Extra Calories You Can Easily Cut
Where Do Extra Calories Come From?
One place where extra calories sneak into our diets is in what we drink. Many of us think of beverages as totally harmless. Since they’re liquid, they couldn’t possibly have a significant number of calories, right? Wrong. Actually, many people consume 1,000 calories or more every day just by drinking high-calorie beverages. When you consider that the average person’s daily caloric intake is roughly 2,000 calories, you can see what a big problem our drinks are.
Calories in Soda
The most obvious culprit when it comes to high-calorie drinks is soda. For example, one 12 oz can of Classic Cola contains about 140 calories. In a 20 oz bottle of cola that you might purchase from a vending machine, there are 250 calories. Just two of those per day is already 500 calories, or the equivalent of one average serving of Beef Stroganoff. Diet soda can provide a low-calorie alternative, but diet soda is not harmless. These drinks often contain artificial sweeteners which have been linked to serious health problems.
Calories in Alcohol
Another serious offender in the drink category is alcohol. One pint of "light" beer usually contains about 125 calories, and some beers have 250 or more calories per pint. Most estimates say that one glass of red wine has 125 calories as well. If you drink two classes of wine per night, that’s another 250 calories. During a night out on the town, some of us might rack up as many calories as there are in a heavy meal! The solution to this is, obviously, to drink less. Not only will less alcohol reduce your overall calorie intake, it will most likely benefit you in other ways as well.
Calories in Healthy Drinks
Soda and alcohol are not the only calorie culprits in the beverage world. Sugary and fruity drinks of all kinds contain high-calorie content. Imitation juice drinks should be avoided, even if they're packed with vitamins and minerals to "make up" for the artificial flavorings and colors.