Are you drinking on the weight?
With water making up 60% of the human body, it is easy to say that hydration is one of the most important components of health. But, choosing the right drink to stay hydrated is not so cut and dry. Water is the best choice, but what if you want something flavored or what if you just worked out and you need to replace your electrolytes? Navigating the thousands of drinks on the market can be confusing and tricky for the consumer. Here are my 3 steps to choosing the right drink for you, as well as a comparison of popular drink brands and my personal recommendations.
Tips for Choosing the Best Drink for You
Select the purpose of the drink in your hand. A. Adding to your total hydration for the day. OR B. Electrolyte and fluid replacement after a sweaty workout.
Know your health goals. Just because one drink is a good choice for someone else, does not mean it is the best choice for you. Read my comparison on popular drink brands to find what will work for your goals.
Look at the ingredients and the nutrition facts label. The first few ingredients are the ones you want to hone in on, as these are the most abundant in the drink. If you see HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, steer clear! Some sports drinks will have sugar or dextrose listed in the first few ingredients as a carbohydrate source for post-workout replacement of glycogen stores or to improve the rate of hydration, respectively. For these sports drinks go to the nutrition facts label and look at the grams of sugar compared to the serving size. A sports drink with >15-30 grams of total carbohydrate in one bottle is probably not the best choice for you. (TIP: Make sure to look at the servings per container. Multiply this number by the grams of total carbohydrate listed in the nutrition facts to determine the number of grams in the entire bottle!)
The Anti-Diet Dietitian Assessment
Arizona
The eye-grabbing labels and exciting flavors of the Arizona drink products can make anyone “b-line” it towards these drinks at a grocery store or gas station. But don’t be fooled! These drinks can really pack in the sugar. Take a look at the comparison between the 16oz Arnold Palmer Half and Half, Half and Half Lite, and Half and Half Zero.
My thoughts? The Arnold Palmer Half and Half gets a big F in my book. While the product label boasts that it contains “real sugar,” one bottle will give you 42 grams of sugar and 160 empty calories. Maybe I’ll like the Half and Half Lite better? WRONG. This product does reduce the overall sugar and calorie content by using Splenda as a sugar substitute, but 26 grams of sugar is still insane! Plus, the second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Eek! For these reasons, I give the “Lite” version a D. Finally, the Half and Half Zero. This product uses Splenda as the sole sweetener and contains 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar. The current studies on sugar substitutes are inconclusive, however to get an A in my book you need to utilize natural, calorie free sweeteners and/or have a relatively short ingredient list. For this reason, Half and Half Zero you get a B.
Sparkling Ice
These products are relatively new and taking the health market by storm. Who doesn’t like a little sparkling water to spice things up? I’ve compared the 17oz bottles of Sparkling Water, Sparkling Ice Essence of, Sparkling Iced Teas, and Sparkling Lemonades.
My thoughts? The Sparkling Essence of line is the best choice. I give these drinks an A for the short ingredient list and use of natural flavorings. The Sparkling Water, Sparkling Iced Teas, and Sparkling Lemonades are not far behind with a B. These drinks use sucralose (AKA Splenda) as a sweetener and have slightly longer ingredient lists than the Sparkling Essence of line of drinks. Overall, I like the Sparkling Ice brand A LOT!
Gatorade
Gatorade is notorious for using elite athletes and intensely motivating commercials to draw children and adults to their products. But are they really that good for you? Let’s take a look.
My thoughts? Gatorade is geared towards post-workout electrolyte and glycogen repletion and optimizing hydration. It uses sugar and dextrose as its carbohydrate sources, with dextrose being used to improve the rate of hydration. In my opinion, regular Gatorade contains way too much sugar, even for athletes. A 32oz bottle of regular Gatorade has 52.5 grams of sugar. For a post-workout recovery drink, you would be better off drinking 8oz of Gatorade diluted with 8oz of water or choosing G2. A 32oz bottle of G2 still contains sugar (17.5 grams to be exact), but sucralose has been used as a sugar substitute to make the sugar content more appropriate. For athletes, I give Gatorade a D and G2 a B (There are better options, so stay tuned!). If you are focused on losing weight, both of these products get an F!
Powerade
Here we’ve got another sports drink popularized by the use of elite athletes and motivating stories to market their brand. For the purposes of this review, I compare Powerade and Powerade Zero. How do these drinks compare to each other and to other sports drinks like Gatorade?
