In addition to choosing healthy snacks when you’re traveling, you should give equal attention to your beverage choices. As you can see from the list below, calories in drinks can have more calories than your favorite snack foods. Consider this list next time you reach for a drink during your travels.
The Bad
1. McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake (large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
27 g fat
168 grams of sugar (approx 42 cubes)
In response to criticism from health advocates, McDonald’s has added many healthy choices to their menu. The triple thick chocolate shake is not one of them. This shake has as many calories as a Big Mac, fries and a coke combined. That’s equal to the calories in eight Twinkies.
2. Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories
22 g fat
95 grams of sugar (approx 24 cubes)
While Starbucks is known for their good tasting gourmet coffees, not all of their drinks are good for you. This white chocolate mocha has as many calories as 4.5 Twinkies.
3. Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories
0 g fat
81 grams of sugar (approx 20 cubes)
Mmmm…. kiwi strawberry, must be healthy, because it’s fruit, right? Wrong, this beverage is loaded with calories, and has enough of these fat inducing measuring units to equal 2.5 Twinkies.
4. Sunkist (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
320 calories
0 g fat
84 grams of sugar (approx 21 cubes)
Most people know that soda isn’t very good for you. Sunkist happens to have the most calories out of all of them. Drinking a 20 ounce Sunkist is the same as eating two Twinkies.
5. Sobe Green Tea
240 calories
61 grams of sugar (approx 15 cubes)
0 g fat
Some studies have suggested that green tea may actually help you lose weight. However Sobe’s brand of green tea is heavy in sugar and calories. Drinking a Sobe Green Tea is equal to eating almost two Twinkies.
The Good
1. Hint Water
0 g sugar
0 calories
0 g fat
Good old reliable water always wins. Water quenches your thirst while adding zero calories, zero grams of fat and zero grams of sugar. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like plain water don’t worry, there are new essence waters that have come out recently like Hint Water that have just a hint of natural fruit flavor added like watermelon, pomegranate tangerine or strawberry kiwi. Hint Water in particular has zero grams of sugar, zero calories and zero grams of fat.
2. V8 tomato juice (11 ounces)
70 calories
11 grams of sugar ( approx 3.5 cubes)
0 grams of fat
If you’re going to drink a beverage with calories in it, you can’t get much better than V8 Tomato Juice. V8 has vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron and has as many calories as a small banana.
3. Starbucks’ Mocha Light Frappuccino (16 oz.)
130 calories
.5 grams of fat
26 grams of sugar (approx 6 cubes)
Instead of buying that white chocolate mocha you should opt for the mocha light frappuccino instead. At only 130 calories this Mocha Frappuccino is in the featherweight category and has about as many calories as two kiwis.
4. Grapefruit Juice (Unsweetened, 1 pint)
176 calories
20 grams of sugar (approx 5 cubes)
0 grams of fat
Ever heard of the grapefruit juice diet? Studies have shown that grapefruit juice may help keep insulin levels under control promoting weight loss. Grapefruit juice is also low in calories and sugar compared to many other fruit juices and is chock full of nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate and niacin. Drinking a pint of grapefruit juice is the equivalent of eating 1.5 bananas.
5. Milk (1% milkfat,1 pint)
192 calories
16 grams of sugar (approx 4 cubes)
3.2 grams of fat
Milk does a body good. Milk contains calcium, which helps fortify bones and prevent bone loss. Milk is also low-calorie and has about as many calories as two medium bananas.
Guest Author: Winston Behle.
Winston is a public relations representative for Hint Water, a student at Brigham Young University and a journalist for “The Universe” newspaper.
