Sneaky Soda

Sodas, or soft drinks, have become a big component in the typical American diet. Sodas are sneaky because the body does not “see” the calories in soda like it “sees” the calories in food. Therefore, you will eat the same amount of food whether you drink a soda or not. These extra calories are then stored as fat. Sodas have NO nutritional value that is why they are considered “empty calories”.

Try this experiment at home. Look at the nutritional label of your favorite 12 oz soda can. Figure out how many teaspoons of sugar are in your favorite soda. First write down the total number of calories in the 12 oz can. A typical soda has 150 calories. There are 15 calories in one teaspoon of sugar. So determine the number of teaspoons of sugar that is in the soda can by dividing the number of calories by 15. A typical soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Now measure out 10 teaspoons into a pile and look at the mound of sugar in one 12 oz can of soda!

In the 1950s, a standard serving of soda was 6.5 fluid ounces. Today it is common for a serving of soda to be 20oz, 32oz, or even 64oz! Because soda is so good at sneaking extra calories into your body, it is recommended that you skip drinking soda daily. When you do enjoy a soda, use the original serving size by drinking only half a can. Or consider drinking a diet version which is made from artificial sweeteners so that they are lower in calories.