Q:
I'm trying to lose weight. To keep from snacking, I drink lots of beverages between meals. Water is pretty boring. So I've tried to stick to something healthy like juices or milk. But the scale isn't showing much progress. Why?
A:
You have the right idea. Drinking beverages can satisfy the urge to nibble. Juices and milk contain many nutrients. But they also can contain many calories. A calorie in liquid form is the same as a calorie in solid food. So keep track of the calories in the beverages you drink — and how much you drink.
A balanced diet includes at least two servings from the milk group and two servings from the fruit group daily. The suggested serving size for milk is 8 ounces. A serving of fruit juice is 6 ounces. If you drink more than the recommended daily servings, you could be getting unwanted calories.
To cut calories, you can switch to low-fat or fat-free (skim) milk and drink lower calorie juices. Check their labels. You can dilute juices with plain or sparkling water to reduce calories, too. Water has no calories and comes in many forms — not just from the tap. Try adding a twist of lemon or lime.
Calories in common beverages
Beverage Serving size (ounces) Average calories*
Water 8 0
Coffee or tea (plain) 8 2
Iced tea (unflavored), powder 8 2
Milk, whole 8 149
Milk, 2 percent 8 122
Milk, nonfat 8 86
Fruit juice, frozen concentrate 8 114
Fruit drinks 8 134
Regular soda 12 150
Diet soda with aspartame 12 4
Regular Beer 12 146
Wine 3.5 72
Source: Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 2004
*Note: When several kinds were available, the average value was used. Actual calories may vary by brand.
