What we drink is every bit as important to our health as what we eat. Most people think of calories in solid forms, such as meat and potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and cake and ice cream. They might not realize the liquids they drink each day can add hundreds of extra calories to their daily diet. Which drinks should we be wary of during our daily grind?
Soda: One of the easiest ways to pile on unwanted calories is through soda of any sort. While you may think that a diet soda is better for you since it does have fewer calories, many diet soda drinkers drink more soda and eat more sweet treats as a result. Do yourself a favor by skipping soda and opting for water instead.
Fancy Coffees: Yes, they taste delicious and give your energy an instant boost, but that large café latte made with whole milk is also sending 265 calories directly to your belly. Chop the calories in half by downsizing your drink and making it a “skinny” made with fat-free milk.
Sports Drinks: You work out pretty hard and are convinced that you need a sports drink to replenish everything your body loses as you exercise. Unfortunately, your conviction is nothing more than a response to good advertising. Unless you’re exercising hard and heavy for 90 minutes or more, your sports drink is leaving you with many more calories than you burned during your routine. Keep your body hydrated the old-fashioned way with water.
Sweet Tea: Though you may consider it the healthy alterative to soda, sweet tea packs nearly 200 calories in a meager 16-ounce bottle. Unless you’re a professional body builder who uses an extra thousand calories every day, drinking sweet tea chops out a big portion of your daily calorie allotment without giving you much benefit.
Smoothies: Made with healthy ingredients, smoothies are both delicious and nutritious. However, if you work at a desk all day and don’t take time to get to the gym, a smoothie a day may actually bring extra pounds your way. That’s because while they are very healthy, they have hundreds of calories. Eat a smoothie each morning in addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you can easily suffer from calorie overload.
Alcohol: Whether you prefer lager or pina coladas, all things alcohol come with a calorie count that can easily be overlooked. To keep these calories to a minimum, watch the amount of alcohol you consume. Choose light beer, a small margarita, or the proper amount of wine instead of the excessive amount provided at many restaurants.