5 Drinks I Don’t Buy for My Home
(Last Updated On: )
What is the leading source of added sugar in the average American diet? You guessed it… sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) such as soda, juice and sports drinks (AHA, 2020). Too much added sugar in our diet can lead to health problems such as weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, acne, certain cancers, tooth decay, fatty liver, lower energy and heart disease (just to name a few). The 5 drinks I don’t buy for my home is a short list meant to inspire you to reconsider what drinks you buy. It includes some obvious ones and some that you may be surprised to learn.
What we chose to bring into our kitchen from the grocery store or market has a huge impact on our health. This is especially true when it comes to what we drink. We often get so preoccupied trying to decrease the sugary treats we buy, that we let slide the soda or juice that is loaded with sugar.
Shocking facts about sugary-sweetened beverages (SSB), according to Healthline:
- People who drank soda in addition to their current diet consumed 17% more calories than before.
- High consumption of fructose (which is in most SSB) makes you accumulate belly fat, a dangerous type of fat linked to metabolic disease.
- Drinking as little as one can of soda per day has been consistently linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Soda contains virtually no essential nutrients- no vitamins, no minerals, and no fiber.
- Sugary drinks have powerful effects on your brain’s reward system, which may lead to addiction to these types of drinks.
- One study in over 60,000 adults discovered that those who drank 2 or more sodas per week were 87% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who did not drink soda.
I wasn’t always so conscious of the drinks I brought into my home. However, I am always looking to improve my healthy habits, as we all should be. Of course this was amplified when I had children and really became a gatekeeper to what was brought into our kitchen. Also, being a nurse and educating my patients on healthy habits is something I take very seriously. I want to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
5 Drinks I Don’t Buy for My Home
1. Soda
This is the obvious one. I stopped buying 2 liters of soda years ago and haven’t looked back. While I have never been a huge soda drinker, in my roaring 20’s I would buy soda to use during an occasional gathering for mixing in adult beverages. Now, I just stick to a glass of red wine on occasion, which has much less sugar.
Soda is something that I rarely drink for multiple reasons: the large amount of added sugar, the addicting factor and risk for certain diseases, especially osteoporosis. Research has shown that women who regularly drink soda have a lower bone mineral density. That seriously scares me, so I really try to stay away from soda.
I especially don’t let my kids have soda. They rarely ask us for soda when at the store, because they know that the answer is “no”. Their growing bodies need all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients they can get, and drinks like soda and juice add nothing but sugar and empty calories.
2. Sports Drinks
Unless you are an athlete who trains extensively throughout the week, you probably don’t need to buy sports drinks for your home. Drinks like Gatorade were developed for athletes to replace crucial electrolytes and carbohydrates while rehydrating at the same time.
A report from the University of California at Berkeley says that sports drinks might be better than water for athletes who engage in prolonged, vigorous physical activity for more than one hour, especially in hot conditions. However, the vast majority of people who drink sports drinks on a regular basis are not athletes and do not exercise to this extent.
A 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 36 grams of sugar. While that is not as much sugar as soda, it’s pretty darn close. Also, you should note that those colorful sports drinks contain unhealthy food dyes such as Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, and Yellow No. 5. Artificial food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Unless you are vigorously exercising for more than one hour, five days per week, water is the best way to stay hydrated.
Bonus- While we are on the topic of exercise, if you want to start a simple, easy exercise but aren’t sure where to begin- read this article from your favorite nurse. 🙂
3. Fruit Juices
I rarely buy juice for my home anymore, especially now that I have kids. I know that if we have juice in the fridge, my 7 and 4-year-old will find ways to drink it every day instead of water.
According to the USDA, a 12-ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice has approximately 178.8 calories and 42.6 grams of carbohydrates, with 30.96 grams coming from sugar. That is a lot of sugar in one glass of orange juice! It would be much healthier to just eat an orange and have a glass of water instead.
Even worse, cranberry juice, while not as popular as orange or apple, does rank among the top picks of fruit juice. A 12-ounce glass of 100 percent cranberry juice (not a blend) has 171.6 calories and 45.36 grams of carbohydrates, with 45 grams coming from sugar. Holy cow!
The average person in the United States consumes around 17 teaspoons or 71.14 grams of added sugar per day, which far exceeds recommended limits from the AHA. This is one of the main reasons Americans have such high rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity at this moment in time.
