Resources
These resources will help you better understand
Healthy Options compared to alternatives
What Do You Drink? It Makes More Difference Than You Think!
Calories in drinks are not hidden (they're listed right on the Nutrition Facts label), but many people don't realize just how many calories beverages can contribute to their daily intake. As you can see in the example below, calories from drinks can really add up. But there is good news: you have plenty of options for reducing the number of calories in what you drink.
|
Occasion
|
Instead of…
|
Calories
|
Try…
|
Calories
|
|
Morning coffee shop run
|
Medium café latte (16 ounces) made with whole milk
|
265
|
Small café latte (12 ounces) made with fat-free milk
|
125
|
|
Lunchtime combo meal
|
20-oz. bottle of nondiet cola with your lunch
|
227
|
Bottle of water or diet soda
|
0
|
|
Afternoon break
|
Sweetened lemon iced tea from the vending machine (16 ounces)
|
180
|
Sparkling water with natural lemon flavor (not sweetened)
|
0
|
|
Dinnertime
|
A glass of nondiet ginger ale with your meal (12 ounces)
|
124
|
Water with a slice of lemon or lime, or seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice
|
0 calories for the water with fruit slice, or about 30 calories for seltzer water with 2 ounces of 100% orange juice.
|
|
Total beverage calories:
|
|
796
|
|
125-155
|
Substituting no- or low-calorie drinks for sugar-sweetened beverages cuts about 650 calories in the example above.
Of course, not everyone drinks the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages shown above. Check the list below to estimate how many calories you typically take in from beverages.
|
Type of Beverage
|
Calories in 12 ounces
|
Calories in 20 ounces
|
|
Fruit punch
|
192
|
320
|
|
100% apple juice
|
192
|
300
|
|
100% orange juice
|
168
|
280
|
|
Lemonade
|
168
|
280
|
|
Regular lemon/lime soda
|
148
|
247
|
|
Regular cola
|
136
|
227
|
|
Sweetened lemon iced tea (bottled, not homemade)
|
135
|
225
|
|
Tonic water
|
124
|
207
|
|
Regular ginger ale
|
124
|
207
|
|
Sports drink
|
99
|
165
|
|
Fitness water
|
18
|
36
|
|
Unsweetened iced tea
|
2
|
3
|
|
Diet soda (with aspartame)
|
0*
|
0*
|
|
Carbonated water (unsweetened)
|
0
|
0
|
|
Water
|
0
|
0
|
Milk contains vitamins and other nutrients that contribute to good health, but it also contains calories. Choosing low-fat or fat-free milk is a good way to reduce your calorie intake and still get the nutrients that milk contains.
|
Type of Milk
|
Calories per cup (8 ounces)
|
|
Chocolate milk (whole)
|
208
|
|
Chocolate milk (2% reduced-fat)
|
190
|
|
Chocolate milk (1% low-fat)
|
158
|
|
Whole Milk (unflavored)
|
150
|
|
2% reduced-fat milk (unflavored)
|
120
|
|
1% low-fat milk (unflavored)
|
105
|
|
Fat-free milk (unflavored)
|
90
|
Resources For Parents
Click on the links below to find more about how you can help your family Rethink Your Drink.
Find Out More (Links to other campaigns)
Link to Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle/King County.