CHAPTER NINE
You can reduce your risk of diabetes by as much as 26 percent, your risk of overweight or obesity by more than 30 percent, and your calorie intake at any given meal by nearly one-fifth. And imagine you can do it all without having to hunt up some eye of newt, tiger bone, or newborn-dragon blood.
Well, you are that wizard. All you have to do, the next time someone offers you a soda, a sweetened iced tea, or an energy drink, is simply wave it away.
It sounds like fantasy, but it’s not—it’s science. In a review study published in the journal Diabetes Care, people who frequently consumed just one or two sugar-sweetened beverages a day were 26 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank none. And, according to a 2010 review of studies, drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage instead of water before a meal increases overall calorie intake by an average of 7.8 percent, and by as much as 18.9 percent. That’s right: A bottle of sweetened iced tea could add up to 240 calories to your meal, and on top of that, you’d be eating even more calories off your plate than you would without it. No wonder a study showed that people who drink a can of soda a day are 30.4 percent more likely to be overweight or obese and those who drink more than two cans daily are at a 47.2 percent greater risk.
As a population, the United States has a drinking problem that makes Charlie Sheen look like a teetotaler. The average American now drinks as much as 450 calories a day, and about 21 percent of our daily calories now come from sugared drinks. (To put that in perspective, imagine tossing two slices of Domino’s sausage pizza into a blender, pressing “puree,” and then guzzling it down—once a day, every day of the year.)
Now, let’s say you are a wizard, and you wave away 240 calories of soft drinks once a day. Just by switching to an unsweetened beverage, you’d lose a little more than 24 pounds this year—and that’s before considering the additional impact of sweetened drinks on your hunger.
Want more magic tricks? You can also:
BURN MORE CALORIES.
In one study, researchers from the University of Utah found that people who drank at least 8 cups of water a day had higher metabolisms and burned calories at higher rates than those who drank just 4 cups. The 8-cup-a-day crew also reported having better concentration and more energy.
A recent study at Johns Hopkins University found that people who cut liquid calories from their diets lost more weight—and kept it off longer—than people who cut food calories. That’s right, watching what you drink is far more effective—and easier—than watching what you eat.
Researchers at Purdue University found that regular soda drinkers had incomes averaging $35,640; people who abstained from soda earned an average of more than $40,000. Maybe that greater energy and better concentration paid off!
Fructose can cause your body to build new fat cells around your heart, liver, and digestive organs. In 2010, Robert Lustig, MD, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California–San Francisco, reported that fructose has a similar impact on the human body as alcohol does, causing the same kind of liver damage that is found in alcoholics.
LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK.
Visceral fat around your internal organs unleashes compounds within your body that cause inflammation and higher triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels—the bad stuff that leads to heart disease and stroke.
So, how do you start reaping all these benefits? Remember that almost all sodas, bottled teas, energy drinks, sports drinks, juice drinks, and “vitamin” waters contain sugar. Your goal is to replace these spare-tire-pumping potations with lean liquids. So, what should you be drinking?
WATER. You’ll burn more calories and boost overall energy and concentration. Keep a pitcher by your bed and at your desk, and you’ll drink up naturally.
COFFEE. But not the sweet, syrupy specialty drinks. Coffee can rev up your metabolism in moderation, but gourmet coffee drinkers consume 206 more calories on average than folks who drink regular joe.
TEA. It not only contains antioxidants that may help protect against heart disease and cancer, but also is nearly calorie free, as long as you don’t fall for the sugary kind.
MILK. About 73 percent of the calcium in the American food supply comes from dairy foods, and calcium is critical for fending off weight gain and keeping bones and muscles healthy.
Ever wonder what you’re really drinking? The FDA has approved 3,000 food additives, and no doubt more than a few of them are floating around in your favorite beverage. Find out how 10 popular drinks are made, from the healthy and straightforward to the disturbingly scientific.
America’s most problematic beverage is also one of its most brilliant—at least in terms of it being a feat of careful chemical engineering. As Malcolm Gladwell observed in a seminal article in The New Yorker years ago, Coke and Pepsi seamlessly blend the major flavor groups to create a perfectly balanced beverage that palates are unlikely to grow tired of. The abundance of sweetness is kept in check with sour flavors from the citric acid, spicy notes from the secret “natural flavoring,” and just a touch of salt. So that’s why we drink so much of it.
