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Sugar Sweetened Beverages

Part of a healthy lifestyle is choosing nutrient dense beverages. When considering a beverage, it is important to think of the calories and nutrients it will provide.

Sugar sweetened beverages are a drink that has sugars and/or syrups added to it when it is prepared or processed. These include regular sodas, sweet tea, fruitflavored drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee with added sugars and some flavored waters.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends water, fat-free or lowfat milk and 100% juice should be the primary beverages consumed. Coffee, tea, and flavored water can also be consumed within a healthy diet pattern if sweeteners and creams are kept to a minimum.

A healthy diet pattern limits added sugars to less than 10 percent of daily calories. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, added sugars provide an average of 270 calories (more than 13 percent) per day in the American diet. Major sources of added sugars include sugar sweetened beverages, sweetened tea and coffee, desserts and sweet snacks, and candy. In a side-by-side comparison, water and unsweet tea provide zero calories and zero grams of added sugars, per 12 ounces. While sweet tea provides 115 calories and 29 grams of added sugars, per 12 ounces. And Lemonade provides 171 calories and 43 grams of added sugar, per 12 ounces.

To reduce your intake of added sugars, substitute sugar sweetened beverages with water, unsweet tea, flavored water or other low/no-calorie drinks! Other options include reducing portion sizes, consuming these less often, and selecting options lower in sugar. Remember, try to choose nutrient dense beverages as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Here is a quick easy recipe make your own Lemon-Lime Soda. Plus this was tested just a few weeks ago with Dimmitt Middle School Afterschool program and was a hit, so I know you will enjoy! And it is has significantly less sugar and calories (30 calories compared to 190!)

DIY Lemon-Lime Soda

Ingredients

1 can/bottle (12-16oz) sparkling water (like

Topo chico, Perrier, LaCroix, etx) unflavored

1/2 Lemon

1 lime

2 tbsp sugar

Pour sparkling water into an iced glass. Add juice of lemon and lime add sugar and mix. And enjoy!