Replace sugary beverages…

Replace sweetened drinks to cut back on added sugars and empty calories.

• full-calorie soft drinks
• energy/sports drinks
• sweetened “enhanced water” drinks
• sweet tea
• sweetened coffee drinks

…with better choices:

• The best thing you can drink is water!  Try it plain, sparkling or naturally flavored with fruit or herbs.
• Drink coffee and tea without added sugars for a healthier energy boost.
• For adults, a diet drink may help replace high-calorie sodas and other sugary drinks.

The facts may surprise you.

• Most Americans consume nearly 20 teaspoons of added sugars each day. That’s more than TRIPLE the recommended daily limit for women and DOUBLE for men!
• Sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and energy/sports drinks are the #1 SOURCE of added sugars in our diet.
• A can (12 FL OZ) of regular soda has about 150 calories and 10 teaspoons of added sugar.

Try these tips to quench your thirst with less added sugars.

Start cutting back. Take steps to reduce or replace sugary drinks in your diet:

• Replace most of your drinks with water.
• Reduce the amount of sugar in your coffee or tea gradually until your taste adjusts to less sweetness.
• Add plain or sparkling water to drinks to keep some of the flavor with less added sugars per servings. 

Choose water. Make water the easy, more appealing go-to choice:

• Carry a refillable water bottle.
• Add a splash of 100% fruit juice or slices of citrus, berries and even cucumbers for a boost of flavor.
• Try seltzer, club soda or sparkling water if you crave the fizz.

Make it at home - Family favorites like hot chocolate, lemonade, smoothies, fruit punch, chocolate milk and coffee drinks easily can be made at home with less added sugars.

• Start with unsweetened beverages, then flavor to taste with additions like fruit, low-fat or fat-free milk, and herbs and spices.
• Get great recipes for beverages and more at heart.org/recipes.

Read the label, and choose wisely.

Some drinks that appear to be healthy may be high in calories and added sugars. Check servings per container and ingredients list. 

Added sugars go by many names, including sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, cane syrup, concentrated fruit juice, agave nectar and honey.