In hot summer and humid weather normally people start to drink sweetened drinks or Cola. The big reason for overweight is not only the empty calories given by the Cola but also no nutrition with the overdose of sugar.
What are empty calories?
Currently, many of the foods and beverages Americans eat and drink contain empty calories – calories from solid fats and/or added sugars. Solid fats and added sugars add calories to the food but few or no nutrients. For this reason, the calories from solid fats and added sugars in a food are often called empty calories. Learning more about solid fats and added sugars can help you make better food and drink choices.
Solid fats are fats that are solid at the room temperature, like butter, beef fat, and shortening. Some solid fats are found naturally in foods. They can also be added when foods are processed by food companies or when they are prepared.
Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added when foods or beverages are processed or prepared.
Solid fats and added sugars can make a food or beverage more appealing, but they also can add a lot of calories. The foods and beverages that provide the most empty calories for Americans are:
- Cakes, cookies, pastries, and donuts (contain both solid fat and added sugars)
- Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (contain added sugars)
- Cheese (contains solid fat)
- Pizza (contains solid fat)
- Ice cream (contains both solid fat and added sugars)
- Sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and ribs (contain solid fat)
These foods and beverages are the major sources of empty calories, but many can be found in forms with less or no solid fat or added sugars. For example, low-fat cheese and low-fat hot dogs can be purchased. You can choose water, milk, or sugar-free soda instead of drinks with sugar. Check that the calories in these products are less than in the regular product.
In some foods, like most candies and sodas, all the calories are empty calories. These foods are often called “empty calorie foods.” However, empty calories from solid fats and added sugars can also be found in some other foods that contain important nutrients. Some examples of foods that provide nutrients, shown in forms with and without empty calories are:
| Food with some empty calories | Food with few or no empty calories |
| Sweetened applesauce (contains added sugars) | Unsweetened applesauce |
| Regular ground beef (75% lean) (contains solid fats) | Extra lean ground beef (96% or more lean) |
| Fried chicken (contains solid fats from frying and skin) | Baked chicken breast without skin |
| Sugar-sweetened cereals (contain added sugars) | Unsweetened cereals |
| Whole milk (contains solid fats) | Fat-free milk |
Making better choices, like unsweetened applesauce or extra lean ground beef, can help keep your intake of added sugars and solid fats low.
A little amount of empty calories is okay, but most people eat far more than is healthy. It is important to limit empty calories to the amount that fits your calorie and nutrient needs. You can lower your intake by eating and drinking foods and beverages containing empty calories less often or by decreasing the amount you eat or drink.Via
The overdose of sugar is cola.
550 ML of Cola bottle has 15 spoons of sugar and 240 calories, that is 10 % of daily intake. As per WHO, a person should not take more than 5 spoons of sugar per day. Otherwise. it is harmful to a person’s health.
Saying No to the Cola does not mean that you are saying no to the cold drinks. You can choose the drinks having no sugar but palette pleasing. Some ideas are given below:
Photo credit: Dainik Bhaskar
1) Fresh Fruit and vegetable juice.:
To reduce the sugar content in the fresh juices, one may add watermelon juice, sweet lime, Bel, Sweet melon, Spinach, Cucumber, Beetroot, Mint for taste. The nutritional value increases many folds.
2) Drinks made of Yogcurd Sweetened Buttermilk or diluted Buttermilk are good as a probiotic drink. the calcium deficiencies are completed.
3) Smoothie of fruits: Make with milk or yogurt the smoothies of any one of kiwi, blueberry, banana, or mango adding the crushed ice. The kids would love to have such a drink that is full of calcium.
4) Barley Sherbet: Make barley sherbet sweetened or salty. It can also be made with Chilled milk with jaggery as the sweetener. Add roasted, cumin seed, rock salt, salt, lime juice are added to the taste. This high fiber drink is beneficial to the diabetics as well.
