When it comes to weight loss, there's no lack of diets promising fast results. There are low-carb diets, high-carb diets, low-fat diets, and blood type diets, to name a few. No matter what diet you may try to lose weight you must take in fewer calories than your body uses, most people try to reduce the number of calories they intake by focusing on food but another way to cut calories may be to think about what you drink!
Calories in drinks are not hidden (you can find them on the Nutrition Facts label: HERE), but many people don't realize just how many calories beverages can add to their daily intake. Calories from drinks can really add up, but there are plenty of options for cutting down on the number of calories in what you drink.
Sweeteners that add calories to a beverage go by many different names and are not always obvious to anyone looking at the ingredients list. Some common sweeteners with lots of calories are listed below. If these appear in the ingredients list of your favorite beverage, you are drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage.
- High fructose corn syrup
- Fructose
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Honey
- Sugar
- Syrup
- Corn syrup
- Sucrose
- Dextrose
Here are some tips for ways you can make smart choices to cut calories from what you drink:
- Choose water, diet, or low-calorie beverages instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
- For a quick, easy, and inexpensive thirst-quencher, carry a water bottle and refill it throughout the day.
- Don't stock the fridge with sugar-sweetened beverages. Instead, keep a jug or bottle of cold water in the fridge.
- Serve water with meals.
- Make water more exciting by adding slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or watermelon, or drink sparkling water.
- Add a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling water for a refreshing, low-calorie drink.
- When you do choose a sugar-sweetened beverage, go for the small size. Some companies are now selling 8-oz. cans and bottles of soda, which contain about 100 calories.
- At the coffee shop, request that your drink be made with fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Skip the whipped cream and extra flavoring--these are sugar-sweetened and will add calories to your drink.
- At the smoothie shop, order a child's size if available and hold the sugar. Many smoothies contain sugar in addition to the fruit. Ask that your smoothie be prepared without added sugar: the fruit is naturally sweet.
- Be a role model for your friends and family by choosing healthy, low-calorie beverages.
To learn more about rethinking your drink, visit the CDC website HERE.
