Healthy Grocery Shopping: Navigation Tips for Your Shopping Cart Beverage Aisle

Variations & Types Bottled Water Water is the best way to hydrate your body. Bottled water is drinking water packaged in bottles for individual consumption and retail sale. The water can be glacial water, spring water, or purified water. Soda Also known as carbonated soft drinks, soda is typically made of sugar or artificial sweeteners, citrus oils and acidic flavorants. Juice - Juice is a liquid naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue. Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fresh fruits or vegetables without the application of heat or solvents. Juice may be marketed in concentrate form, sometimes frozen, requiring the user to add water to reconstitute the liquid back to its "original state".

Variations & Types Sport Drinks Sport drinks are a beverages designed to help athletes rehydrate, as well as replenish electrolytes, carbohydrates, and other nutrients, which can be depleted after long duration training or competition.. Coffee/Tea Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. Tea refers to the aromatic beverage prepared from the cured leaves by combination with hot or boiling water

Facts One 12-ounce can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, and most people are drinking more than 12 ounces. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people are now drinking at least 50 additional calories of sweetened beverages daily compared to two decades ago, for an average of about 300 calories daily coming from such drinks!!

Nutrition Tips Look for 100% fruit juices. Look for natural sweeteners such as stevia, sucanat, and evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners in juice and soda. Only use sport drinks when exercising for longer than 60 minutes. Choose low or no caffeine Drink a cup a green tea each day.

Recommendation The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Sources: www.medicinenet.com