lunch solution for water?

[megs4413]

So I know that the right answer is water....BUT

the kids won't willingly drink it for lunches at school...If I send it, it comes back full....

So I've been giving them flavored water (don't throw stones at me! it's in the 100s here! they have to drink!) but it's got splenda AND HFCS in it, so I know i can't keep doing that...it still seemed better than full sugar drinks, but anyway...

is there a way to send FLAVORED water with them that is low in sugar, but is real sugar instead of fake and that will fit in a lunchbox? tell me there is a solution to this...they HAPPILY drink flavored water (like propel) but balk at regular water (when at school.) what can I do? TIA!

[o_mom]

Are you looking for container suggestions or drink suggestions?

[megs4413]

Are you looking for container suggestions or drink suggestions?

both, I think! I need a water drink that has a little flavor and I need it to be packable. I have funtainers, but they don't fit in the lunchboxes.

[maydaymommy]

Honestly, when it's summer and dc are at camp, I send a juice box. I send water, or they are served water, for lunch and snack all year long. But when it's hot, I need to know they are actually going to get some fluid in them FOR SURE, and I know they'll at least chug the juice box or pouch. There are some that are less junky than others, of course.

[BDKmom]

I add juice to DS's water. I use the Mott's original 100% apple juice. I probably do 1/4 juice to 3/4 water, but you could vary the amount until you find the least they will tolerate.

I personally like a little lime juice in my water, just enough to give it a little tang.

[alleycat]

Will they drink ice cold water? That was the key with my DD. Warm water was not touched, ice cold was at least half the bottle, cold water with a splash of any kind of 100% juice or lemonade (BJs or trader joes organic) would be the full bottle. I used Funtainers so no suggestions on a different bottle. Maybe get new lunch containers that fit the Funtainers?

How about Honest juice pouches for less sugar?

[BunnyBee]

Mine like it really cold too. They like the True Lemon (and other flavors) packets in water: http://www.truelemon.com/ There's no sugar at all, just crystallized fruit juice, so it's tart. You could use diluted fruit juice and slowly dilute it more and more until their palates adjust. Rubbermaid makes a BPA-free container that's freezable and (mostly) leakproof. Mix up "juice" and freeze half filled containers, then top with more "juice." You can make flavored water with sliced oranges, etc. That's fun and bright. Iced herbal teas (unsweetened or lightly sweetened with apple juice).
Barefoot Contessa's Herbal Tea (you can use much less apple juice/more water):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/27661
Not Kool Aid (I use honey or apple juice, not stevia):
http://www.lexieskitchen.com/lexies_kitchen/2012/8/9/make-cool-aid-not-kool-aid.html
Homemade "Gatorade" (can dilute it more):
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/make-your-own-homemade-gatorade.html

One of the styles of Rubbermaid (cheap, easy to find, don't care if kids drop/lose eventually):
http://www.containerstore.com/mt/www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/lunchtimeEssentials/beverageContainers?productId=10016331

[o_mom]

We use the Rubbermaid Litterless Juice Boxes for lunch boxes. Mine just take plain water and don't care if it is cold. If they need it cold you get some of the 'water bottle' ice cube trays that make cylinder cubes.

I would try making them 1/4 fruit juice or maybe some of the stevia sweetened powders. If I were going to use an artificial sweetener, that would probably be the one I would pick over aspartame or saccharine.

[Globetrotter]

Try flavoring with lemon or oranges or something and put it in a good insulated water bottle with ice to chill it. We like contigo s/s and thermos brand. Or add juice ice cubes to water. Warm water tastes pretty bad. Or how about fruity iced tea? We have been enjoying upton teas iced, without sugar. The cape cod cranberry and rote grutze (berry) are really yummy iced. You could add sugar or agave nectar (never done this) and store in a container in the fridge so you only have to make it twice a week. I introduced it without sugar and they devour it!

[oneplustwo]

We use Klean Kanteen bottles in the lunchboxes. I was going to recommend adding a little lemonade to the water to give it some flavor but others beat me to it. My kids love it as flavored water.

[elephantmeg]

I add a little mio to my kids' water bottles

[daisymommy]

I'm pretty sure I've seen Capri Sun water splashers, something like that name. Flavored water, but not too much sugar. Also, Honest Kids pouches that is juice watered down. Several companies make similar products, Motts Tots?


Sent from my iPad

[schrocat]

Would they drink flavoured coconut water? They sell those in individual servings.

[megs4413]

I'm pretty sure I've seen Capri Sun water splashers, something like that name. Flavored water, but not too much sugar. Also, Honest Kids pouches that is juice watered down. Several companies make similar products, Motts Tots?


Sent from my iPad

those are the ones we've been using (Capri Sun Roarin' Waters) but they make up the sugar difference with Splenda, so I'm looking for a replacement.

The Honest Kids look pretty good and like they would fit my needs.

I also found these
http://www.juiceinthebox.com/

and I think i will order them and give them a go so that I can do the watered down lemonade that was suggested (and thereby get away from the wasteful packaging of the honest kids) when they arrive.

