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The Herald-Dispatch
If you reach for a soft drink every time you’re thirsty, you could be wasting a good deal of your calorie allotment for the day -- more so than in years past, the American Dietetic Association says.
About 50 years ago, a soda came in a 6-ounce bottle that was about 75 calories, the association says. Today, a 20-ounce plastic bottle of regular soda packs about 250 calories. The 64-ounce, "big-cup" soft drinks sold at convenience stores can deliver a whopping 800 calories.
Add up your soda calories and consider this: Most adults need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day -- period. One 800 calorie big-cup means a lot less food and nutrition that day, if you’re going to stay within your calorie limit. Less nutrition means less strength and less lasting energy.
Regular or diet soft drinks are OK now and then, the dietetic association says. But as an everyday drink choice, they crowd out nutrient-rich drinks and much-needed water. Regular sodas have a lot of sugar and carbs, but no other nutrition. And if consumed in place of milk, they could contribute to bone loss.
Also, sugary sodas contribute to tooth decay, though no more than juice or other carbohydrate-rich foods.
Here are some tips for adopting a ‘now-and-then soft drink’ lifestyle:
Order the small size, even if "bigger" seems like a better deal.
Save it for later. If a 20-ounce or bigger bottle is your only choice, pour a smaller amount in a cup and save the rest.
Decide when you’ll really want a soda, and limit yourself so that it’s not often.
Switch to milk -- maybe chocolate or strawberry -- for a more healthful option.
Source: "365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association"