Nothing refreshes like an ice cold beer. Part of that may have to do with the fact that what you’re sipping is more than 90 percent water. Beyond H20, there are three other primary ingredients behind the brew: barley, hops, and yeast. Barley provides sugar; yeast eats up the sugar and creates alcohol; and hops add bitter notes used to balance out the sugar. The trace amounts of ash come from leftover minerals yielded from the water and hops during fermentation. The most important thing to remember about beer: Calories come from alcohol and carbs. The more you have of each, the more calories your beer will have.
Bottled coffee drinks are great in theory. Who doesn’t want a frosty pick-me-up loaded with antioxidants and disease-fighting nutrients at the ready? Problem is, Starbucks and the other major producers decided that their coffee drinks should only contain about 50% coffee; the rest is an unsavory mix of milk, sugar, and food additives designed to make the coffee easier to drink. The end result is more coffee-flavored milk shake than reliable cup of joe.
In a perfect world, this graphic would display but a single item: 100 percent cranberry juice. Unfortunately, major juice producers like Ocean Spray and Tropicana had the idea that they could save money and increase drinkability by replacing a substantial portion of the juice with sugar water and a pinch of ascorbic acid to ensure a real fruit color. Be wary of of all juices out there, but the real tipoff is the word “drink” or “cocktail” attached to the juice label. In most cases, you’d be better off drinking a real cocktail than one of these faux-fruit cocktails.
The breakdown you’re looking at above represents one of the most nutrient-dense liquids that will ever hit your lips. Better than straight tomato juice, this blend packs the glass with an expansive list of phytonutrients from the scrappy crew of fruit and vegetable contributors. An 8-ounce glass provides two full servings of produce—perfect for vegetable-phobic Americans. Just watch out for salt; some vegetable juices can carry up to 1,000 milligrams of sodium per glass. When in doubt, Low Sodium V8 is always a sturdy choice.
The reason lemonade is so much worse for you than other juices isn’t that it has more calories, it’s that its calories come from added sugar. Ever try to drink straight from a lemon? Your face is probably still puckered. That intense acidity means that drink makers can only use about 10 percent real lemon juice, filling out the rest of the bottle with a low-cost mixture of water and sweeteners. It won’t necessarily make you fatter than a tall glass of OJ, but you’ll miss out on the nutritional punch found in that other 90 percent of real juice.
We can only imagine the number of broken Bunsen burners it took to come up with the now-familiar energy drink formula. Ever wonder why all energy drinks taste like cough syrup? No doubt this strange medicinal taste makes consumers feel like they’re deriving real benefits from one of these cans. All they’re really deriving, though, is an overpriced chemical cocktail with the caffeine content of a strong cup of coffee. From a health standpoint, many questions remain on the safety of typical energy drink constituents like guarana and taurine. Best to stick to joe or black tea.
Is it too much to ask for healthy iced tea? Apparently so, given that 95 percent of the bottled teas in the cooler come bearing deleterious amounts of added sugar. We’re fine with the natural flavorings, just don’t make our tea taste like soda. That's exactly what the biggest players in the tea racket, like Snapple, Lipton, and AriZona, do. Our favorite tea companies (Honest, Ito En, Inko’s) thankfully still regard tea as a nutritional powerhouse, producing excellent low-sugar products.
Whoever decided to infuse water with vitamins deserves an award for genius marketing move of the new millennium. Not that vitamins with your water are a bad thing, but getting consumers to eagerly pay a premium price for a bottle of filtered tap water laced with about 120 calories’ worth of sugar surely qualifies as one of the great food industry swindles of all time. Is enhanced water better than soda? Yes. Is it better than a glass of tap water and a multivitamin? Absolutely not.
The “milk drink” is the dairy industry equivalent of the “juice cocktail.” You think you’re paying for a protein-dense dose of moo juice, perhaps spiked with a bit of chocolate to make it go down easier, but instead you’re looking at a bottle or carton dominated by plain old water. Worse than that, in an attempt to simulate a milk-like texture, you end up with a mess of thickeners and stabilizers and even a bit of trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated oil.
