Whenever we think of calories, we tend to think of fatty or sugary solid foods like fried chicken and doughnuts. Drinks are often an afterthought, but never underestimate the calories that drinks can contribute to our diet. Even though a glass a day may not seem like much, these liquid calories definitely add up over the long term. Here’s a story of how liquid calories ruined my friend’s strict diet.
Liquid calories have been so normalised in our daily lives that you may unknowingly be consuming these everyday drinks. Here are 10 drinks you should watch out for that may be piling on the calories in your diet.
Note that a serving below indicates 250ml.
1. Coffee
Sorry to ruin the thing you need to start your day every morning, but coffee has to be the first thing on this list since everyone I know around me drinks coffee. While black coffee has nearly zero calories, a serving of coffee with milk can contribute up to 200 calories, while one with sugar can be between 250 and 300 calories!
I’d suggest sticking to black coffee and avoiding store-bought, pre-packaged, sweetened iced coffee at all costs.
2. Apple or Orange Juice
Another classic breakfast option, while labelled as healthy by many, a serving of each is around 150 ml. While already high in natural sugars, store-bought juices often have added sugar as well. Even if the orange is freshly squeezed, it’s still easy to overconsume due to the sugar content. Each serving can go up to 150 calories, so don’t overdrink your juices.
3. Whole Milk
While whole milk is one of the healthiest drinks filled with macro and micronutrients, it is still full of healthy fats that are caloric dense. Each serving can go up to 200 ml, and many people love adding it to their coffee or tea unknowingly.
An alternative would be semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, an option just as fine with less fat content.
4. Sweet Tea
Sweet tea is a popular drink option when dining out, but a serving actually packs up to 100 calories. While that may not seem like much, those unlimited refills keep people going for rounds. Before you know it, you’re easily drinking 300 to 400 calories in a meal, without any food factored in!
Next time you get a bottomless sweet tea, makes sure to let your friend know to keep you accountable.
5. Beer
Watch out if you love some weekend beers to wind down. Each can of beer can go up to 200 calories, meaning a pack of beer is 1,200 calories! Beer is mostly made up of carbohydrate, with little to none protein or fats. It’s a good drink to socialize or wind down with, but definitely not one if you’re feeling nutritious or healthy.
6. Red Wine
While wine is consumed is lesser volume to beer, a glass of wine (chardonnay, pinot noir etc) is still around 150 calories, anything that’s sweeter (moscato) can be higher than that. It’s also easy to overdrink it over a dinner.
7. Coca-Cola or Sodas
Everyone’s favourite Coca-Cola has around 130 calories per can. It’s not much compared to the other drinks listed above, but just watch out for the bottomless deal. I’d suggest going for their diet options, which are often just as delicious without the calories.
8. Smoothies
This is a tricky one. While smoothies are known to be healthy, calories can easily rack up depending on the ingredients you use. Fruits that are high in natural sugars can make things calorie-dense, and if you’re adding any nut butters, that’s extra servings of fat. It can easily go up to 400 calories per serving.
While those ingredients can still be added, perhaps balance it out with some greens for extra fibre rather than sugar or fat – especially if you’re trying to watch your calories.
9. Cocktails
Most cocktails are made of a mix of liqueurs which are already high in calories, and tonic water which is sweetened as well. While a drink or two won’t hurt, it’s easy to have lots of them down on a night out. For context, a long island iced tea is 220 calories.
10. Hot Chocolate
A warming drink on a cold winter night, hot chocolate is a mix of sugary chocolate and whole milk. A warm mug also comes with 250 calories. While it’s good to indulge during the festives, try not to make it a regular drink option.