Northwest Health | WINTER 2007 By Linda Thomas

On a cold day in the Northwest, nothing goes down easier than hot chocolate with a dollop of whip cream on top. Or a cafè mocha. Unfortunately, nothing goes on easier than the pounds gained from high-calorie beverages.

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A large gourmet hot chocolate, even if you say "no whip," has up to 450 calories and 18 grams of fat. That's comparable to a slice of pizza or two brownies with frosting. A 16-ounce cafè mocha with whip cream contains 400 calories and 22 grams of fat. In comparison, a tall cup of brewed coffee contains only 5 calories.

"People undermine their best diet and exercise efforts by not realizing that a hefty load of calories — not to mention fat and sugar — may be hiding in their favorite beverages," says Sherrie Burke, a registered dietitian at the Group Health Riverfront Medical Center in Spokane. "Most of the people I work with don't count calories from liquids. When I give them the skinny on how much fat and calories some drinks contain, they're shocked."

Soda — the biggest culprit
Carbonated soft drinks are the single biggest source of liquid calories, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit education and advocacy organization.

A can of soda, unless it's a diet version, has 150 calories and around 41 grams of sugar. Most cola drinks are made with high-fructose corn syrup, which is equivalent to between 9 and 11 teaspoons of refined sugar per can.

"Drinking two cans of regular soda a day can result in weight gain of up to 32 pounds a year, assuming you don't change anything else about your diet or activity level," says health educator Lesley Schulte. Schulte is a program manager for Health Trek, Group Health Community Foundation's nutrition program for middle school students.

What about energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Rockstar, Amp, and Monster Energy? "They contain somewhere between 3 and 10 times the amount of caffeine as caffeinated soda, as well as various unproven additives," says Schulte. "Some of those ingredients, including guarana and taurine, can have detrimental effects, such as sleeplessness and increased heart rate."

Schulte says she's concerned about teens and children drinking colas and energy drinks. "It's not just the sugar and caffeine in these types of drinks, but also what they tend to take out of the diet. Kids who drink a lot of sodas aren't drinking as much milk or water — the healthier choices."

As for adult beverages, a glass of wine contains roughly 120 calories, a 12-ounce beer 150 calories, and an Irish coffee 159 calories. You can double that with one mai tai, 306 calories, or a margarita, 327 calories.

Smarter choices
Burke says it's better to chew your calories than to drink them. "Most drinks don't give you enough fiber or nutritional value for the calories. Calories you get from a protein or carbohydrate source almost always provide more nutrition than calories you get from a liquid source. There just aren't that many healthy beverages other than milk, water, and unsweetened fruit juices."

She suggests drinking fruit juices diluted with water or seltzer to lower the calorie count. "Or, better yet, eat a piece of fruit and drink a glass of water."

Bottled vitamin water is one trendy beverage that might actually be beneficial, says Schulte. "Most of the flavored waters include some vitamins that might be hard to get in a regular diet, and the drinks don't contain too many calories. But it's essential to read the labels to see exactly what has been added."

Flavored seltzer waters are another option for people who like fizzy drinks. Even better is regular water with a slice of lemon or lime added for flavor. "Regular water is what your body needs the most. It's the perfect beverage," says Schulte. "Water is free of calories, fat, sugar, sodium, and caffeine. And it's a lot less expensive than a latte."

Think before you drink

Instead of:	Try this:
Tall whole milk latte 200 calories, 11 grams fat	Tall nonfat milk latte 120 calories, 0 grams fat
Can of cola 150 calories, 41 grams sugar	Diet version of same cola 0 calories, 0 grams sugar
Bottled, flavored ice teas 110 calories, 27 grams sugar	Fresh brewed tea, artificial sweetener 0 calories
Whole milk, 1 cup 149 calories, 7.7 grams fat	Nonfat milk, 1 cup 90 calories, .5 grams fat
Kids juice box 100 calories, 25 grams sugar	100% fruit juice, no sugar added, diluted with water 50 calories, 9 grams sugar
Beer 150 calories	Light beer 110 calories
Energy drinks 110 calories, 27 grams sugar, 200 mg sodium	Water and brisk 15-minute walk -100 calories