After the long summer holidays many parents are relieved to hear the school bell! But for many, ‘Back to School’ means back to searching for healthy ideas for school lunches and back to trying to get children to drink enough water during the day. And with heat waves affecting much of Australia, it’s especially important to keep young children hydrated.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend drinking plenty of water and choosing plain water above other drinks, especially for children. Yet according to a 2017 NSW Government health report, nearly one in two children regularly drink sweetened drinks.
The report also revealed that almost two in three children drink four or more cups of water daily. Yet about one in 25 children drink one cup or less of water a day.
According to the report,
“The Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand recommend a daily fluid intake between 1.2 litres and 1.9 litres for children (depending on age and sex), with the majority of this intake consisting of plain water.
However, too many children aren’t making water their drink. Only about 2 in 3 children (65.1%) drink 4 or more cups of water a day (1 litre or more), which suggests that too many children are choosing other, less healthy options.”
This research has sparked a number of initiatives that focus on creating a healthy water habit, including Finish with the Right Stuff – a program launched by NSW Health to encourage children participating in community sport to eat healthily and finish with water. And Make Healthy Normal, another NSW initiative, aims at creating healthy habits, including healthy recipes and choosing water as a drink of choice.
We highlight some of filtered water’s benefits and its long term health benefits for your kids.
There is a simple way to encourage children to drink more water and it involves your kitchen tap!
In Australia, we are lucky to have safe drinking water in our homes. But the trouble with tap water is that it often tastes of chlorine. Of course, we need chlorine to treat the water and guarantee that it’s safe to drink. But there’s an easy way to eliminate the taste by simply installing a water filtration system in your kitchen.
Many WFA customers have found that their children tend to drink more water once a water filter system is installed, largely because the taste of the chlorine is taken away.
With a WFA inline water filter, children can fill their own water bottles directly from the cold water tap. The water flow is four times faster than other filters so it’s just like filling it from your regular tap.
Of course, WFA water filter systems remove far more than chlorine but it’s the taste that makes all the difference. Improving the taste of water is one of the most important filtered water benefits, making your kids want to drink more water.
There’s a current trend of choosing bottled water instead of tap water but bottled water does not contain fluoride.
And did you know that drinking fluoride-free bottled water is contributing to half of all Australian children suffering tooth decay by the age of six?
Our WFA water filter systems take out potential ‘nasties’ but leave the fluoride in. Fluoride is important for the health of your teeth so if you are drinking filtered water it will mean fewer family trips to the dentist, a huge benefit of filtered water.
We’ve put together some ideas on how to get your children to drink more water. But the first step is to install a WFA water filter system. At less than one cent a litre it not only benefits your family’s health, it’s easy on your wallet too!
Browse our online store today or contact our friendly customer service team to discuss a water filter system to suit all the family. Discover the benefits of filtered water with Water Filters Australia.
Read more about fun filtered water activities for kids.
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Scorching heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s a real threat to your body. Australian summers are made for fun, but staying safe means more than just wearing sunscreen. How pure water supports your health in extreme heat isn’t just about staying hydrated. Ultimately, filtered water is the best choice as it is free from contaminants that can worsen dehydration.