Managing Beverage Calories

Most experts agree that excess weight gain, whether in adults or children, is due to routinely consuming more calories than the body burns each day. All foods and calorie-containing beverages can contribute to excess weight gain.

Making a series of small changes in family eating and physical activity habits - like focusing family time on physical activity, eating out less, serving more fruits and vegetables, and downsizing portions - may, over time, make a big difference for children who tend to have weight problems.

The following tips can help families manage beverage calories:

• Switch to low-fat or skim milk. An 8-ounce serving of whole milk contains 160 calories. The same-size serving of skim milk has just 80 - 90 calories.
• Get nutrition out of your beverage calories. For instance, 100% juice has about 120 calories per 8 ounce serving, but also contains folic acid, vitamin C and other important nutrients. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children consume no more than one serving of fruit juice per day.
• Stock the fridge with grab-and-go bottles of water and low-calorie beverages for between-meal drinking. All low-calorie sweeteners used in U.S. foods and beverages are approved as safe for children.
• Talk to your teens about their beverage choices outside the home. Learn how often they drink full-calorie sodas, sweet tea, fruit drinks and sweetened coffees or teas - and how much. Then help them decide how to lower the calories in their beverage choices, like opting for water, 'skinny' lattes, and low-calorie soft drinks and fruit drinks.