My thoughts? Powerade and Gatorade are similar products with slightly different carbohydrate sources. A 32oz bottle of regular Powerade contains 52.5 grams of sugar just like Gatorade, but what’s the difference? The second ingredient in Powerade is high fructose syrup! For both athletes and those who are trying to lose weight, regular Powerade gets an F in my book. Steer clear! In contrast, Powerade Zero is focused on hydration and electrolyte replacement without a carbohydrate source. Powerade Zero contains 0 calories and 0 sugar and is sweetened with sucralose. For both athletes and those who are trying to lose weight, I give Powerade Zero a B If you’re also looking to replace glycogen stores after a workout, you can pair a Powerade Zero with a food source of carbohydrate.
Nuun
Nuun offers tablets that can be added to water to elevate hydration. While the products are marketed towards people with an active lifestyle, they also offer a product for everyday hydration. Could Nuun be the key to healthier electrolyte replacement?
My thoughts? I LOVE Nuun. Nuun Active is a sports drink consisting of 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar. This product uses dextrose as its primary carbohydrate source. What I like even more is the list of ingredients! Nuun Active is sweetened naturally using monk fruit extract and stevia leaf extract. You can also see that avocado oil is included in the product. Nuun Energy is a sports drink with a little kick. With a similar composition as Nuun Active, Nuun Energy also includes green tea extract and B vitamins to provide energy for your workout. Nuun All Day is good for anyone looking to improve their hydration and make water a little more exciting. This product contains 7 calories and no sugar. It is also sweetened with stevia leaf extract. I give all of these products an A+ for their minimal to no sugar content and use of natural ingredients. For athletes and those exercising regularly, try all of these products! If you are also trying to replace glycogen stores after a workout, pair Nuun Active with a food source of carbohydrate. For those who do not exercise regularly, I would go with Nuun All Day for optimal hydration.
Vitamin Water
Many consumers are drawn towards the vibrant Vitamin Water product labels that just scream HEALTH. They may be packed with vitamins, but what other ingredients are in these drinks?
My thoughts? A regular 20oz bottle of Vitamin Water contains 120 calories and 32 grams of sugar. While vitamin water may taste delicious, it is not the healthy choice you are looking for. The high sugar content has led me to give this drink an F. On the flip side, Vitamin Water Zero is a much better choice and lands an A in my book. It has 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar and it is sweetened using sugar alcohols and stevia leaf extract.
Coke
Coca Cola products have been around FOREVER. They’re a staple in American culture. With a surge in demand for healthy options, Coca Cola has developed healthier alternatives to make the consumer happy. But how do all of the Coke products compare?
My thoughts? A regular Coke definitely gets an F for its 140 empty calories, 39 grams of sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. Diet Coke and Coke Zero are similar drink options. These aspartame sweetened products contain 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar. I give both Diet Coke and Coke Zero a B-. Diet Coke Splenda is definitely one of the better options. It also has 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar, but as the name implies, it is sweetened with Splenda, or sucralose. Diet Coke Splenda gets a B. If you have an emotional connection to soda, go for the Diet Coke Splenda. Ideally, I would say forego the soda all together!
Vita Coco
Coconut water has enjoyed its stay in the limelight (lime in the coconut, ha get it?) in recent years as consumers search for a natural way to hydrate and replace electrolytes and glycogen stores. Vita Coco is just one brand who has taken coconut water to the next level. Is Vita Coco taking this once healthy form of hydration to the dark side of sugary drinks?
My thoughts? Vita Coco does post-workout hydration the right way. Vita Coco Pure gets an A for everyone who loves to exercise. It’s a great way to naturally hydrate and replace electrolytes and glycogen stores after a workout without giving you too much sugar. Plus, the sugar in this drink comes from natural fruit sugar. The pineapple and lemonade flavored coconut waters get a B+. While the sugars in these drinks are from natural sources (i.e. fruit puree, lemon puree, natural fruit sugar), the pineapple and lemonade flavors provide an additional 8 grams of sugar and 30-50 more calories than the regular coconut water. If you love coconut water, keep it simple and go with the unflavored Vita Coco. In sharp contrast, if you’re trying to lose weight, but not exercising, I would give these drinks an F because you would not benefit from the sugar in these drinks.
