What are we drinking?

As a follow-up to my previous post about drinking water, another research study looked at what we as Americans have been drinking. The study looked at differences between sexes, ethnicities, and ages. But what interests me is that we Americans are drinking our calories–and it’s not from nutrient-rich sources!

Milk vs. Soda: Who is doing it right

When you look at 6-11 year olds, 12-19 year olds, 20-39 year olds, 40-59 year olds, and 60+ years of age, the only groups who drank as much milk as they did soda were the 6-11 year olds and the 60+ year olds! The rest of us consume more soda than we do milk! Why?

Not only does milk contain calcium for bone growth, it is also a rich source of protein. Soda has none of these benefits! And even worse, a 12-ounce can of soda contains (on average) 10 teaspoons of sugar!! I don’t know about you, but I’m not likely to eat that much sugar in one sitting!

As a registered dietitian, I promote everything in moderation. So, yes, there is a time and a place for soda in a healthy eating plan. One can of regular soda a day can be part of a healthy meal plan, but soda should not REPLACE milk products. After all, the new food pyramid has a section for discretionary calories, in which soda would be part of that category. So you can have your milk and drink your soda too (in moderation)! But please, drink your milk first!

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