Are your drinks ruining your diet?
Monday 21 April 2008
With some shocking recent surveys showing that an increasing proportion of our calorie intake is derived from drinks, Closer decided to investigate the true calorie content of some of our fave tipples.
Juices:
If you find yourself reaching for the pure fruit juice in the hope it’ll keep the calories down then think again. Whilst fruit juice is packed full of vitamins the high fruit sugar content means that the calorie content of natural juices is fairly high.
500ml of Pure Orange Juice= 220kcl
Similar to: 1 slice of Domino’s Deluxe Pizza= 171kcl
500ml of Del Monte Apple Juice= 295kcl
Similar to: 1 McDonald’s Cheeseburger= 295kcl
Dr. Julian Spink says: Orange juice is fairly healthy…but those calories can creep up on you and you soon start piling on the pounds. If you have a large glass of orange juice with your cereal, it’s likely the drink will have more calories than the food.”
Cut the cals:
Tomato juice has only half the calorie content of fruit juices, weighing in at only 25kcl per 100ml.
Soft Drinks:
Soft drinks don’t have a good reputation as it is, so do you want to know how bad they really are?
500ml of Coca Cola= 210kcl
Similar to: 1 McDonald’s Hamburger= 235kcl
500ml of Lucozade= 360kcl
Similar to: 1 McDonald’s Chicken Sandwich= 370kcl
Dr Spinks says: “ Cola is surprisingly bad. It’s choc-a-block with sugar – it’s literally got tablespoons of the stuff. That in itself can make you fat, but even worse is that the sugar will cause your body’s insulin levels to rise, meaning your appetite could shoot up as well.”
Cut the cals:
If you can’t resist fizzy drinks, why not try one of the many ‘fruity waters’ that mix sparkling water with a variety of fruit flavours- just made sure to pick one with no added sugar.
Hot beverages:
If you can’t get through the morning without your giant mug of coffee then listen up! The big high street coffee houses produce the worst offending drinks for a calorie-controlled diet.
1 Large Starbuck’s White Chocolate Mocha= 628kcl
Similar to: 1 McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger PLUS 1 portion of small fries= 656kcl
1 Large Latte= 180kcl
Similar to: A grilled chicken Caesar Salad= 230kcl
Dr. Julian Spinks explains: “ Black coffee is a very low-calorie drink, but as soon as you add milk, the calorie count rises quickly. Also, if you don’t opt for a skinny latte, you get full fat milk, which is even worse.”
1 Large Starbuck’s Hot Chocolate (330kcl) = 6 McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets PLUS Barbeque sauce (330kcl)
Dr Spinks says: “Hot Chocolate is not as bad as people tend to think…but the tendancy to add treats to a hot chocolate it’s the danger”
Cut the cals:
Opt for a skinny hot chocolate with no extra cream or marshmallows. For an even lower calorie version try Options Hot Chocolate with a low 68kcl content.
Milkshakes:
If you think of all the ingredients that go into a Milkshake, it is hardly surprising that they are an absolute calorie bomb: full-fat milk, ice-cream, syrup, whipped cream and sweet toppings – it’s diet suicide, really.
1 Large Chocolate Milkshake= 500kcl
Similar to: 1 McDonald’s quarter-pounder with cheese (500kcl)
Dr Spink says: “Milkshakes are very bad because of the calorific milk that goes into them. On top of that, cocoa is very bitter on it’s own, so needs to be mixed with lots of sugar before we get the sweet taste we like”
Cut the cals: Try a fruit smoothie, not from concentrate, for a sweet and refreshing drink.
Alcohol:
It’s hardly a revelation that alcoholic beverages are full of calories. Dr Spinks so eloquently points out: “ The only thing with more calories than alcohol? Pure fat.”
For those of you who go out and get drunk but would never dream of getting a takeaway at 3am, here’s something to keep in mind:
1 Pint of Lager= 190kcl
Similar to: A KFC Potato Salad = 180kcl
1 Glass of Red wine= 119kcl
Simlar to: 3 Burger King Chicken Tenders = 120kcl
1 Glass of Champagne= 130kcl
Similar to: Subway Beef Salad= 115kcl
For more information on how to enjoy a healthy, calorie controlled diet sign up with closerdiets.com today!
Dr Spinks was speaking to Matt Glass for the Daily Star