Bottoms up, right? Not so fast. Some bottles are better than others, as you’re about to learn. Too many Americans are problem drinkers — and I’m not talking about bourbon for breakfast. As a nation, we love high-sugar, high-calorie drinks like sodas and smoothies; a whopping 21 percent of American’s calorie intake comes from drinks, and that’s an increase of 150 calories since 1977. The big-bottom line: Half of that caloric payload comes from sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, fruit punch, and other sweet drinks.
The sad part is: Nobody actually needs any of those calories. Water — by the glass and in the foods you eat — should be plenty to top your tank. But if you find it kind of bland, we hear you. That’s why we’re slapping warning labels on the big-calorie guzzlers, and pointing you toward the thirst-quenchers that won’t make you fat.
Cheers.
Iced Coffee
Drink This
Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel Crème Iced Latte (16 oz)
260 calories
9 g fat
40 g sugars
Not That
Starbucks 2% Iced Dulce de Leche Latte (16 oz)
420 calories
16 g fat
52 g sugars
In the hierarchy of espresso drinks, lattes sit squarely
at the bottom. That's because they're more milk than
java, and are susceptible to huge pumps of sugar syrup
from eager-to-please baristas. A macchiato gives the
same caffeine kick for a tiny fraction of the caloric
cost by swapping out the excess steamed milk for a crown
of frothed milk. It's a simple but meaningful switch for
caffeine junkies looking for a healthier fix. For other
easy foods swaps for effortless weight loss — without
ever having to diet again —
try these fabulous fifteen.
Protein Shakes
Drink This
Slim Fast High Protein Extra Creamy Strawberry (11.5 oz
can)
190 calories
5g fat
13 g sugars
Not That!
Boost Plus High Protein Strawberry (8 oz bottle)
240 calories
6 g fat
16 g sugars
Besides having fewer calories and sugar than the smaller
Boost shake, the Slim Fast drink also has more protein
and five extra grams of fiber, which means it will work
harder at keeping your belly full in the hours after you
sip it.
Yogurt Smoothie
Drink This
Dannon Light & Fit Strawberry Banana Smoothie
70 calories
12 g sugars
Not That!
Stonyfield Farm Organic Wild Berry Smoothie
150 calories
25 g sugars
The Stonyfield smoothie is smaller but more than doubles
up on the calories and sugar in the Dannon Light. Don't
be fooled by the "organic" name — this yogurt smoothie
is thick with added sugars, which spikes your blood
sugar and tells your body to start storing fat — not the
best way to start your day.
The Dannon Light shake jumpstarts your morning metabolism with a nice protein kick, but spares you the sickly Stonyfield sweetness. Watch out wherever, whenever for added sugars by avoiding this great list of the most sugar-packed foods in America!
Functional Beverage
Drink This
Dasani Plus Orange Tangerine Vitamin Enhanced Water
(20-oz bottle)
0 calories
0 g sugars
Not That!
Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (20-oz bottle)
140 calories
33 g sugars
If you were fooled by the words “agave” and
“antioxidant,” don’t be embarrassed — for a product
that’s supposedly water, it’s totally shocking how many
calories and grams of sugar are packed into this
fraudulent “health” beverage. But that doesn’t mean you
should run the other way when you see an enhanced water;
in fact, adding a little flavor (such as the orange
tangerine in the Dasani water) can make staying hydrated
easier and more pleasant — without adding calories or
sugar.
Bottled Beverage
Drink This
Sobe Lean Blackberry Currant (20-oz bottle)
15 calories
2 g sugars
Not That!
Sobe Lizard Lava (20-oz bottle)
310 calories
77 g sugars
To glance at these two mysterious containers, you might
think they contained exactly the same liquid — they’re
both pink, they both come in a chunky glass bottle,
they’ve both got some kind of creature on the label —
but once you take a closer look at the nutrition facts,
an entirely different story becomes clear. The Lizard
Lava bottle contains about half a meal’s worth of
calories and as much sugar as 11 popsicles.
That doesn’t exactly spell refreshment, does it? Instead try the other pink bottle, with Sobe’s Lean Blackberry Currant. With only 15 calories and 2 grams of sugar in a bottle, it just goes to show you that you can’t judge a drink by its bottle. In fact, make sure you’re always on the lookout for things like these sneaky "health" foods that aren’t! You’ll be shocked.
Energy Drink
Drink This
Monster Lo-Ball Java Monster Coffee + Energy (16-oz can)
100 calories
8 g sugars
Not That!
Rockstar Original (16-oz can)
280 calories
62 g sugars
I’ll put it all out on the table here: I’m not a big fan
of energy drinks. It’s much healthier to boost energy by
exercising, eating healthy foods, and getting enough
sleep. But let’s face it — sometimes you’re desperate
for a pick-me-up, and it’s easy to reach for one of
those shiny cans of liquid fuel.
However, if you guzzle down a can of Rockstar
Original, I’m pretty sure you’re just going to end up
with a jittery buzz instead of the boost you’re seeking
— with 62 grams of sugars, you’re looking at a major
sugar crash not too far down the road. Better to stick
with a low-sugar, low-calorie option like Java Monster
Coffee + Energy.
Juice Imposter
Drink This
Fuze Slenderize Strawberry Melon (18.5-oz bottle)
23 calories
4.5 g sugars
Not That!
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (23.5-oz can)
360 calories
84 g sugars
Unfortunately, most of the drinks that come in flashy
containers and purport themselves to be juice quite
simply aren’t. That goes for both our “Drink This” and
our “Not That” option here — even the healthier Fuze
drink is only about 5 percent juice. That said, it’s
also a low-carb, low-sugar drink that provides
nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins, so it’s not all
bad — unlike Arizona’s “juice.” Bottom line: These days,
if you want juice, you probably need to squeeze it
yourself.
Kids' Juice
Drink This
Minute Maid Kids Multi-Vitamin Orange Juice
120 calories
24 g sugars
Not That!
Welch's Grape Juice
170 calories
40 g sugars
Kids love grape juice for one reason: It's loaded with
sugar. That also means it's loaded with calories. Grape
just ain’t so great. On the other extreme, Minute Maid’s
enhanced orange juice is mother nature's multi-vitamin,
providing your kids with monster doses of calcium and
vitamin D for bone growth and protection, plus a host of
powerful antioxidants. To make the best choices for your
kids when eating out, check out this great comprehensive
listing of
the Best and Worst Restaurants for Kids!
Kids’ Drink
Drink This
Capri Sun Tropical Fruit Roarin’ Waters (6.8-oz pouch)
35 calories
9 g sugars
Not That!
Sunny D with Calcium (8-oz serving)
140 calories
31 g sugars
If you believe the commercials, stocking your fridge
with Sunny D will make you the coolest mom (or dad) in
the neighborhood, and your kids will be smiling and
thanking you, and you’ll be wearing a cashmere sweater,
and your whole house will be bathed in soft, buttery
sunlight. Right. Well, believe it or not, if you’re
interested in giving your kids a fun drink that’s
actually reasonably healthy, hand them one of those
silver Capri Sun pouches — OK, so they’re not exactly a
health drink, but they’re better than Sunny D — cashmere
or no cashmere.
For other belt-busting beverages,
don’t miss these other drinkable disasters. And for
other incredible tips to keep the weight off for good,
take this eye-opening quiz to learn how much you can eat
for just 100 calories.
Have other smart swaps? Please share them with the rest
of us here.
