Most people are aware of the calories they eat throughout the day. But when was the last time you considered the calories you drank throughout the day?

Liquid calories are calories that come from drinks, such as soda, juice, sports drinks, and alcohol. They can add up quickly and contribute to weight gain if you're not careful. 

Take for example a 20 fl oz bottle of Coke, it has 240 calories and the majority of people tend to finish the whole bottle. Soda is an obvious culprit of high calories so let’s look at some beverages that are considered healthy.

• Milk 2% 8 fl oz - 130 calories

• Orange juice 8 fl oz - 110 calories

• Apple juice 8 fl oz - 110 calories

• 100% Beet juice 8 fl oz - 70 calories

• V8 fruit/veggie blend 8 fl oz - 60 calories

• Gatorade 8 fl oz - 53 calories

• Powerade 8 fl oz - 52 calories

• V8 vegetable juice 8 fl oz - 45 calories

Although most of these beverages have some benefit to them such as protein, minerals, and vitamins, they do not help you feel full. Even worse, most of these can spike your blood sugar and leave you craving other high calorie foods. 

Keep in mind that the serving size for the list above is 8 fl oz or 1 cup. Think about the last time you had a glass of juice or milk. It was probably a standard tall kitchen glass which is 12 fl oz, making that glass of OJ in the morning a whopping 165 calories. 

To put that into perspective, for someone trying to lose weight a common meal is only 300-400 calories. A tall glass of juice in the morning is already half of their morning calories.

There are some beverages that are even worse than what's listed above. Starbucks speciality coffees can range anywhere from 130-600 calories! And let’s face it, no one ever buys the smallest sized coffee. A venti size specialty coffee is basically a meal's worth of calories, but it won’t do much to keep you full through the morning. 

Alcohol is a double-edged sword

Alcoholic beverages, depending on what they are, can contribute to an even greater calorie intake even in small amounts. While carbs are 4 calories/gram (the main source of calories in most beverages), alcohol provides 7 calories/gram. 

Most craft beers provide anywhere from 175 - 250 calories per 12 fl oz bottle or can. A glass of wine comes in at around 120 calories per 5 fl oz glass. A 1.5 fl oz shot of 80 proof liquor has just under 100 calories. Add in some mixers and you can double or triple those calories!

Let’s be honest, most people who have a drink will consume at least 2-3 beverages of choice. We also tend to eat when we are enjoying a drink. The concern here is that clearing alcohol takes priority. That means the calories from the food you ate are more likely to get stored as fat then used as energy. 

Keep in mind that most common meals while enjoying a drink tend to be high carb/high fat, increasing those overall calories per one meal even higher.

What you can do about it

When we look at the calories of a beverage it doesn’t tell us much without context. Being able to apply context to how a beverage fits into your diet is the key to making the best choices for you.

To create context you need to know how many calories you are aiming for each day and per meal. Knowing your macros is important and can help you make better choices as well. If you don’t know how many calories and macros are ideal for you, you can schedule a consultation with me to learn how.

Once you know your daily and per meal calorie intake, you can see how a beverage fits into your diet. If it’s half or more of your per meal calorie intake, then it’s not a smart choice. 

 Here are a few tips to watch out for liquid calories:

• Read the labels on drinks and choose those that are low in calories or sugar.

• Drink water instead of sugary drinks whenever possible.

• If you want something sweet, diet beverages are a good alternative but should still be used sparingly. 

• If you do drink sugary beverages, make sure to account for the calories in your daily total.

• You can change the portion size to fit into your diet, such as an occasional 8 fl oz soda instead of the usual 20 fl oz bottle. 

• Limit your intake of alcohol.

By following these tips, you can help to reduce your intake of liquid calories and keep your weight in check. If you want to learn more on how liquid calories can impact your health and what you can do about it, contact me at dietitian2go@gmail.com. 

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD