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The Hot Days of Summer
Keeping Hydrated While on the Road By Carma Haley Shoemaker
When traveling, what you drink is almost as important as how much you drink. Some fluids don't travel well without refrigeration and may cause more harm than good. Drinking something that is spoiled, fermented or overly acidic can put the brakes on family vacation very quickly.
Milk
For example, if milk is chosen, a cooler with ice should be kept within reach to store the beverage. It is common knowledge that milk spoils and spoiled milk can cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and flatulence. Chocolate and white milk, formula, breast milk, soymilk and goat's milk will all spoil much more quickly in increased temperatures than they will at room temperature. A gallon of milk left on the counter at home lasts much longer than a gallon of milk in a vehicle where temperatures are higher. Remember that an increase in temperature equals a decrease in time milk can remain exposed without refrigeration. "My 5-year-old son had to have his chocolate milk on our last road trip," says Marielle Bonner from New York, N.Y. "We put a cooler in the back of the van loaded with ice so the milk would stay really cold. We kept dirty hands out of the cooler and used the ice for our drinks as well."
Juices
ne of the most common choices for children is apple juice. Apple juice is sweet and colorful and full of nutrients, making it a great choice for a child's beverage. However, apple juice, as well as apple cider, will go through a process of fermentation when left exposed to increased temperatures. Fermentation is when a food is broken down into its smallest, or simplest, components. Fermentation of apple juice is similar to milk spoilage. If fermented juice is consumed, a severe stomachache followed by diarrhea is commonly the result. To keep apple juice from "spoiling," it should be stored as cold as possible in an ice chest or a cup of ice.