4. Cow’s Milk
I realize this one is a bit controversial, but please hear me out. I personally don’t like how cow’s milk makes me feel after I drink it, so this is partially a personal choice. While cow’s milk is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important vitamins and minerals, there are many reasons why you might choose an alternative:
- Milk allergy- This is rare, but some people do have a true dairy allergy and milk makes them very ill.
- Lactose intolerance- An estimated 75% of the world’s population is intolerant to lactose, the sugar found in milk. I am one of those people.
- Dietary restrictions- Many people choose alternatives to cow’s milk due to ethical or dietary reasons (vegan).
- Concern for potential contaminants- Another reason to not drink cow’s milk is because a lot of factory farms give antibiotics and hormones to their cows. No thanks.
There are so many alternatives on the market that it really would take a whole blog post dedicated to the various choices and their pros and cons. Some alternatives that I like include oat milk, almond milk and milk from pea protein.
You should consider a few points when shopping:
- How much added sugar is there in the alternative? (Stick with unsweetened and unflavored)
- What is the vitamin and mineral content in the alternative? (It should be fortified with calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12)
- Does the alternative contain any unnecessary additives or pesticides? (Buy organic and choose the one with the fewest ingredients possible)
5. Bottled Water
This one is entirely due to the environmental impact. It takes 3x the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to fill that same bottle. So, for a 1-liter bottle of water you need a total of 4 liters of water (hydratelife.org, 2017). Yikes! Not to mention the tons of waste in our landfills from plastic bottles, the effects on the ocean and sea life, and the oil, fuel and energy required to make the plastic bottles.
I cringe at my shopping habits when I was younger. Before becoming conscious of what I brought in my home, I would regularly buy cases of bottled water. Why oh why?! I guess Maya Angelou was right, “When you know better, you do better”.
If you don’t already have one, invest in a quality stainless-steel or glass water bottle. Carry that sucker with you wherever you go. I don’t leave my house without my water bottle, just like I don’t leave my house without my purse and wallet. I like to fill mine up a few times per day and keep it at my bedside at night.
If you are becoming eco-conscious, consider reading this article on how to reduce plastic in the kitchen.
So, what drinks should you buy for your home?
The best thing you can drink is water! Try it plain, sparkling or naturally flavored with fruit, berries, cucumbers or herbs. Other great choices include coffee and tea (hot or cold) without added sugars for a healthier energy boost. You can also try seltzers, club soda, kombucha, smoothies or homemade lemonade.
This summer we plan to regularly make homemade sun tea in a large jug on the porch. This was something that my mom always did growing up. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’ll keep ya updated.
Also, here is a yummy and simple smoothie recipe!
Final Thoughts
It is important to be aware of what drinks you are bringing home to your family. This is especially true if you have children. If it’s in your home, chances are they are going to drink it. Try to omit one bad habit from the list, and go from there. Maybe you leave soda off the list and buy a flavored, sugar-free seltzer instead.
You could also choose to invest in a good water bottle and fill it up throughout the day. If you just do this one habit, you will stop buying plastic bottles and will drink more water (2 birds, one stone).
Unhealthy habits are easy to change when you break them down and take small steps. You don’t have to stop buying every drink I listed above, but instead choose just one and stick to it.
P.S. We always ask readers to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. We consciously try to document our everyday simple lives with wellness, financial literacy, and minimalism tips. If you’re trying to cut out social media, you’ll need to subscribe directly to this blog. We welcome you to join us!
Join the discussion
Tell us in the comments below- what drinks have you stopped buying for your home and why?
Author
Sara Halcumb is a registered nurse, wellness teacher, mother and wife. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. She loves nothing more than spending her days exploring the great outdoors with her family.
Sources:
“Rethink Your Drink: Reducing Sugary Drinks in Your Diet.” Www.heart.org, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/rethink-your-drink-reducing-sugary-drinks-in-your-diet.
Kubala, Jillian. “11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 June 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar.
https://www.issuelab.org/resources/18583/18583.pdf
“FoodData Central Search Results.” FoodData Central, fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/341455/nutrients.
“Sip Smarter – Infographic.” Www.heart.org, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sip-smarter-infographic.
Ugo, et al. “Bottled Water: Why Its Bad for You, the Environment, and Water – Part III.” HydrateLife, 31 Mar. 2017, www.hydratelife.org/bottled-water-why-its-bad-for-you-the-environment-and-water-3/.