1. Tropicana Trop50 Lemonade (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g sugars
Mix equal parts of this and unsweetened iced tea for an Arnold Palmer with a mere 25 calories per cup.
2. Bom Dia Açaí Original (8 fl oz)
100 calories, 0 g fat, 23 g sugars
Bom Dia's açaí berries are juiced within 12 hours of picking to preserve delicate nutrients.
3. Juicy Juice 100% Juice Grape (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 28 g sugars
Juicy Juice manages to cut 8 grams of sugar from each cup by adding apple juice to cut through grape's sweetness. That said, this is still pretty sweet, and should be consumed only in moderation.
4. Tropicana Trop50 Some Pulp (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g sugars
This lightened-up OJ is still 42 percent real juice.
5. V8 V-Fusion + Tea Pineapple Mango Green Tea (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g sugars
V8's V-Fusion + Tea line uses metabolism-boosting green tea to cut through calorie-dense fruit juices.
6. V8 100% Vegetable Juice (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 420 mg sodium
The best way to slash a produce deficit in your diet. Each 8-ounce glass contains 2 servings of vegetables.
7. R.W. Knudsen Family Just Cranberry (8 fl oz)
70 calories, 0 g fat, 9 g sugars
One ingredient: cranberries. By R.W. Knudsen's estimation, there are 1,150 in every bottle.
1. Simply Lemonade (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 28 g sugars
Lemons are too tart to drink straight, which is why 99 percent of the bottles on the market contain no more than 10 to 20 percent real juice. The rest is just sugar water.
2. Sambazon Açaí The Original (8 fl oz)
140 calories, 3 g fat, (1 g saturated), 24 g sugars
Switch to Bom Dia and save 40 calories per cup. Do that a couple times a day and you'll drop more than 4 pounds in 6 months.
3. Welch's 100% Grape Juice (8 fl oz)
140 calories, 0 g fat, 36 g sugars
Grape juice delivers an impressive cache of antioxidants, but it's also one of the most sugar-heavy beverages on the planet. For daily nutrition, there's nothing better than real fruit.
4. SunnyD Tangy Original (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 27 g sugars
Actual juice makes up only 5 percent of this bottle. The rest is mostly high-fructose corn syrup, water, thickeners, and artificial colors.
5. V8 V-Fusion Peach Mango (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 26 g sugars
We commend the fact that V8 sticks to 100 percent juice, but 120 calories for an 8-ounce glass is steep by any measure—especially when there's a great alternative made by the same brand.
6. R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Very Veggie (8 fl oz)
70 calories, 0 g fat, 630 mg sodium
One cup has as much sodium as four small orders of McDonald's french fries.
7. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 30 g sugars
"Juice cocktails" are just excuses for bottlers to stick premium price tags on cheap juices with added sweeteners.
1. Bom Dia Coconut Splash Tropical Mango (16 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 28 g sugars
A strategic splash of coconut water helps Bolthouse Farms keep the calories low and the flavor profile strong.
2. R.W. Knudsen Family Organic Sensible Sippers Apple (4.23 fl oz)
30 calories, 0 g fat, 7 g sugars
R.W. Knudsen uses a splash of water to cut through apple juice's naturally concentrated sugar load.
3. Honest Kids Super Fruit Punch (6.75 fl oz)
40 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g sugars
This organic juice fits in a whole day's worth of vitamin C at a fraction of the others' caloric costs.
4. Sweet Leaf Unsweet Tea Lemon & Lime (16 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sugars
Sweet Leaf's citrus–iced tea blend is as refreshing as any calorie-free beverage you'll find.
5. Ocean Spray Cran-Energy Cranberry (12 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g sugars
This lighter version of cranberry juice is packed with energizing B vitamins and green tea extracts.
6. Minute Maid Just 10 Fruit Punch (6.75 fl oz)
10 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g sugars
This pouch limits calories with a blend of natural and artificial sweeteners.
7. Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice (16 fl oz)
140 calories, 0 g fat, 28 g sugars
Unadulterated carrot juice is surprisingly sweet, and with one bottle, you obtain a full week's worth of vitamin A. If pure carrot doesn't excite you, cut it with a splash of OJ.