And to one of the PPs who suggested Mio (which my mom uses obsessively), my kids spilled the mio concentrate on themselves once and it left horrible marks on their skin....i'm afraid they might be allergic!

THANK YOU ALL!

[Momit]

We brew herbal teas that don't contain caffeine and use them for iced tea. Our new fave this summer is Lipton Orange. It's a little bit zesty and DS loves it.

Or a splash of cranberry juice.

[o_mom]

those are the ones we've been using (Capri Sun Roarin' Waters) but they make up the sugar difference with Splenda, so I'm looking for a replacement.

The Honest Kids look pretty good and like they would fit my needs.

I also found these
http://www.juiceinthebox.com/

and I think i will order them and give them a go so that I can do the watered down lemonade that was suggested (and thereby get away from the wasteful packaging of the honest kids) when they arrive.

And to one of the PPs who suggested Mio (which my mom uses obsessively), my kids spilled the mio concentrate on themselves once and it left horrible marks on their skin....i'm afraid they might be allergic!

THANK YOU ALL!

Are those 11.99 each (I keep trying to figure out if that is the price for a multi-pack or something)?

The Rubbermaid Litterless juice boxes are around $2.99 each. Our Kroger carries them - not sure what their stores are near you, but I would go with those, personally.

[eagle]

have you considered making a batch of simple syrup by yourself? maybe two cups of water with two cups of sugar? boil, then cool and keep in fridge. flavor water with fruit as you see fit and add tsps of simple syrup until it as sweet as you like it? that way it is real sugar, but as low as you like it to be.

[maybeebaby08]

I was looking at the Juice in the Box earlier today, but I can't find any reviews.

The Rubbermaid Plastic always has a weird taste to me. I need something for DD at snack time.

[Kindra178]

Could you invest in funtainers? I have some that are over three years old and are going strong. They keep liquid super cold, especially with a little ice. Trader Joe's flavor sticks are really good. If you did a bit of the lemonade one, it would flavor the water enough to make it more kid friendly. Ds' also likes an ice tea lemonade combo (half and half if you are from NJ or Arnold Palmer for the rest of the country). Could you do that?

[rin]

Have you ever had any indication that your kids are getting dehydrated? My kids drink plain water when they're thirsty; they'll down glasses and glasses of juice/milk/etc, when I know they wouldn't drink water, but I've never seen them turn down water when they're thirsty. I tend to believe that people's own bodies are the best gauges of our own fluid intake needs.

There's also some reason to believe that drinking lots of water isn't as necessary as all the health magazines would have us believe. http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

[Kestrel]

Have you looked at "emergan-C"? That's what I use; with about 3x the recommended water.

[oneplustwo]

Have you looked at "emergan-C"? That's what I use; with about 3x the recommended water.

Ooh, that's a great idea. My kids LOVE emergen-C.

[kboyle]

i love the look of those Juice in the Box containers...I may need to order some too! I'm totally freaked out, a friend happened to cut open a Capri Sun and it had mold floating in the bottom of the pouch! I'd like for the kids to do water and some mio. our kleen kanteens have leaked before as have those rubbermade litterless juice box things. Our schools (primary thru middle) all have the same lunch system, so when the kids unpack their backpacks in the morning they toss their lunchboxes in a class laundry basket that is brought down to the cafeteria before lunch...so it's not like they are kept upright. i don't want a leaky anything and these do look pretty leak-less because of the way they seal. plus i don't need much more fluid than 8oz, just enough to wash down their lunches.

[Indianamom2]

Ok, I haven't done this myself, but what about getting a reuseable water bottle (I'll try to find the one my kids use because it's dishwasher safe, BPA free, and opens about a quarter of the way down so that you can add ice easily) and then freezing some fruit juice of your choice in ice cube trays and use the cubes to both flavor the water a bit and keep the drink cold? Just a thought.

Here's a link to our water bottles. It's unavailable on this site, but I bought ours at a local Meijer, so they must be available somewhere.
http://www.parkandmain.com/products/Copco-Hydra-Reusable-Water-Bottle%2C-16.9oz-%252d-Green.html

[MolieMuts]

The Juice in the Box containers are on Zulily for $8.99, plus lots of other lunchbox accessories.

http://www.zulily.com/e/mealtime-must-haves-kids-essentials-59792.html?pos=1&section=top

[turtledove]

We use this http://www.amazon.com/True-Lemon-Kit/dp/B004VNCXK2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1378693254&sr=8-3&keywords=true+lemon (no added sugar)

or this

http://www.amazon.com/True-Lemon-Assorted-Beverage-Lemonade/dp/B00BBJTBE0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1378693254&sr=8-4&keywords=true+lemon (sweetened with stevia)

We put this in a 12oz Kleen Kanteen in our daughters lunch. One packet does three days worth of drink for us. She drinks water (and has access to her water bottle all day) so this is for variety. I used to send milk with her lunch, but her new school only allows clear, light colored liquids. I didn't want to send juice everyday, so this is what we are doing now. I can find them at my grocery store.