No refill please! Drinks can add on the pounds

Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN TODAY nutritionist and diet editor • Profile • E-mail

TODAY nutritionist and diet editor Joy Bauer shares the sugar and calorie content in your favorite beverages and offers three tips to avoid packing on the pounds.

Obesity rates are staggering — it’s estimated 66% of Americans are overweight and liquid calories are part of the problem. Guzzle a 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi (or two 20-ounce bottles of Vitamin Water or Gatorade) and it will cost you 250 calories. Order that Starbucks Venti Caramel Macchiato and you’re looking at 340 calories.

Although, loaded beverages can be a delicious occasional splurge (I admit it!), when it comes to managing your weight, remember to account for those calories and moderate your intake.

Consider this: Trim 500 liquid calories from your daily diet and you’ll save 3,500 calories a week. That’s potentially ONE pound lost per week and more than FIFTY pounds lost at the end of the year!

Follow these three tips to avoid packing on the pounds:

1. Think before you drink
Be mindful of beverages loaded with caloric ingredients — sugar, corn syrup, fructose, milk, cream, syrup, special flavoring and even fruit juice. When it comes to managing your weight, calorie-free water will always be your best bet.

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2. Calculate the “total calories” you’ll be drinking — not just one serving.
Many beverages list calories per serving, but pack 2 or more servings into each bottle. Make sure you look at the serving size… and calculate how many servings (and total calories) are included in one container.

3. Healthy drinks can also pack on the pounds
Just because a product claims to be “all natural,” or contain “no refined/added sugars,” doesn’t mean it’s caloric-free. For example, 100% fruit juice and fruit smoothies are filled with nutrition but also often high in calories. If you’re watching your weight you are better off eating fruit versus drinking it.

Total calories in popular beverages:

Soda

• Soda (20-oz bottle) = 250 calories
• 7/11 Big Gulp (32-oz) = 400 calories
• Large movie theatre soda (44-oz) = 550 calories
• 7/11 Double Big Gulp (64-oz) = 800 calories

Tea and Coffee Drinks

• Snapple Peach Iced Tea (16-oz bottle) = 200 calories 
• Arizona Lemon Iced Tea (20-oz bottle) = 225 calories
• Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino:
  - Tall (12-oz) = 200 calories 
  - Grande (16-oz) = 260 calories
  - Venti (24-oz) = 380 calories
  
• Starbucks Caramel Macchiato = Grande (16-oz) = 270 calories
• Starbucks Chai Iced Tea Latte = Grande (16-oz) 260 calories
• Duncan Donuts, Coffee Coolata (16-oz w/2% milk) = 190 calories

Fruit Beverages

• Jamba Juice: Banana Berry (classic smoothie):
  - 16-oz = 280 calories
  - 24-oz original = 450 calories
  - 30-oz power = 600 calories
  
• POM Pomegranate Juice (16-oz bottle) = 320 calories
• Orange Juice (pint container, 16-oz) = 220 calories
• Orange Juice (one cup) = 110 calories
• Naked Juice-Orange Mango Motion (16-oz container) = 240 calories
• Odwalla Citrus C Monster (16-oz container) = 300 calories
• Country Time lemonade (12-oz can) = 130 calories
• Minute Maid lemonade (20-oz bottle) = 260 calories

Flavored Waters and Sports Drinks

• Vitamin Water (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories
• Life Water (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories
• Gatorade (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories

Joy Bauer is the author of “Food Cures.”

For more information on healthy eating, check out Joy’s Web site at www.joybauernutrition.com.

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