1. Nantucket Nectars Orange Mango Juice Cocktail (16 fl oz)
260 calories, 0 g fat, 65 g sugars
Nantucket Naturals makes some decent juices, but this just isn't one of them. Eighty percent of the calories in this bottle come from sugar.
2. Juicy Juice 100% Juice Apple (4.23 fl oz)
60 calories, 0 g fat, 14 g sugars
Not a bad little box, but we'll take real fruit juice lightened with a bit of water over this any day.
3. Minute Maid Coolers Fruit Punch (6.75 fl oz)
100 calories, 0 g fat, 25 g sugars
A full-size Hershey's chocolate bar contains 24 grams of sugar—1 fewer than this small pouch. Keep that in mind as you scan juice labels.
4. AriZona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half Iced Tea Lemonade (11.5 fl oz)
72 calories, 0 g fat, 19 g sugars
"Lite" it may be, but high-fructose corn syrup is still behind nearly every one of these calories.
5. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (12 fl oz)
180 calories, 0 g fat, 45 g sugars
If this bottle contained 100 percent juice, it would still be an unusually high caloric load. As it stands, most of these calories come from added sugar.
6. Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch (6.75 fl oz)
90 calories, 0 g fat, 25 g sugars
See the "100% Vitamin C" claim on the package? That's Hi-C's attempt to align this punch with far-healthier 100 percent juices. Don't be fooled. Only 10 percent of this sugar comes from fruit.
7. SoBe Elixir Orange Carrot (20 fl oz)
220 calories, 0 g fat, 56 g sugars
Both oranges and carrots play minor supporting roles. The real star, as with all of SoBe's Elixirs, is sugar.
1. Atkins Advantage Vanilla Shake (11 fl oz)
160 calories, 9 g fat, (3 g saturated), 1 g sugars
The 15 grams of protein in this box go a long way toward subduing hunger pangs. Keep one of these in your office fridge and you'll find it far easier to resist the doughnut tray in the break room.
2. Slim-Fast Rich Chocolate Royale Shake (11 fl oz)
190 calories, 5 g fat, (2 g saturated), 13 g sugars
Contains 15 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and a multivitamin's worth of high-quality nutrients.
3. Odwalla Superfood Red Rhapsody (12 fl oz)
160 calories, 0 g fat, 31 g sugars
This smoothie contains rooibos, a tea-like shrub that delivers a blend of antioxidants known to boost the immune system.
4. Lifeway Lowfat Kefir Strawberry-Banana (8 fl oz)
140 calories, 2 g fat, (1.5 g saturated), 20 g sugars
Kefir, a drinkable yogurt, has been linked to lower cholesterol.
5. Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness (15.2 fl oz)
260 calories, 0 g fat, 51 g sugars
Each bottle contains more than 2 days' worth of immune-strengthening vitamin A.
6. Earth's Best Organic Fruit Yogurt Smoothie Strawberry Banana (4.2 fl oz)
90 calories, 0.5 g fat, 15 g sugars
Packs a substantial load of bananas and strawberries.
1. Ensure Nutrition Shake Vanilla (8 fl oz)
250 calories, 6 g fat, (1 g saturated), 23 g sugars
There are a lot of nutrients packed into this bottle, but that doesn't excuse the fact that water and sugar are the primary ingredients.
2. Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate Drink (11 fl oz)
260 calories, 5 g fat, (1.5 g saturated), 39 g sugars
Packs more sugar than 2 scoops of ice cream.
3. Naked Juice Red Machine Smoothie (16 fl oz)
340 calories, 9 g fat, (1 g saturated), 50 g sugars
The first ingredient is apple juice. Look for smoothies made primarily with fruit purees instead.
4. Dannon Activia Smoothie Strawberry Banana (7 fl oz)
160 calories, 3 g fat, (2 g saturated), 25 g sugars
Activia's alleged digestive benefits have been disputed.
5. Naked Juice Blue Machine Smoothie (16 fl oz)
340 calories, 0 g fat, 58 g sugars
The ingredients list is impressive, but the calories are too high considering that stronger alternatives are readily available.
6. Stonyfield YoBaby Whole Milk Drinkable Banana Yogurt (6 fl oz)
180 calories, 7 g fat, (0 g saturated), 22 g sugars
Not enough fruit to scare up even a single gram of fiber.
