powdered. It's in packets and "shakers". Sprinkle a bit into your water and you have a citrusy treat.

We do bring juices in sometimes...DS loves these juice boxes from, hmm, Knudsen brand, maybe? They have Clifford (the big red dog) on the front, and they have conventional juice and organic juice. Neither one has naughty ingredients, and they are good, and a nice smallish portion size. We find them on sale sometimes for 4 boxes for a dollar.

We do allow him a treat at DLR of the Nesquick *chocolate* milk. The strawberry drink tends to have corn syrup in it, probably for the texture, but the chocolate that they sell at DLR doesn't (though at the grocery I've noticed that they have two kinds of each flavor...some with the avoided ingredients, some without).


I'm sure you know this, especially if there are serious reasons behind the caffeine restrictions, but in case you ever want to have a root beer (and HFCS be darned), be careful of some brands...Barqs "has bite", and that "bite" is caffeine.

 

[SarahDISer]

I agree with the others that you should not be drinking fizzy drinks - they have so many dodgy additives. Especially 'diet' drinks that contain aspartame - that stuff will rot the poor childs developing brain.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We always did water or the milk. My kids have issues with carbonation AND sugar so the chocolate milk doesn't work. They get tummy aches with either so in any restaurant we go to it's either water or milk or sometimes powerade (which doesn't seem to cause any issues). No juices for us either!

 

[jory29]

So OP, if you don't notice this difference when he eats desserts made with sugar, or with juice, you will want to look heavily at all the evidence piling up that high fructose corn syrup affects us differently than proper sugar.


We do allow him a treat at DLR of the Nesquick *chocolate* milk. The strawberry drink tends to have corn syrup in it, probably for the texture, but the chocolate that they sell at DLR doesn't (though at the grocery I've noticed that they have two kinds of each flavor...some with the avoided ingredients, some without).


I'm sure you know this, especially if there are serious reasons behind the caffeine restrictions, but in case you ever want to have a root beer (and HFCS be darned), be careful of some brands...Barqs "has bite", and that "bite" is caffeine.

Thank you EVERYONE for your well-thought out responses, tips, and suggestions!! Bumbershoot, your post was especially interesting to me, because it is very true that our ds does not react to deserts made with sugar or juice. Our son is on the low end of the autism spectrum, we think he has aspergers, and he does have some mild sensory issues as well. I am *SO* going to look into the evils of high fructose corn syrups used for sugar substitutes in products. Also, at home, we don't have diet soda all the time, our kids do like water. I think I'll get them to drink more water and diluted juice when in the parks, and I like the idea of the sprinkles, and the Capri sun water drinks, etc. etc. Thank you all so much for your input.

P.S. Bumbershoot, thanks for the tips on the rootbeer, too. That one, we did know, specifically because of that commercial 'Barqs has bite', but it's good for others to know, too.

 

[PinkBudgie]

One thing that might help him transition is you all have water. Tell him you've decided that water or milk is better for you all and everyone will do this. If it is a family decision and not just singled out for him, it will probably go smoother. And think of all the money you will save at DLR if you only get water! This is what we have always done and they will give you cups of free water if you ask for it when you order your meal.

 

[pixiewings71]

We drink water in the parks. Molly suggested what I was going to, Simply Lemon, Orange, Lime, go to their website and you can get free samples packets. Many times I've added the Simply flavors to my water bottles when water has become "boring" to me. At restaurants I order iced tea, no sugar add lemon please. It's my favorite next to water. I try to avoid sodas personally and we limit the girls to having sodas only at mealtimes, of course we don't have the same reactions to HFCS as E does but we still try to avoid it, soda does not hydrate you, in fact I've always been told (by my dr) that for every soda you drink you should drink 1 extra 8 oz glass of water. I don't know if that's true but soda is just too sticky & sweet on a hot day.....

Of course my favorite on a hot day is the Margarilla at RFC, it's tequila and orange sherbert and OMG it's good!!!! Not hydrating either but man it's good! LOL And yes, for every alchoholic drink I have I drink a glass of water too.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Okay forgive me if I'm dense....LOL Are you guys talking about TRUE LEMON and TRUE LIME? I tried looking up "simply lemon" and it was the juice that comes in the bottle. When I searched "packets" it came up with "true lemon", not "simply lemon". Can you steer me in the right direction? I'd love to get some of these for our trip.

 

[pixiewings71]

HAHA no you're totally right...it is true lemon/true lime/true orange!!!! Simply Orange is what we drink at home....LOL But, they DO have Simply Orange & Simply Lime in the parks so you could always chose to drink those...the limes are good on a hot day!

 

[skoocher]

Everyone has had good suggestions. I'd say try milk if he will drink it. Our son is autistic and he is picky about what he will eat and drink, but thankfully he does not seem to be affected adversly by juice or soda....he's just always hyper

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

HAHA no you're totally right...it is true lemon/true lime/true orange!!!! Simply Orange is what we drink at home....LOL But, they DO have Simply Orange & Simply Lime in the parks so you could always chose to drink those...the limes are good on a hot day!

Okay.....So, I'm not going crazy. Well....that's totally another topic....LOL. As far as the "simply" juices, I'm glad that you put those into my head today. I just returned from the store and thought I'd surprise DS because he LOVES those. So I returned home with a big bottle of limeade and now I'm his hero....LOL. So thanks for the input into my brain that scored points with my 14 y.o.! I can't have sugar, so the lemonade, limeade, etc. are out for me, but I'll definitely bring some of those packets on our next trip for my water bottle.