Drinks and "foods" as you describe are treats. They are not food. They may be edible, but they are not foods. As a treat, maybe on a rare occasion I might consider letting my child have them. But they are a treat like a candy bar or french fries.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a commonly used substitute for sugar, especially in refined foods and frequently in candies. It is one of the most detrimental inventions of mankind, because Fructose provides the sweet taste we desire without actually turning off the need in our brains for more sweets. HFCS refines the Fructose part of the corn to allow it to be sweeter. Debate has arisen claiming it one of the main proponents for juvenile diabetes.

Unfortunately it would be very difficult, unless you are eating a strict organic diet, to go without HFCS. If you read the backs of pacakaging, it's in candy treats and soda obviously, but also crackers, bread, juice, many tv dinners, sauces, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, and most certainly school lunches. If you don't spend 30 minutes in the grocery store reading the backs of packaging (or have done so in the past), you'll find a few products in your kitchen you didn't know had it.

These chemicals that have become substitutes for food, even the ones that are currently claimed as beneficial such as Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Low-Trans Fat, are getting in the way of how our bodies were designed to operate. On a balanced diet of fruits and grains, vegetables and meats.

But as I've opinioned before, the FDA has claimed that in moderate doses, these chemicals are safe. As long as you're living on a good organic diet, you can provide your kids with the occasional refined product without fear of health consequences. Many people live into their 70s and 80s eating nothing but refined foods. Personally I'd avoid giving my kids these chemicals, but I think as long as HFCS and refined foods aren't the backbone of their diet, they'll be fine.