It may be tempting to sip on lemonade, iced tea, and even soda on those hot summer days, but sugary drinks, whether it’s sweet tea you make at home or a slushie from the nearest convenience store, are loaded with calories! And if you’re not careful, you could end up adding hundreds, if not thousands of calories to your diet in drinks alone.
In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, Americans now drink nearly 25 percent of their calories in liquid form—nearly double the rate we were drinking just 20 years ago. It’s even worse for children: one study found that sweetened beverages constituted more than half of all beverages consumed by fourth- through sixth-grade students, with some children consuming an extra 330 calories per day.
An extra 300 calories per day may not seem like much, but that can add up to a 2-pound weight gain per month, if not accounted for. What’s more, children who drink soda and other sugary drinks are filling up on the bad stuff and often missing out on the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables, and plain H20. Break the soda habit now! The longer children are used to reaching for juice, soda, and other sweetened beverages, the harder it becomes for them to get used to plain water. Make sugary beverages a treat, not the main source of hydration.
Instead, keep cold, filtered water in plain sight and within reach. Throw a few slices of lemon, lime, or whatever fruit you like into the water for a little extra flavor. If you buy juice, make sure it says “100 percent Fruit Juice” on the label!
