Tips to Make Better Beverage Choices
What you drink is as important for your body as what you eat. When looking for a beverage, it is ideal to look for one that provides nutrients at no additional cost. Many beverages contain lots of added sugar or too much fat and too many calories. Here are some tips to help you make better beverage choices.
Drink Water
Regular soda, energy or sports drinks, and other sweet drinks usually contain a lot of added sugar and even though you can probably get some nutrients out of those choices the price you are paying for the extra calories are not worth the risk.
How much water is enough?
Elderly often experience dimished thirst; which leads to a reduce fluid consumption. A good rule of thumb is to consume eight 8 ounces of water per day. Consult your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restriction diet.
A thrifty option
Due to the easy access to water, you can save money by drinking water instead of buying another beverage.
Manage your calories
When drinking another type of beverage apart from water for the most part you are also consuming too many calories. Adults and children take in about 400 calories per day as beverages. Drinking water will definitely help you to avoid those extra calories.
Adult-friendly drink zone
Make water an easy option in your home. Have ready-to-go containers filled with water available in the refrigerator. Reusable bottles are easy on the environment and there are many options available at a low cost.
Enjoy your beverage
When you want to drink something else besides water, enjoy the beverage of your choice in moderation. Look at the nutrition fact label and when possible choose a smaller size. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. That means up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks for men. Consult your doctor or dietitian if you have more questions.
Don't like the taste of water?
If you are one of those people that doesn’t like the taste of water. Try one of these 3 infused water recipes.
- Cucumber Mint: Thinly slice one cucumber. Add the sliced cucumbers to a ½ gallon glass jar, add 8 fresh mint leaves, and fill with filtered water. Stir gently and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Citrus Blueberry: Slice two oranges into thin slices. Add sliced oranges and 1 cup of blueberries to a gallon size glass jar. Add filtered water to fill the jar and stir gently. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Mango Pineapple: Peel and thinly slice one fresh mango. Add to ½ gallon glass jar. Add 1 cup of finely chopped pineapple and filtered water. Allow to infuse in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before drinking.
Sources: Choosemyplate.gov https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-make-better-beverage-choices and National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/getting-enough-fluids