ReThink Your Drink!

Beverages are an important part of your diet. They are mostly water, a nutrient that’s
essential to life. In fact, about 70% of your total body weight is water and, most, if not all
of your bodily functions depend on it. When choosing beverages you should try to make
them count as healthful contributions to your diet. Your best beverage choices are
water, low-fat milk or 100% juice, instead of soda, sugary fruit drinks or sports drinks,
which are high in calories.
How much sugar is in that soda?
You can easily translate the amount of sugar in soda from grams to teaspoons. A typical 20 oz. soda usually
contains a total of 87 grams of sugar. Knowing that four grams is equal to 1 teaspoon, you can figure out that
there are about 22 teaspoons of sugar in that 20 oz. bottle of soda. That’s a lot of sugar!
Juice & Juice Drinks
100% fruit or vegetable juice provides Vitamin C and in some cases, Vitamin A and other nutrients. But one
serving of juice a day (¾ cup) is enough as juice can be high in calories. Make sure to read the label and choose
100% juice. Many juice-like or punch drinks are less than 10 percent juice and contain mostly sugar, water and
are high in calories and of little nutrient value.
Tips for making wise choices
· Include milk as a beverage at meals. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk.
· If you usually drink whole milk, switch gradually to fat-free milk, to lower saturated fat
and calories. Try reduced fat (2%), then low-fat (1%) and finally fat free (skim).
· If you drink cappuccinos or lattes -- ask for them with fat-free milk.
· As a replacement for soda or sports drinks, dilute 100% juice with water and ice for a
refreshing drink.
· Get in the habit of carrying water with you wherever you go to avoid stopping to buy bottled soda.
(Source: Purdue Extension www.extension.org)