Session 6

Tipping the Calorie Balance

Session 6-3

Rethink Your Drink

How many calories a day do you think you consume from beverages?

Drinks don’t fill you up the way food does and calories from drinks can really add up!

Cutting the calories in your drinks can go a long way towards helping you reach your calorie goal.

You can achieve this by switching to lower calorie drinks or reducing the size of your drinks.

Switch It!

Morning Coffee:
K

Small (12 oz) caffè latte w/ fat-free milk instead of Medium (16oz) made with whole milk

Saves 140 cals
Lunchtime combo meal:
K

Bottle of still or sparkling water instead of 20 oz regular soda

Saves 227 cals
Afternoon break:
K

Water with a slice of lemon instead of sweetened iced tea (16 oz)

Saves 180 cals
Dinner:
K

Sparkling water with a splash of 100% fruit juice instead of 12oz of regular ginger ale

Saves 94 cals
Total drink calories saved: 641 cals

Reduce It!

Another way to cut calories is to think about how much you drink. For high-calorie drinks, size really matters!
Fruit Punch
Calories in 20 oz: 320 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 192 cals
Calories saved: 128 cals
100% apple juice
Calories in 20 oz: 300 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 180 cals
Calories saved: 120 cals
100% orange juice
Calories in 20 oz: 280 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 168 cals
Calories saved: 112 cals
Lemonade
Calories in 20 oz: 280 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 168 cals
Calories saved: 112 cals
Regular lemon/lime soda
Calories in 20 oz: 247 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 148 cals
Calories saved: 99 cals
Regular cola
Calories in 20 oz: 227 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 135 cals
Calories saved: 91 cals
Sweetened lemon iced tea (bottled)
Calories in 20 oz: 225 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 135 cals
Calories saved: 90 cals
Tonic water
Calories in 20 oz: 207 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 124 cals
Calories saved: 83 cals
Regular ginger ale
Calories in 20 oz: 207 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 124 cals
Calories saved: 83 cals
Sports drink
Calories in 20 oz: 165 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 99 cals
Calories saved: 66 cals
Unsweetened iced tea
Calories in 20 oz: 3 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 2 cals
Calories saved: 1 cal
Diet soda (with aspartame)
Calories in 20 oz: 0* cal
Calories in 12 oz: 0* cal
Calories saved: 0* cal
Still or Sparkling water (unsweetened)
Calories in 20 oz: 0 cal
Calories in 12 oz: 0 cal
Calories saved: 0 cal

*Some diet soft drinks can contain a small number of calories that are not listed on the nutrition facts label.
Source: Rethink Your Drink. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Look Out for High-Calorie Culprits

Many drinks contain more calories than you may think!

Read the nutrition labels and become aware of what is a serving size and how many servings are in the container.

Don’t assume that 1 container = 1 serving.

Here is the Nutrition Facts label on a 20-ounce bottle of soda.

  • It says that one serving is 8 oz.
  • Each serving contains 100 calories and
  • There are 2 1⁄2 servings in the bottle.

If you were to drink the entire bottle (100cals x 2 1⁄2 ) you would take in 250 calories .

Calories on the Go

Coffee drinks and smoothies may sound innocent, but the calories in some of your favorite items may surprise you.

Check the website, or in-store nutrition facts.

When a coffee or smoothie craving kicks in, try these tips:

7
At the coffee shop:
– Ask for skim instead of whole milk.
– Order the smallest size you can get.
– Hold the flavors syrup which contain sugar and add calories.
– Skip the whip cream which adds calories and fat.
– Order plain coffee with skim milk. Or drink it black.
At the smoothie stand:
– Order a kid’s size, if you can get it.
– Pick the smoothie with the least calories.
– Ask for your smoothie to be made without added sugar. Fruit is naturally sweet.
More Tips:
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Choose plain or sparkling water.

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Add a splash of 100% juice to water.

N

Carry a water bottle. You’ll be less likely to reach for higher calorie drinks.

N

Learn to drink plain tea or coffee without sugar.

N

Flavor water with no-calorie drink mix like Crystal Light.

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Add slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or watermelon to flavor water.

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Put a pitcher of water on the table during meals.

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When you do get drinks that contain sugar, choose the smallest size you can get.