Young woman drinking smoothies (© Africa Studio - stock.adobe.com)
Have you ever been told not to drink your calories? You’re not alone, but you still might be wondering if it’s good advice or not. In general, it’s definitely smart to prioritize food over drinks for your calorie intake. While it doesn’t mean you should only drink water for the rest of your life, it does mean you should opt for water more often than sipping on calorie-dense drinks.
Typically, the most calorie-dense drinks are sodas, juices, alcohol, and blended drinks with sugars, creams, and high-fat milks from places like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. The problem with these drinks is that it’s easy to consume several of them, yet not feel full. The numbers add up fast and you don’t even realize it!
When this happens, people forget to account for them and feel stuck trying to figure out what piece of the puzzle they’re missing when trying to improve their health unsuccessfully. Aside from water being 100% necessary for human health, it’s recommended that people choose water over anything else because it has no calories and therefore isn’t something people need to factor into their daily calorie counts.
One of the easiest hacks I tell people to do is cut back on alcohol. Alcohol provides no benefit to you whatsoever and is often the most overlooked thing in a weight loss/health journey. People often think they do “everything right” yet go out for drinks with their friends 2-3 times per week, or open just “one beer” at the end of the night. For other people, it isn’t alcohol that’s the problem, it’s the sugar fix. If you make a daily trip to Starbucks for a Frappuccino or “need” your daily soda fix, it may be time to reevaluate your drinking habits.
Here are a few effective tips to help you make better beverage choices:
Flavor your water
For some people, the barrier to drinking more water is that it gets boring. This is understandable! To help with this, I recommend adding squeezes of lemon or lime, or even actual pieces of fruit into your water. Another popular thing to do is add chopped strawberries, or a few blueberries. It lightly flavors the water with the essence of the fruit and makes things more exciting!
You can even add fruit juice, whether it’s orange, apple, mango, passion fruit, or whatever your heart desires. On its own, fruit juice is laden with sugar and doesn’t offer you much nutritionally. However, just adding a little bit to your water can go along way without adding the extra sugar. Bonus points if you use a juice that only has sugar that’s from the fruit, and not extra added sugar on top of that.
Drink flavored carbonated water
You don’t need soda for the fizz, flavored carbonated water is a great sugar-free alternative with a fun twist thanks to the fizzy bubbles! Not only will this help you get in more water, but if you crave sodas, it’ll help scratch the itch.
Get creative with your coffee orders
Sugar-laden blended drinks from coffee shops should be treated as treats. They shouldn’t be everyday indulgences. If you’re someone who just needs something from the coffee shop to get through your day, then start experimenting with your normal order. Skip the extra pumps of syrup and whipped cream, and instead look into adding flavor through cinnamon, or non-sugar sweeteners like monk fruit or stevia, which are becoming more and more popular in stores.
Skip store-bought smoothies
Places like Jamba Juice and Tropical Smoothie Cafe have really good marketing that makes them seem healthy, but they don’t really live up to the hype. Unless otherwise specified, most of the smoothies come loaded with added sugar. Many people have no idea about this, and think they’re being super healthy, when just one beverage can have upwards of 500 calories! That’s the equivalent of an average meal.
You can adjust the amount or completely remove the added calories usually, but they come that way unless you otherwise specify. If you like a quick smoothie, I recommend taking advantage of adjusting the added sugar and consider adding protein powder, which is typically an option too. Protein will help keep you full and reduce the likelihood that the smoothie sends your blood sugar levels up too quickly. Of course, the best thing to do would be to just make your own smoothies at home, but do what you can.
Bottom Line
“Don’t drink your calories” pretty much hits the nail on the head. It’s always best to prioritize water before anything else. Overconsumption of sugar and extra calories through drinks that don’t provide significant nutrition overall is a problem worth addressing.
Although it’s okay to have some fruit juice or a sugary treat every now and then, it isn’t the best choice to go for these beverages on a daily basis. If you struggle to make healthier drink choices, try some of these tips and tricks to make changes in a sustainable way.
