Beverage Choices

"At this point you have learned how critical water is to support human life, how it is distributed and moved in the body, how fluid balance and composition is maintained, and the recommended amount of fluids a person should consume daily. In America you have a choice of thousands of different beverages. Which should you choose to receive the most health benefit and achieve your recommended fluid intake?\n\nReading the Label\n\nMost beverages marketed in the United States have a Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list, but some, such as coffee (for home consumption), beer, and wine, do not. As with foods, beverages that are nutrient-dense are the better choices, with the exception of plain water, which contains few to no other nutrients. Beverages do not make you full; they satiate your thirst. Therefore, the fewer calories in a beverage the better it is for avoiding weight gain. For an estimate of kilocalories in various beverages see Table 3.9, Calories in Various Beverages.\n\nTable 3.9 Calories in Various Beverages\n\nBeverage | Serving Size (oz) | Kilocalories\n\nSoda | 12.0 | 124–189\n\nBottled sweet tea | 12.0 | 129–143\n\nOrange juice | 12.0 | 157–168\n\nTomato/vegetable juice | 12.0 | 80\n\nWhole milk | 12.0 | 220\n\nNonfat milk | 12.0 | 125\n\nSoy milk | 12.0 | 147–191\n\nCoffee, black | 12.0 | 0–4\n\nCoffee, with cream | 12.0 | 39–43\n\nCaffe latte, whole milk | 12.0 | 200\n\nSports drink | 12.0 | 94\n\nBeer | 12.0 | 153\n\nWhite wine | 5.0 | 122"