1. Honest Tea Jasmine Green Energy Tea (16 fl oz)
34 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g sugars
Honest Tea strikes the balance just right with this subtly sweetened tea, allowing the natural flavor of metabolism-elevating green tea to take the lead.
2. O.N.E. Active Coconut Water Lemon Lime (16.9 fl oz)
40 calories, 0 g fat, 8 g sugars
Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes without a sports drink's sugar.
3. Hint Unsweetened Essence Water Pomegranate-Tangerine (16 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Purified water with natural flavorings and no funky stuff.
4. Inko's White Tea Original (16 fl oz)
56 calories, 0 g fat, 14 g sugars
White tea contains high levels of catechins, polyphenols with a well-documented ability to reduce the risk of cancer.
5. SoBe Energize White Peach Oolong Tea (20 fl oz)
90 calories, 0 g fat, 22 g sugars
Oolong boasts all the same health benefits as green tea.
6. Metromint Orangemint Water (16.9 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
The mint in this bottle has been shown to improve digestion and help relieve stress.
1. AriZona Green Tea with Ginseng & Honey (16 fl oz)
140 calories, 0 g fat, 34 g sugars
High-fructose corn syrup is the second ingredient, which makes this bottle more similar to soda than to tea.
2. Powerade Lemon Lime (16 fl oz)
100 calories, 0 g fat, 25 g sugars
Powerade's electrolyte package comes polluted with more sugar than you'd find in three Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnuts.
3. Glacéau Vitaminwater Energy Tropical Citrus (20 fl oz)
125 calories, 0 g fat, 32.5 g sugars
Know what's better than sugar-saturated water? Plain H2O.
4. Snapple All Natural Nectarine White Tea (16 fl oz)
120 calories, 0 g fat, 30 g sugars
Contains as much sugar as three small nectarines—but with none of the fiber.
5. Tazo Giant Peach Green Tea (16 fl oz)
180 calories, 0 g fat, 40 g sugars
Don't even think about it—this bottle contains more sugar than a small chocolate Frosty from Wendy's.
6. SoBe Lifewater Orange Tangerine (20 fl oz)
100 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g sugars
Drink 100 extra calories every day for a year and you'll pack on more than 10 pounds of flab.
1. Illy Issimo Cappuccino (8.45 fl oz)
100 calories, 1.5 g fat, (1 g saturated), 18 g sugars
Illy's drinks are made in the authentic Italian style: strong, bold, and without a torrent of sugar to bury the flavor.
2. FRS Healthy Energy Low Cal Peach Mango (12 fl oz)
20 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g sugars
A rare low-calorie energy drink, FRS also contains an antioxidant called quercetin, which may help alleviate allergies.
3. Ito En Sencha Shot (6.4 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
One of our favorite sources of fuel. The blend of caffeine and green tea–derived antioxidants will keep you energized both short and long term.
4. Steaz Energy Zero Calorie Berry (12 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Steaz is sweetened with stevia, the only FDA-approved artificial sweetener to come directly from a plant.
5. Xenergy Xtreme Cran Razz Fuel (16 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Xenergy's drinks deliver an impressive load of B vitamins without the glut of sugar typically found in its competitors' cans.
6. Sambazon All-Natural Amazon Energy Lo-Cal Açaí Berry (12 fl oz)
60 calories, 0 g fat, 14 g sugars
Contains an array of potent antioxidants from the Brazilian fruits açaí and acerola.
7. Rockstar Zero Carb (16 fl oz)
20 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Rockstar's normal cans are among the worst energy drinks in the cooler, but this one is laced with yerba maté and green tea, two natural metabolism boosters that also provide plenty of energy.
1. Starbucks Frappuccino Coffee Drink Coffee (9.5 fl oz)
200 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 32 g sugars
Starbucks' bottled drinks are among the worst caffeinated beverages in the supermarket. Not even the chain's in-house espresso drinks are typically this bad.
2. Rockstar Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit (16 fl oz)
280 calories, 0 g fat, 70 g sugars
This drink has more sugar than an entire box of Rice Krispies Treats.
