Posted by Cheryl Koch, M.S., R.D. Too often, we drink on the pounds without even realizing it. Drinking just one extra non-diet soda a day can add as much as 15 pounds in a year!
An article in this month’s American Journal of Nutrition looked at the consequences for Americans who drink too much sugary soda. After reviewing research from the past 40 years, the authors suggest stopping consumption of all sugary beverages to avoid weight gain.
Nutrition professionals consistently counsel against drinking nondiet sodas, which pack about 150 calories into every 12-ounce can — and much more in “supersized” fountain drinks. Giving them up is an easy way to win points in the weight-loss game. In addition to soft drinks, any beverage that uses high-fructose corn syrup will also add “empty” calories with few or no healthful nutrients. This is why many experts are now expanding their advice to all sugary beverages, not just soda.
What to switch to? Here are some examples of drinks that won’t send your calorie total skyward. The number of calories is given per serving, except where noted. Be careful, though – the numbers may not look very big, but they’ll add up if you drink several servings a day.
* Crystal Light Ready to Serve: 0-5 calories (varies by flavor)
* Diet soda: 0 calories
* Flavored carbonated water: 0 calories
* Sugar-free Kool-Aid: 36 calories per envelope (6 flavors)
* Brewed tea or coffee sweetened with Equal, Sweet’n Low, or Splenda: 0 calories
* Ocean Spray Light: 40 calories (5 flavors)
* Ocean Spray Diet Juice Drinks: 5 calories (2 flavors)
* Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa Mix made with Splenda: 25 calories
* Skim milk: 90 calories, 0 g fat
“Skim milk plus,” available under a variety of brands with added calcium, has 90-110 calories in an 8-ounce serving and, in my opinion, tastes like 2 percent milk.
