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We all know that it is important to pay attention to the foods we eat so we don’t risk eating bad ingredients that can cause weight gain or slow our metabolisms. But drinks often go overlooked in terms of diets or unhealthy ingredients. And sometimes, drinks can be even more unhealthy than food.
This is because of one ingredient: sugar. In most cases, sugar is a bigger contributor to weight gain than fat, and there are many drinks that are loaded with sugar – even ones you wouldn’t expect.
Here is what you need to stop drinking:
Coca Cola
It should come as no surprise that soda is loaded with sugar. You should stop drinking sodas altogether, but one of the worst ones you can have is Coca Cola. A regular, 20-ounce bottle of coke has 65 grams of added sugar - the equivalent of 13 teaspoons! The daily recommended intake of sugar is about 6 to 7 teaspoons, so a bottle of coke has twice the amount you should intake in a day.
Iced Tea
What is surprising, however, is the amount of sugar in iced tea. Most people assume that iced tea is a healthy alternative to other soft drinks, since traditional teas are healthy. But bottled iced tea may have even more sugar than soda in many cases. A bottle of Pure Leaf Sweet Tea has 42 grams of sugar, which is even more than you'd get from a can of coke!
Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is another surprisingly high source of sugar. While it is true that many juices are high in vitamins and minerals because they come from fruits, these benefits are often negated by the high levels of added sugar. An 8-ounce glass of Mott's 100% Original Apple Juice contains 28 grams of sugar, which equals five teaspoons - almost your total recommended daily limit!
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Unfortunately for all of us who regularly drink PSLs in the fall, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is extremely high in sugar. A grande size of this seasonal coffee drink contains 50 grams of sugar!