3. Bazi Natural Energy Shot (2 fl oz)
64 calories, 0 g fat, 16 g sugars
This shot contains 2 teaspoons of sugar in every ounce.
4. Inko's White Tea Energy (16 fl oz)
160 calories, 0 g fat, 38 g sugars
Inko's tea line is commendable, but the energy drinks stray too far into cola territory.
5. Full Throttle Citrus (16 fl oz)
220 calories, 0 g fat, 58 g sugars
Most of the "throttle" comes from added sweetener. In fact, the sugar-to-caffeine ratio in this can is 295 to 1.
6. Rockstar Punched Energy + Punch (16 fl oz)
260 calories, 0 g fat, 62 g sugars
Contains 13 percent of your day's energy, and virtually every calorie comes from sugar.
7. AMP Energy Elevate (16 fl oz)
220 calories, 0 g fat, 58 g sugars
The sugar in this can provides short-lived energy followed by a steady decline to sluggishness. Stick to low-sugar beverages if you want your energy to last.
1. Almond Dream Almond Drink Original (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 2.5 g fat, (0 g saturated), 5 g sugars
Almonds are a calorie-dense food, but almond milk is anything but. In fact, it's the lightest nondairy alternative on the market.
2. Zico Coconut Water Chocolate (14 fl oz)
110 calories, 2 g fat, (0 g saturated), 18 g sugars
What coconut milk lacks in protein and calcium, it makes up for in magnesium and potassium.
3. Almond Dream Almond Drink Unsweetened Vanilla (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 3.5 g fat, (0 g saturated), <1 g sugars
Fewer calories and sugar, more healthy fat.
4. Organic Valley 1% Milkfat Chocolate Lowfat Milk (8 fl oz)
150 calories, 2.5 g fat, (1.5 g saturated), 22 g sugars
Organic milk boasts higher amounts of healthy fat.
5. Silk Organic Original (8 fl oz)
100 calories, 4 g fat, (0.5 g saturated), 6 g sugars
One challenge vegetarians face is obtaining adequate amounts of B12. Fortunately, Silk is fortified with plenty of it.
6. Horizon Lowfat Strawberry Milk Box (8 fl oz)
150 calories, 2.5 g fat, (1.5 g saturated), 23 g sugars
Contains no artificial colors and a quarter of your day's calcium and vitamin D.
1. Rice Dream Enriched Rice Drink Original (8 fl oz)
120 calories, 2.5 g fat, (0 g saturated), 10 g sugars
Rice milk is one of the worst nondairy alternatives. Even when it's made with brown rice like Rice Dream's is, it contains zero fiber and a heavy load of quick-digesting starches.
2. Silk Soymilk Chocolate (8 fl oz)
150 calories, 3 g fat, (0.5 g saturated), 21 g sugars
Don't make the mistake of thinking that soy milk is an infallible health food. This one is dangerously close to a milk shake.
3. Rice Dream Enriched Rice Drink Vanilla (8 fl oz)
130 calories, 2.5 g fat, (0 g saturated), 12 g sugars
Whether in liquid or solid form, almonds trump rice every time.
4. Hershey's 2% Milk Chocolate (8 oz)
200 calories, 5 g fat, (3 g saturated), 29 g sugars
One box of this milk contains as much sugar as an entire Snickers bar.
5. WestSoy Organic Soymilk Original (8 fl oz)
130 calories, 3.5 g fat, (0.5 g saturated), 12 g sugars
WestSoy manages to pack in double the sugar of other leading brands.
6. Nesquik Low Fat Milk Strawberry (8 oz)
180 calories, 2.5 g fat, (1.5 g saturated), 30 g sugars
Both of the dyes in this milk—Red 40 and Blue 1—have been linked to behavioral disorders.
1. Yuengling Traditional Lager (12 fl oz)
135 calories, 12 g carbs, 4.4% ABV
Yuengling makes a complex American lager, yet it keeps both calories and carbs within reasonable parameters. It's a good beer to have if you're having more than one.
2. Guinness Draught (12 fl oz)
125 calories, 10 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
This is the darkest beer you can find with fewer than 130 calories.
3. Miller Lite (12 fl oz)
96 calories, 3.2 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
With only 96 calories, Miller Lite emerges as the light-beer champion of the classic domestics.
4. Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss (12 fl oz)
149 calories, 12 g carbs, 4.8% ABV
One of the sweet beers with a reasonable calorie count.
5. Amstel Light (12 fl oz)
95 calories, 5 g carbs, 3.5% ABV
This import is on par with the top low-calorie domestics like Michelob Ultra and Miller Lite, but it packs a richer and more robust flavor.
6. Rolling Rock Extra Pale (12 fl oz)
132 calories, 10 g carbs, 4.5% ABV
Delivers a stronger flavor profile than the typical light beer in fewer calories than the typical heavy beer.
1. Samuel Adams Boston Lager (12 fl oz)
175 calories, 18 g carbs, 4.9% ABV
Sam's most popular brew is one of the heaviest lagers you'll find. Shave 56 calories a bottle by switching to Sam Adams Light.
2. Guinness Extra Stout (12 fl oz)
153 calories, 18 g carbs, 4.3% ABV
Remember: Draught is for drinking, Extra Stout is for extra pounds.
3. Bud Light (12 fl oz)
110 calories, 6.6 g carbs, 4.2% ABV
The handful of extra calories in Bud Light will add up over the course of a long weekend.
4. Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss (12 fl oz)
207 calories, 28 g carbs, 4.8% ABV
The name Berry Weiss implies a lighter ale, but this brew stands up to the heaviest of suds.
5. Michelob Light (12 fl oz)
123 calories, 8.8 g carbs, 4.3% ABV
Careful: In reality, Michelob's light beer is Michelob Ultra. This brew is as caloric as some of the full-flavor beers in the cooler.
6. Heineken (12 fl oz)
166 calories, 9.8 g carbs, 5.5% ABV
For this many calories, we expect a bit more flavor out of our beer.
1. V8 Spicy Hot Low Sodium (8 fl oz)
50 calories, 0 g fat, 140 mg sodium
V8's version not only contains less salt, but also provides 2 servings of vegetables per drink.
2. Stirrings Simple Margarita Mix (4 fl oz)
93 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g sugars
Lime juice is listed before sugar on the ingredients list. That's always a good sign.
3. Dole Pineapple Juice (4 fl oz)
60 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
It's not marketed as a mixer, but it's got the right flavor and comes with a fraction of the calories.
4. ReaLime (2 Tbsp)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Make a perfect low-cal margarita by combining this with a touch of agave syrup, a splash of triple sec, and a shot of tequila.
5. Schweppes Club Soda (8 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
Club soda gives your cocktail sparkle and fizz without the waistline-expanding sugars.
6. Dole Paradise Blend (4 fl oz)
60 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g sugars
This blend is 100 percent juice—the gold standard for fruit-based cocktails.
7. Canada Dry Raspberry Sparkling Seltzer (8 fl oz)
0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g sugars
This fizzy mixer lends the perfect hint of raspberry without the added sugars.
1. Mr. & Mrs. T Premium Blend Bloody Mary Mix (8 fl oz)
80 calories, 0 g fat, 1,380 mg sodium
One cup of this mix knocks out 92 percent of the recommended daily sodium limit for most people.
2. Master of Mixes Margarita Mixer (4 fl oz)
130 calories, 0 g fat, 30 g sugars
The primary flavoring agent is high-fructose corn syrup, and the fluorescent hue is the result of two artificial colors.
3. Mr. & Mrs. T Piña Colada Mix (4 fl oz)
180 calories, 0 g fat, 42 g sugars
Prepared mixes are the fastest way to ratchet up your cocktail calorie counts.
4. Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice (2 Tbsp)
60 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g sugars
This "lime juice" contains more high-fructose corn syrup than it does juice.
5. Schweppes Tonic Water (8 fl oz)
90 calories, 0 g fat, 22 g sugars
Tonic's nutritional profile puts it nearer to soda than water.
6. Mr. & Mrs. T Mai Tai (4 fl oz)
140 calories, 0 g fat, 32 g sugars
An authentic Mai Tai gets its flavor from citrus liqueur and lime juice, but today's mixes are largely corn syrup and dyes.
7. Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry (8.4 fl oz)
90 calories, 0 g fat, 22 g sugars
Try mixing real cranberry juice with seltzer to cut the high sugar levels.