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Rethinkyourdrink.Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

When it comes to weight loss, there’s no lack of dietspromising fast results. There are low-carb diets, high-carb diets,low-fat diets, grapefruit diets, cabbage soup diets, and blood typediets, to name a few. But no matter what diet you may try, to loseweight, you must take in fewer calories than your body uses. Mostpeople try to reduce their calorie intake by focusing on food, butanother way to cut calories may be to think about what you drink.What Do You Drink?It Makes More Difference Than You Think!Calories in drinks are not hidden (they’re listed right on the NutritionFacts label), but many people don’t realize just how many calories beverages can contribute to their daily intake. As you can see in theexample on the next page, calories from drinks can really add up. Butthere is good news: you have plenty of options for reducing the number of calories in what you drink.2

OccasionMorningcoffee shoprunLunchtimecombomealAfternoonbreakInstead of Calories Try CaloriesMediumcafé latte(16 ounces)made withwhole milk265Small café latte(12 ounces)made with fatfree milk12520-oz. bottleof nondietcola with yourlunch227Bottle of wateror diet soda0Sweetenedlemon icedtea from thevendingmachine(16 ounces)180Sparkling waterwith naturallemon flavor(not sweetened)0124Water with aslice of lemonor lime, orseltzer waterwith a splash of100% fruit juice0 calories forthe waterwith fruitslice, orabout 30calories forseltzer waterwith 2ounces of100% orangejuice.Dinnertime A glass ofnondiet gingerale with yourmeal(12 ounces)Totalbeveragecalories796125-155(USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)3

Substituting no—or low—calorie drinks for sugar-sweetened beverages cuts about 650 calories in the example on the previous page.Of course, not everyone drinks the amount of sugar-sweetenedbeverages shown. Check the list below to estimate how many calories you typically take in from beverages.Type of BeverageCaloriesin 12 ozCaloriesin 20 ozFruit punch192320100% apple juice180300100% orange juice168280Lemonade168280Regular lemon/lime soda148247Regular colaSweetened lemon iced tea(bottled, not homemade)136227135225Tonic water124207Regular ginger ale124207Sports drink99165Fitness water1836Unsweetened iced tea23Diet soda (with aspartame)0*0*Carbonated water (unsweetened)00Water00*Some diet soft drinks can contain a small number of calories that are not listed on the NutritionFacts label. ( USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)4

Milk contains vitamins and other nutrients that contribute to goodhealth, but it also contains calories. Choosing low-fat or fat-freemilk is a good way to reduce your calorie intake and still get thenutrients that milk contains.Type of milkCalories per cup(8 ounces)Chocolate milk (whole)208Chocolate milk (2% reduced-fat)190Chocolate milk (1% low-fat)158Whole milk (unflavored)1502% reduced-fat milk (unflavored)1201% low-fat milk (unflavored)105Fat-free milk (unflavored)90(USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)Safe Weight LossExperts have definedhealthy weight loss as aloss of 1-2 pounds perweek. Most people needto cut roughly 500 calories a day to lose onepound per week.You cando this by reducing thenumber of calories youtake in through bothfood or drink.

Learn To Read Nutrition Facts CarefullyBe aware that the Nutrition Facts label on beverage containers maygive the calories for only part of the contents.The example belowshows the label on a 20oz. bottle. As you canNUTRITION FACTS LABELServing Size 8 fl. oz.see, it lists the numberServings Per Container2.5of calories in an 8-oz.Amount per servingserving (100) evenCalories100though the bottle contains 20 oz. or 2.5 servings.To figure out how many calories are inthe whole bottle, you need to multiply the number of calories inone serving by the number of servings in the bottle (100 x 2.5).Youcan see that the contents of the entire bottle actually contain 250calories even though what the label calls a “serving” only contains100.This shows that you need to look closely at the serving sizewhen comparing the calorie content of different beverages.High-Calorie Culprits in Unexpected PlacesCoffee drinks and blended fruit smoothies sound innocent enough,but the calories in some of your favorite coffee-shop or smoothiestand items may surprise you. Check the website or in-store nutrition information of your favorite coffee or smoothie shop to findout how many calories are in different menu items. And when asmoothie or coffee craving kicks in, here are some tips to help minimize the caloric damage:At the coffee shop: Request that your drink be made with fat-free (skim) milk insteadof whole milk. Order the smallest size available. Forgo the extra flavoring—the flavor syrups used in coffee shops,like vanilla or hazelnut, are sugar-sweetened and will add caloriesto your drink.6

Skip the Whip.The whipped creamon top of coffee drinks adds caloriesand fat. Get back to basics. Order a plain cup ofcoffee with fat-free milk and artificialsweetener, or drink it black.Sugar by Any Other Name:How To Tell Whether YourDrink Is SweetenedSweeteners that add calories to a beverage go bymany different names andare not always obviousto anyone looking at theAt the smoothie stand:ingredients list. Some Order a child’s size if available.common caloric sweeteners are listed below. Ask to see the nutrition information for eachIf these appear in thetype of smoothie and pick the smoothie withingredients list ofthe fewest calories.your favorite beverage, you are drinking Hold the sugar. Many smoothies contain addeda sugar-sweetenedsugar in addition to the sugar naturally in fruit,beverage.juice, or yogurt. Ask that your smoothie beprepared without added sugar: the fruit is naturally sweet. High-fructosecorn syrup Fructose Fruit juiceconcentrates Honey Sugar Syrup Corn syrup Sucrose Dextrose7

Better Beverage Choices Made EasyNow that you know how much difference a drink canmake, here are some ways to make smart beveragechoices: Choose water, diet, or low-calorie beverages insteadof sugar-sweetened beverages. For a quick, easy, and inexpensive thirst-quencher,carry a water bottle and refill it throughout the day. Don’t “stock the fridge” with sugar-sweetened beverages. Instead, keep a jug or bottles of cold water inthe fridge. Serve water with meals. Make water more exciting by adding slices of lemon,lime, cucumber, or watermelon, or drink sparklingwater. Add a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling waterfor a refreshing, low-calorie drink. When you do opt for a sugar-sweetened beverage, gofor the small size. Some companies are now selling 8oz. cans and bottles of soda, which contain about 100calories. Be a role model for your friends and family by choosing healthy, low-calorie beverages.Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and PreventionNational Center forChronic Disease Prevention and Health PromotionDivision of Nutrition and Physical Activity

Request that your drink be made with fat-free (skim) milk instead of whole milk. Order the smallest size available. Forgo the extra flavoring—the flavor syrups used in coffee shops, like vanilla or hazelnut,are sugar-sweetened and will add calories to your drink.