The short version
- A 12-ounce regular soda has more than 10 teaspoons (about 42 grams) of added sugar, about 150 calories.
- Sugary drinks include sodas, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, sweet tea and flavored coffees.
- The simplest swap is water. Add fruit slices if you want flavor.
What counts as a sugary drink
The CDC lists regular sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and sweetened waters. Flavored coffees and sweet tea count too, and so does the sugar or flavored creamer you add at home.
The CDC links drinking sugary drinks often with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cavities and gout.
One number to remember
One 12-ounce can of regular soda holds more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar. The CDC works out that cutting two regular sodas a day removes about 2,100 calories in a week.
Eight swaps from the CDC
- Choose water: tap, bottled or sparkling, with no sweetener.
- Add berries or slices of lemon, lime or cucumber for flavor.
- Try plain, unsweetened milk if water will not do.
- Miss the fizz? Add a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling water.
- Do not stock up on sugary drinks. Keep cold water in the fridge instead.
- At the coffee shop, skip the flavored syrups and whipped cream.
- At the store, read the Nutrition Facts label for added sugars.
- Carry a refillable water bottle when you go out.
Other names for added sugar
On a label, added sugar may appear as cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, honey, maple syrup, molasses or fruit juice concentrate.
Questions
How much sugar is in a can of soda?
The CDC says a 12-ounce regular soda has more than 10 teaspoons, or about 42 grams, of added sugar.
Is fruit juice a sugary drink?
The CDC counts fruit drinks with added sugar as sugary drinks. It suggests 100% juice only in limited amounts, for example a splash in sparkling water.
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