Yes, it’s hot and we need to cool off. But beware added sugar in drinks and treats.
Soft drinks, sodas, sports drinks, sweet tea — they should all be called sugar drinks. Water is your best choice for health and hydration. Substitute one water for a soda each day as a first step in reducing sugary drinks from your diet.
Vanderbilt Health’s employee wellness program, Health Plus, also recommends being aware this summer of the temptation to cool off with popsicles or ice cream cones for the same reason. Added sugar provides empty calories that can easily put us over our calorie goals without getting the nutrients we need.
To put this into perspective, a 20-ounce Coke provides zero nutrients and has about 16 teaspoons of added sugar, which is 130% percent of the daily recommendation — way more sugar than anyone should consume in an entire day.
Reduce your added sugar intake by treating yourself to one of these refreshing snacks:
- Frozen grapes or watermelon cubes
- Fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies
- Chocolate-dipped frozen bananas
- Ice water with lemon slices and mint leaves
Read more about the cost of added sugar:
