Making Healthier Beverage Choices: You Are What You Drink!
Calorie Comparison
| Beverage | Calories |
| Water | 0 |
| Brewed iced tea (8 oz.) | 1 |
| Lemon-lime sports drink (8 oz.) | 50 |
| Orange juice (8 oz.) | 110 |
| Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz.) | 140 |
| Cola (12 oz.) | 160 |
| Fruit smoothie with nonfat frozen yogurt (16 oz.) | 286 |
| Blended, frozen coffee drink (with caramel and whipped cream; 20.3 oz.) |
430 |
May 2006 — Despite studies linking sugar-sweetened, high-calorie beverages to obesity, even health-conscious people can overlook the impact of their favorite beverages in their daily diet. The vanilla caramel latte you grab on the way to work, the soda you drink at lunch or the smoothie consumed at the beach may all contain more calories, fat and sugar than you realize.
Rethink Your Drink
While nutritional information for drinks is rarely posted at cafes or smoothie shops, details on calories, fats and carbohydrates often can be found on websites or in pocket guides. "The key is to research, keep a food journal and read labels when grocery shopping," says Marilyn Gordon, MS, RD, LD/N, dietitian at Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center.
"Many people don't take time to read labels carefully," Gordon says. In addition to knowing what you're drinking, consider how much you're drinking. Portion control is important. "When the label on a 20-ounce bottle of soda says 100 calories, we assume it's the whole bottle. But it's per serving, and most bottles contain 2.5 servings." And although you may choose diet soda because it contains no calories, it can be problematic because it contains phosphoric acid, which many dentists advise against, and artificial sweeteners, which can cause side affects for many people. Water or flavored seltzer is a better option. In addition, although athletes exercising intensely for longer than an hour may benefit from sports drinks, for spectators, such drinks are an unnecessary source of sugar.
Gordon says that many people are surprised to learn that sugar-sweetened drinks, even without extras like whipped cream and caramel, may contain as many calories as a typical meal. But the fact that they're not as satisfying makes them easy to disregard. "Simple sugars are metabolized quickly and leave us hungry in a short time," Gordon says. "People may have a caramel latte and then turn their attention to what to have for breakfast or lunch."
Even those who drink decaffeinated coffee at home with their favorite vanilla or hazelnut creamer may get more calories and carbohydrates than they plan, since nutritional information is listed per one-tablespoon serving. "Many just pour creamers into their coffee until it is the color they want, not realizing they might be using a quarter cup or more," Gordon says. And although certain creamers are labeled "fat-free," Gordon stresses that "If it's fat-free and it's cream, what is it? Usually it's partially hydrogenated oil, a trans-fatty acid that can increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol."
Better Alternatives
Beverage companies know people are seeking healthier alternatives, so consumers are seeing more sweetened beverage containers with the phrases, "added vitamins" or "added calcium." Gordon compares this to tossing a vitamin pill into a box of sugar-frosted flakes. She advises looking beyond marketing phrases such as "contains real fruit juice" and carefully reviewing the ingredients instead. The same can be said for caffeinated energy drinks that may contain additional stimulants, such as gotu kola and guarana, which some people cannot tolerate.
When people understand the real nutritional value of beverages, they can seek healthier alternatives. Gordon suggests foregoing the "juice drink" for an actual apple or banana, or replacing hazelnut creamer with skim milk and cinnamon.
"Because people are in a hurry, they often make choices based on popular marketing," Gordon adds. "For better nutritional and calorie control, skip past the claims made on the package and read the nutrition label."
Both Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness & Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood and Memorial Hospital West Fitness & Rehabilitation Center in Pembroke Pines offer nutritional counseling services to members at a discounted fee. To learn more, contact the Hollywood location at (954) 265-5800 or the Pembroke Pines location at
(954) 844-7125.