How Many Calories are in Your Drink?

Do you really know how many calories are in the drink sitting next to you? When I did research on drinks I regularly consume, I was surprised. For instance, Gatorade had fewer calories than I suspected, at 63 per 8 oz serving. Eight ounces of sweet tea contains 91 calories while orange juice gives you 130 per 8 ounces. Can you guess which has more calories between Pepsi and chocolate milk? Chocolate milk wins at 190 calories to Pepsi’s 130 per eight ounce serving.

Suppose you drink two cans of soda per day for a year. Besides the 146 cups of sugar you have ingested, you have taken in 111,600 calories simply by drinking two cans of soda a day. These calories will cause you to gain almost 32 pounds during that year. Now think of this the opposite way. If you give up these drinks you can lose 32 pounds!

The next time you reach for an 8 oz drink, try “this” instead of “that!

Beer 153 calories, Champagne 200 calories
Pineapple Juice 132, Prune Juice 182
Ginger Ale 124, Cream Soda 189
Tomato Juice 41, Grape Juice 154
Tea with 1 tbs. Honey 67, Lemonade 395
Redbull 110, Crystal Light On the Go Energy Drink 5

Now let’s look at some ways you can burn calories during your day to day routine. The next time you go for the elevator, consider the stairs. If you take one flight of stairs three times a day you will burn only 15 calories. But if you take six flights of stairs three times per day you burn 90 calories. Vacuuming for 25 minutes burns 100 calories while 15 minutes of brisk walking burns the same amount. When you park at the local Walmart, pick the spot furthest away from the door. Remember, all those steps add up!