Caffeine-free Tisane for tots and teens: try an alternative beverage!

Thinsulate insulated Soccer Balls on Red & Golden Stars Kup Kollars on 16-ounce drinking glasses.

Children and teens are drinking a lot of soft drinks with artificial flavors, sugar, and caffeine. They also drink fruit "drinks," "cocktails," "punches," and "-aides" that are basically just sugar water. These drinks can cause health problems, including poor dental health, weight gain, higher blood-sugar levels, and so on.

Instead, why not encourage children to drink tisane with no calories, caffeine, artificial ingredients, sugar or sugar substitutes added? You might try Celestial Seasonings found in supermarkets. It's one of the inexpensive brands and has many fruity flavors to choose from. Read the ingredients to check for your child's taste preferences and food allergies. If you're concerned about any of the ingredients, check with your food store or doctor.

For a fun adventure, you could visit a local tea shop with the children and teens in your life. The shops usually have free tasting. The staff love to talk about tisane, brewing methods, and the variety of tastes.

We know if we convince children and teens that tisane is a hip drink that tastes good, they will be drinking it instead of the less healthy drinks. Give them gifts with logos promoting tisane, let them choose a Kup Kollar (cup sleeve), invite some of their friends to visit a tea shop, or suggest tisane for a school project or research paper. But remember be subtle; we don't want to make them suspicious!