05
Aug
Articles, Health & Wellness

Liquid Calories To Avoid

Posted on by Mumbox | 139 comments

When it comes to food tracking, the first thing you think of is meals, right? But do you track everything you drink, too?

Most people underestimate the liquid calories.

Soft drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, and alcoholic drinks are loaded with them. Do you know how many calories you are drinking? See below for a breakdown of the most common drinks and how much sugar they actually have in them:

NON-ALCOHOLIC:

  • Soft drinks, like soda (250 ml) = 9 cubes of sugar
  • Ice tea (250 ml) =  6 cubes of sugar
  • Fruit smoothie (250 ml) = 10 cubes of sugar
  • Orange juice (250 ml) =  8 cubes of sugar
  • Energy drink (250 ml) =  9 cubes of sugar
  • Fruit-flavored buttermilk (250 ml) = 10 cubes of sugar
  • Isotonic drink (250 ml) = 5 cubes of sugar

ALCOHOLIC:

  • White wine, sweet (250 ml) =  5 cubes of sugar
  • Red wine (250 ml) =  ½ cube of sugar
  • Beer (250 ml) =  0 cubes of sugar
  • Piña colada (250 ml) = 9 cubes of sugar

So, you can see that seemingly “healthy” drinks are anything but low-cal. Most store-bought smoothies, for example, consist mainly of fruit, which explains why their (fructose) sugar content is so high.

Alcohol has a whopping 7 calories per 1 g (almost as much as fat) and therefore carries a lot of weight in terms of calories. For this reason alone, you should drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.

However, with a few tips and tricks, you can save calories.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A VARIETY OF HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES?

1. NATURALLY FLAVORED WATER
Is plain old water too boring for you? “Infused water” is the new trendy drink. Jazz up your water with fresh berries, ginger, lemon or cucumber slices, and fresh herbs. The longer the fruit or vegetable sits in the water, the more intense the flavor will be.

2. HOMEMADE ICE TEA
Why buy ice tea when it is so easy to make at home? Make a pot of black tea and let it cool. Stir in some freshly pressed lemon juice, lemon slices, and mint leaves and put the ice tea in the refrigerator overnight. If you would like it a little sweeter, you can add a spoonful of honey or some stevia.

3. COCONUT WATER
Coconut water is high in potassium and can hold its own against most ready-to-drink sports drinks. It is not calorie-free, as 100 ml contains 10 calories. But it is definitely a healthier alternative compared to soft drinks and such. It tastes best when served cool.

4. VEGETABLE & FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Store-bought smoothies usually contain a lot of sugar. Make your own smoothies to-go right at home. But remember that less is more! Often, all you need is four or five ingredients. Vegetables (cucumber, baby spinach, kale, celery) should always serve as the base of your smoothie. Some fruit, superfood powder, and liquid can then round off your drink.

Mums, do you and your family drink lots of the liquid calories above? Will you be looking to make some changes now that you can see how much sugar is just in the things we drink?

Comment below and let us know x

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139 thoughts on “Liquid Calories To Avoid”

  1. Lorraine N. says:

    My sugar intake after reading this article has been horrible.thus why I’m this fat and struggling to lose weight,have been taking these hidden calories of sugar not knowing

    • Theresa V. says:

      I never realized that red wine contains so much less sugar. I have heard that a little red wine 🍷is good for the heart, but cannot over emphasize how much better it is just to drink good old H2o