Sweetened drinks are a top source of excess sugar. You probably know that soda has a lot of sugar. But iced teas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and fruit drinks can pack just as much.
Does your favorite drink contain added sugar? To find out, look at the ingredients list. If you see any of these words, that means sugar has been added:
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Cane juice
- Sucrose
- Agave
- Honey
100% fruit juice doesn’t contain added sugar. It can, however, add lots of calories. And for those with diabetes, it can raise your blood sugar just like added sugar. So it’s best to limit juice drinks as well.
You can also use the nutrition facts panel to decide if a drink is a healthy option. If it contains any more than 5-10 calories per serving, that’s a sign that it has added sugar. Instead, you could try one of these no-sugar-added drinks:
- Water
- Fruit-infused water with lime, lemon, cucumber, etc.
- Water with a sprig of lavender or rosemary
- Plain seltzer
- Flavored, sugar-free seltzer
- Black coffee
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Herbal tea
- Unsweetened iced tea
- Unsweetened coffee
You have all sorts of flavorful options!