What can toddlers drink? What the AAP and CDC say

The American Academy of Pediatrics says the best drinks for young children are water and plain milk. This post summarizes what the AAP, the CDC and the Dietary Guidelines say about drinks for toddlers, as of October 2026, and adds no advice of its own.

The sources are two American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) pages on healthychildren.org, its recommended drinks for children age 5 and younger and its page on starting solid foods, two CDC pages, Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 to 2030.

The short answer: water and plain milk

The AAP and the CDC both name water and plain milk as the drinks to choose first.

The AAP's recommended drinks page says the best-choice beverages are really simple: water and plain milk. It says milk provides calcium, vitamin D, protein, vitamin A and zinc. It also says that children who drink mostly water and plain milk from a young age tend to continue drinking them as they age.

The CDC's avoid or limit page says beverages with no added sugars are the best choice, and names water and unflavored, unsweetened milk. The Dietary Guidelines, in their general advice, say to choose water (still or sparkling) and unsweetened beverages.

How much water and milk, by age

The AAP gives daily figures for water and cow's milk in three age bands.

The AAP's recommended drinks page suggests:

• 12 to 24 months. Water, 8 to 32 oz a day (1 to 4 cups a day). Cow's milk, 16 oz a day (2 cups a day).
• 2 to 5 years. Water, 8 to 40 oz a day (1 to 5 cups a day). Cow's milk, 16 to 24 oz a day (2 to 3 cups a day).

For babies 6 to 12 months, the same page gives water of 4 to 8 oz a day and no cow's milk. These figures describe what the AAP suggests for children generally. Your pediatrician can say what fits your child.

For more on water, including the first cup, see our summary of the water guidance.

Which milk, and where the sources differ

The sources agree on plain milk at 12 months. They do not say the same thing about milk fat from age 2.

• At 12 months. The CDC's encourage page says that once your child is 12 months old, you can begin offering pasteurized, plain whole cow's milk without added sugars. The Dietary Guidelines say that if you feed infant formula, stop at 12 months and give whole milk.
• The AAP from age 2. The AAP's recommended drinks page says children ages 12 to 24 months are advised to drink whole milk, and children 2 and older nonfat (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.
• The Dietary Guidelines in general. The 2025 to 2030 guidelines say, in their general advice on dairy, to include full-fat dairy with no added sugars. Their section on infancy and early childhood, birth to 4 years, gives no separate milk-fat advice after the switch to whole milk at 12 months.

The two sources point different ways for children 2 and older, and neither settles it for a particular child. That is a question for your pediatrician. For what the sources say about milk at the first birthday and about toddler formulas, see our summary of the toddler milk guidance.

Plant-based milks

The AAP and the CDC describe dairy alternatives differently.

The AAP's recommended drinks page says most plant-based milks are not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk and may be lacking in important nutrients such as protein, vitamin D and calcium. It says that other than soy milk, plant-based milks are not recommended for children to drink in place of dairy milk, and that soy milk is nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk and an acceptable alternative.

The CDC's encourage page says that from 12 months you can offer whole cow's milk or fortified, unsweetened dairy alternatives. Its avoid or limit page calls low-lactose or lactose-free milk and unsweetened, fortified dairy alternatives healthy choices.

The CDC does not name which alternatives it means, and the AAP names only soy. If your child cannot drink cow's milk, your pediatrician can say which drink fits.

Juice

All three sources limit juice, and the AAP's own pages use different age bands.

• Before 12 months. The AAP's starting solids page says babies younger than 12 months should not be given juice. The CDC's avoid or limit page says children younger than 12 months should not drink any fruit or vegetable juice.
• 12 months to 3 years. The AAP's starting solids page says to give only 100% fruit juice and no more than 4 ounces a day, offered only in a cup, not in a bottle. The CDC says juice after 12 months is unnecessary, and that the AAP recommends no more than 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice a day for children ages 1 through 3 years.
• 2 to 5 years. The AAP's recommended drinks page says that in some cases where whole fruit is not available, a small amount of 100% juice, no more than 4 ounces per day in 2 to 3 year olds and no more than 4 to 6 ounces in 4 to 5 year olds, can provide some nutritional benefit. It says eating fruit is always preferred to drinking juice.

The Dietary Guidelines, in their general advice, say 100% fruit or vegetable juice should be consumed in limited portions or diluted with water. The CDC says fruit drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and juice drinks have added sugars, and that children should not have them.

Drinks the sources say to avoid

The AAP and the CDC name the same main groups of drinks to skip.

• Sugar-sweetened drinks. The CDC's avoid or limit page lists soda, soft drinks, cola or pop, flavored milk, sports drinks, flavored water with sugar and juice drinks, and says children younger than 24 months should not have added sugars. The AAP's drinks page says sugary drinks are harmful to a child's health. The Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugars during infancy and early childhood.
• Flavored milk. The AAP says chocolate, strawberry and other flavored milks contain added sugars, and that children aged 2 to 5 also should avoid flavored milk.
• Stevia or artificially sweetened drinks. The AAP says the health risks of these sweeteners to children are not well understood, and that it is best to avoid sweetened drinks, even if they are calorie-free.
• Caffeinated drinks. The AAP says all caffeine-containing beverages are best avoided. The CDC says children younger than 24 months should avoid caffeinated drinks, such as soft drinks, tea, coffee and sports drinks, and that there is no established safe limit of caffeine for young children.
• Unpasteurized drinks. The CDC says not to give your child unpasteurized juice or unpasteurized milk, often called raw milk.
• Toddler milk. The AAP calls toddler milks unnecessary for most children and notes they contain added sugars.

How current each source is

The AAP's recommended drinks page was last updated October 3, 2023, and says its recommendations are drawn from a Healthy Eating Research report supported by the AAP and other groups. The AAP's starting solids page was last updated June 23, 2026. The CDC's encourage page is dated April 1, 2026, and its avoid or limit page April 14, 2026. The Dietary Guidelines cover 2025 to 2030.

Common questions

Can toddlers drink anything besides milk and water?

The AAP's drinks page says drinking only water and plain milk is the ideal, and acknowledges that young children may be exposed to other drinks at some point. The CDC adds low-lactose or lactose-free milk and unsweetened, fortified dairy alternatives to its healthy choices. Small amounts of 100% juice fall under the limits in the juice section above.

Should juice go in a bottle or a cup?

A cup. The AAP's starting solids page says to offer juice only in a cup, not in a bottle. It also says not to put a child to bed with a bottle, and that if you do, it should contain only water, to help prevent tooth decay.

Is sparkling water OK?

The Dietary Guidelines, in their general advice for everyone, say to choose water, still or sparkling, and unsweetened beverages. None of the AAP or CDC pages summarized here address sparkling water for young children specifically, so it is a fair question for your pediatrician.

Does this replace my pediatrician's advice?

No. The CDC says to talk with your child's doctor or nurse if you have more questions about which foods or drinks to avoid or limit, and the sources disagree on milk fat after age 2 and on plant-based milks. For the wider picture, see our summary of the Dietary Guidelines for infants and toddlers.

The short version

The AAP and the CDC both put water and plain milk first for toddlers, and the AAP gives daily amounts of each by age. The sources limit 100% juice, rule out sugar-sweetened and caffeinated drinks, and differ on milk fat after age 2 and on plant-based milks, which is where your pediatrician comes in.