Sugar -- the Extra Ingredient in Soda
You may be getting way more sugar than you think in your drink. A 20-ounce bottle of Coke has more sugar than 3 really big brownies! Sound good? Too much sugar can make you feel bad and is bad for your body. Most foods and drinks have some sugar. But sodas and other sweet drinks have extra, added sugars, just like candy and desserts. So be careful.If you want Soda, make it a small
Don't make soda the only thing you drink -- just have it once in a while, and stick with a small amount. Some drinks are big enough for 2 people. That means double the sugar in your cup! And that's not good for your body. Stick with an 8-ounce amount -- the same size as the mini cans in the supermarket.
Fruit punch is mostly sugar
Watch out for juice drinks like fruit punch and lemonade. They have a lot of added sugar. A bottle of Hawaiian Punch fruit juicy red punch has more sugar than 4 chocolate glazed donuts. Plus it only has 5% real fruit juice. Other than that, it's mostly water and high fructose corn syrup -- a not-so-healthy sugar your body doesn't need. Make your own fruity drink with sparkling water and pieces of fruit.
A little 100% juice is OK
A little 100% juice is OK
If you are going to drink juice, 100% fruit juice -- is the best kind of juice for you because it has vitamins and nutrients that help your body. For example, 100% orange juice has lots of vitamin C. But even though it can be healthy, 100% juice has a lot of sugar, too. A glass of Tropicana OJ has more sugar than 10 graham crackers. So don't drink more than 1 cup or 8 ounces a day.
Eat fruit, Dont drink it
You need fruit every day. The best way to get it is to eat real fruit. Juice can help you get your fruit for the day, but it can have too much sugar. Instead, eat 1 ½ cups of fruit each day. How much is 1 ½ cups? Try eating 1 banana and 1/2 cup of strawberries. Like grapes? Have 50. Eating a big, crunchy apple can also be enough fruit for a day.
You need fruit every day. The best way to get it is to eat real fruit. Juice can help you get your fruit for the day, but it can have too much sugar. Instead, eat 1 ½ cups of fruit each day. How much is 1 ½ cups? Try eating 1 banana and 1/2 cup of strawberries. Like grapes? Have 50. Eating a big, crunchy apple can also be enough fruit for a day.
Smoothies aren't always healthy
Fruit blended in a cup sounds healthy -- but smoothies aren't always good for you. A 16-ounce Orange Dream Machine at Jamba Juice has almost as much sugar as a McDonald's Triple-Thick vanilla milkshake! For less sugar, drink smoothies made from real fruit and plain yogurt or just fruit and ice. Say no to smoothies made of sherbet and flavored syrups.
Fruit blended in a cup sounds healthy -- but smoothies aren't always good for you. A 16-ounce Orange Dream Machine at Jamba Juice has almost as much sugar as a McDonald's Triple-Thick vanilla milkshake! For less sugar, drink smoothies made from real fruit and plain yogurt or just fruit and ice. Say no to smoothies made of sherbet and flavored syrups.
Sports drink = Sugar, Not extra energy
You need sport drinks if you're playing sports, right? Probably not. A 20-ounce mountain berry blast PowerAde has about the same amount of sugar as 2 Twinkies. If you're playing hard for more than 1 hour, sport drinks can help replace electrolytes that your body loses when you sweat a lot. But for most kids, water and orange slices are all the post-game fuel you need.
Juice boxes can be sugary
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You need sport drinks if you're playing sports, right? Probably not. A 20-ounce mountain berry blast PowerAde has about the same amount of sugar as 2 Twinkies. If you're playing hard for more than 1 hour, sport drinks can help replace electrolytes that your body loses when you sweat a lot. But for most kids, water and orange slices are all the post-game fuel you need.
Juice boxes can be sugary
Juice boxes and pouches are easy to drink on the go. But they can have a lot of sugar too: A 6-ounce pouch of Capri Sun grape has 4 teaspoons of sugar -- about the same as 4 Jolly Ranchers. If you like juice, stick with ones labeled "100% Juice." It's healthier and has vitamins. But 100% juice has sugar too so don’t drink more.
Water: It’s Good for You
Your parents might tell you that you need 8 glasses of water a day. But depending on how old you are and how active you are, you might need less -- or more. How do you know if you're getting enough water? Look in the toilet after you pee (really!). If it's pale yellow or clear, you're drinking enough water. If it's darker, drink more.Chocolate, Flavored Milk
Do you like flavored milk better than plain? A 14-ounce bottle of chocolate milk has almost as much sugar as 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Ask your school if they have low-fat, low-sugar flavored milk. Or make a version that is better for you at home. Have a glass of milk with a splash of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of chocolate syrup, or a scoop of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Want to know what's inside your drink? If you're drinking from a bottle or can, look at the label. Is one of the first 2 ingredients sugar, corn syrup, or some long word that ends in "-ose," like fructose? That means it has a lot of sugar. Only have 1 sugary drink a day. Try working your way down to having only 1 a week.
The Dew and Energy Drinks
Mountain Dew and energy drinks have caffeine that some people use to stay awake, but they have sugar, and lots of it! A 20-ounce Dew has about the same sugar as half a box of frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts! A 16-ounce can of Monster energy drink has about 54 grams of sugar -- almost 13 teaspoons.Those Drinks Add Up
Drink a soda, juice box, sports drink, and fruity drink in 1 day and you'd get as much sugar as you would eating about 38 chocolate chip cookies. Woah! If you drank that every day, you'd have to burn off 62 pounds of fat each year! Drink water, seltzer, or low-fat milk instead.We would love your feed back on this and any other post.
Thanks Monica
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