Sweetened beverages
Description
Many sweetened drinks are high in calories and can cause weight gain, even in active people. If you feel like drinking something sweet, choose a beverage that is made with artificial (man-made) sweeteners.
Sweetened drinks
Drinking a lot of certain beverages can lead to gaining extra pounds. Even though they are just liquid, these drinks can add a lot of calories to your diet. Some examples are:
- A 16-ounce (475 mL) latte with whole milk has 265 calories
- A 20-ounce (600 mL) bottle of non-diet soda has 227 calories
- A 16-ounce (475 mL) glass of sweetened ice tea has 180 calories
- A 16-ounce (475 mL) Hawaiian punch has 240 calories
- A 16-ounce (475 mL) Ocean Spray Cran-Apple juice has 320 calories
- A 16-ounce (475 mL) sports drink has 140 calories
Read the ingredients and watch out for drinks that are high in sugar. Sugar can go by many names, including:
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Syrup
How about fruit juice?
Sure, juices contain many important vitamins and other nutrients. But drinking too much juice can be unhealthy, and lead to weight gain.
A 12-ounce (350 mL) serving of orange juice has about 170 calories. If you are already getting enough calories and nutrients from the other foods you eat, an extra 170 calories a day can add up to 12 to 15 pounds (5.4 to 6.7 kilograms) a year.
If you like to drink juice, consider diluting it with water.
Watch out for coffee drinks!
Coffee drinks you have on the way to work and during coffee breaks can add plenty of extra calories, especially if you buy ones that have flavored syrups, whipped cream, or half-and-half added. They can lead to weight gain.
All of these examples are for 16-ounce (475 mL) drinks. You can buy these drinks in smaller and larger sizes, too:
- A flavored Frappuccino has more than 250 calories. With whipped cream, it has over 400 calories.
- A nonfat mocha has 220 calories. With whipped cream, it has 330 calories.
- A mocha made with whole milk and whipped cream has 400 calories.
- A latte made with nonfat milk has 150 calories. With 1 flavor added, it has 220 calories.
- A latte made with whole milk has 260 calories. With 1 flavor added, it has 280 calories.
- A hot chocolate made with 2% milk has 300 calories. With whipped cream added, it has 370 calories.
Healthier coffee choices
Order regular coffee and add only nonfat or 2% milk. Use a sugar substitute if you like your coffee sweet.
If you have a special coffee drink now and then, following these tips will cut down on the calories:
- Order the smallest size available. A small (12-ounce or 350 mL) latte made with skim milk has 125 calories.
- Skip the whipped cream from a mocha or hot chocolate and save 100 calories.
- Flavoring adds about 50 calories. Skip it if you can, or ask the server to use only half as much.
- Consider fat-free half and half (20 calories per serving).
What you could drink instead
Choose drinks that have 5 calories or fewer per serving.
Some choices that have 0 calories are:
- Water.
- Diet soda.
- Sparkling water with natural flavors, such as lemon, lime, berry, and others.
Reviewed By: John E. Meilahn, MD, Bariatric Surgery, Chestnut Hill Surgical Associates, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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