Tips for 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. Small everyday decisions, like how much to eat and drink, whether or not to be physically active, and even whether or not to step on a scale to monitor body weight can, over time, impact body weight and health.

Because people consume many different foods and beverages, no one single food or beverage alone is responsible for weight gain. All calories from foods and beverages count, including those from caloric beverages. Fortunately, all foods and beverages, even those higher in calories or lower in nutritional value, can fit into an active, healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible balanced diet and regular physical activity. A sensible balanced diet is one that meets overall nutritional needs and doesn’t exceed energy needs. The key is knowing ‘how often and how much’ to eat or drink and choosing the calorie options and portion sizes that are right for you. For example, people who enjoy sugar-sweetened beverages but also want to watch their calories can opt for smaller portion sizes or choose beverages containing low- and no-calorie sweeteners.

Research suggests that taking a ‘small steps’ approach to reduce energy intake and increase physical activity can be effective in preventing weight gain. Habits like checking food labels for the number of servings, serving size and calories per serving; limiting portion sizes by using smaller plates or glasses and buying smaller, individual portion-size packages; and choosing lower calorie and no-calorie versions of favorite foods and beverages can help control the number of calories consumed.

The following “small steps” can help families manage calories from beverages:

• Go ahead and compare – Compare food labels for the calories per serving and serving size or use our Beverage Calorie Comparison Chart to compare the calorie content of beverages.
• Be portion-savvy – Downsizing packages and beverage containers to be shared or opting for single-serving packages with 100-calories or less per container can help keep calories under control.
• Make easy calorie-saving swaps – Switching from a full-calorie soft drink to a low- or zero-calorie version can save 100 calories per 8 fluid ounce serving or more.  All low- and no-calorie sweeteners permitted for use in U.S. foods and beverages have been extensively studied and are safe for everyone, including children and pregnant and nursing women. The only exception are children born with the rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU), who cannot metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine and must severely restrict all protein-containing foods, as well as the sweetener aspartame, because they contain it.
• Keep the nutrition, reduce the calories – Don’t skip nutrient-rich beverages like milk and juice. Instead, switch from whole milk to skim milk to save 50 to 60 calories per 8 fluid ounce serving. 100% orange juice has about 120 calories per 8 fluid ounce serving, but also contains folic acid, vitamin C and other important nutrients. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children consume no more than one serving of fruit juice per day. Read more about the AAP's Guidelines for Fruit Juice for Children.
• Try some tricks – Enliven taste buds and reduce calories by mixing and matching no-, low- and full-calorie beverages for a new twist on refreshing beverages. Or, consider using tall, skinny glasses. Research suggests serving beverages in tall, skinny glasses may give the appearance of more volume and reduce the amount consumed.

Thirst-Quenching Mix & Match Ideas

* The only exception is that people born a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) should not consume aspartame because it contains phenylalanine, a common amino acid that people with PKU cannot metabolize. Aspartame is safe for all other populations, including children, people with diabetes, and women who are pregnant or lactating. Learn more about aspartame.