It seems natural that in recent years, as new health risks have come to light, consumers have decided to watch their weight and eat healthier. These days, kale is a national craze and more people than ever have jumped onto the juicing wagon. But the obesity epidemic seems to have taken hold of America, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7 percent) are obese. And being overweight can cost you: The estimated annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion in 2008; and the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. To help lower the obesity count, Americans are bombarded with countless low-calorie options for food. But even with the low-cal meals at their fingertips, most people never seem to consider where most of their caloric intake is coming from - their beverages.
The Harvard School of Public Health reported that the "rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic." Drinks high in sugar content, like Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Mountain Dew, are one of the leading causes of obesity, especially in children. "Beverage companies in the U.S. spent roughly $3.2 billion marketing carbonated beverages in 2006, with nearly a half billion dollars of that marketing aimed directly at youth ages 2 to 17," according to Harvard.
Americans can vastly lower the obesity statistics by tossing away sugary soft drinks and replacing them with alternatives that are zero-calorie, and equally delicious. Most soft-drink companies, like Coca-Cola, offer alternatives to their typically sweeter beverages that they refer to as "zeros." These are drinks like Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, and even Vitaminwater Zero, which offer similar tastes to the full-calorie drinks but help consumers to drastically lower their caloric intake, in turn aiding in the reduction of obesity across the country. We don't think necessarily suggest you complelely fill your diet with diet sodas because they aren't that healthy for you easier. The drinks we came up with have a few diet sodas but also some delicous teas, flavored waters, and sparkling waters that are great diet soda substitutes.
We don't insist you completely toss away your 2 liters of Coke, because they sure do make a fantastic BBQ sauce, but when you head to the grocery store next week try opting for a lower-calorie beverage like Fruitwater, Poland Spring Sparkling Water, or even Sparkling ICE. All these beverages have delicious flavor options and they are far healthier than sugary soft drinks that have been linked to type 2 diabetes and other such obesity-related health problems. Check out our list of zero-calorie beverages that will help make your switch to a low-calorie lifestyle that much easier!
Coke Zero
If you're one of those who can't stand the taste of Diet Coke, don't worry, because Coca-Cola came out with the alternative to regular Coke that apparently tastes just like Coke but has zero calories. We couldn't imagine that the beloved formula for Coke could ever be successfully altered, but apparently has Coca-Cola pulled it off. Now there's no excuse for grabbing that sugary stuff when the zero-calorie alternative is sitting right next to it on the same shelf.
Poland Spring Sparkling Water
Poland Spring Sparkling Water is one of the best alternatives to soda. It comes in five flavors in addition to their classic sparkling water and is one of the best (and healthiest) thirst-quenchers around. The drink is made from natural spring water, fruit essence, and bubbles, and it's arguably one of the best alternatives to soft drinks out there!
Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale
Ginger ale is an American favorite, and Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale comes in an additional five zero-calorie flavors. Ginger ale is a thirst-quencher and now you can enjoy it without worrying about adding to your daily dose of calories.
Red Bull Zero
Red Bull Zero Calories offers consumers the same benefits as Red Bull Energy Drink, but this redesigned beverage now has zero calories and zero sugar. We work on deadline over here at The Daily Meal, so a good dose of Red Bull Zero might be exactly what we need on this busy workday.
Sprite Zero
There's little difference in taste between Sprite and Sprite Zero, so you might as well save yourself the calories. We don't see the hassle in buying a Sprite Zero if it means less calories and better overall health!
Glacéau Fruit Water
Fruitwater is Vitaminwater's answer to Sparkling ICE. The drink is made by Glacéau (the owners of Vitaminwater) and has the carbonation of a soft drink with the fruit-forward flavors of Vitaminwater. We aren't always the biggest fans of Vitaminwater, but we definitely see the appeal of this zero-calorie drink for the faithful Vitaminwater drinker who's looking for something low in calories.
Glacéau Vitaminwater Zero
Speaking of Vitaminwater, they made the list with their non-carbonated drink - Vitaminwater Zero. The stuff is just like regular Vitaminwater except with zero calories. The flavors are creative and offer a great substitute to the sugary drinks we're so used to consuming. Big props to Glacéau for creating more than one functional alternative!
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is sugar-free and a way to get that soft drink fix many people crave on a regular basis. While some claim that Diet Coke doesn't give you all that you might miss from a regular Coca-Cola product, we tend to disagree - there are so many different flavors of Diet Coke, even a Splenda-enhanced version for those that are dying for a sugar fix.
The Harvard School of Public Health reported that the "rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic." Drinks high in sugar content, like Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Mountain Dew, are one of the leading causes of obesity, especially in children. "Beverage companies in the U.S. spent roughly $3.2 billion marketing carbonated beverages in 2006, with nearly a half billion dollars of that marketing aimed directly at youth ages 2 to 17," according to Harvard.
Americans can vastly lower the obesity statistics by tossing away sugary soft drinks and replacing them with alternatives that are zero-calorie, and equally delicious. Most soft-drink companies, like Coca-Cola, offer alternatives to their typically sweeter beverages that they refer to as "zeros." These are drinks like Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, and even Vitaminwater Zero, which offer similar tastes to the full-calorie drinks but help consumers to drastically lower their caloric intake, in turn aiding in the reduction of obesity across the country. We don't think necessarily suggest you complelely fill your diet with diet sodas because they aren't that healthy for you easier. The drinks we came up with have a few diet sodas but also some delicous teas, flavored waters, and sparkling waters that are great diet soda substitutes.
We don't insist you completely toss away your 2 liters of Coke, because they sure do make a fantastic BBQ sauce, but when you head to the grocery store next week try opting for a lower-calorie beverage like Fruitwater, Poland Spring Sparkling Water, or even Sparkling ICE. All these beverages have delicious flavor options and they are far healthier than sugary soft drinks that have been linked to type 2 diabetes and other such obesity-related health problems. Check out our list of zero-calorie beverages that will help make your switch to a low-calorie lifestyle that much easier!
Coke Zero
If you're one of those who can't stand the taste of Diet Coke, don't worry, because Coca-Cola came out with the alternative to regular Coke that apparently tastes just like Coke but has zero calories. We couldn't imagine that the beloved formula for Coke could ever be successfully altered, but apparently has Coca-Cola pulled it off. Now there's no excuse for grabbing that sugary stuff when the zero-calorie alternative is sitting right next to it on the same shelf.
Poland Spring Sparkling Water
Poland Spring Sparkling Water is one of the best alternatives to soda. It comes in five flavors in addition to their classic sparkling water and is one of the best (and healthiest) thirst-quenchers around. The drink is made from natural spring water, fruit essence, and bubbles, and it's arguably one of the best alternatives to soft drinks out there!
Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale
Ginger ale is an American favorite, and Seagram's Diet Ginger Ale comes in an additional five zero-calorie flavors. Ginger ale is a thirst-quencher and now you can enjoy it without worrying about adding to your daily dose of calories.
Red Bull Zero
Red Bull Zero Calories offers consumers the same benefits as Red Bull Energy Drink, but this redesigned beverage now has zero calories and zero sugar. We work on deadline over here at The Daily Meal, so a good dose of Red Bull Zero might be exactly what we need on this busy workday.
Sprite Zero
There's little difference in taste between Sprite and Sprite Zero, so you might as well save yourself the calories. We don't see the hassle in buying a Sprite Zero if it means less calories and better overall health!
Glacéau Fruit Water
Fruitwater is Vitaminwater's answer to Sparkling ICE. The drink is made by Glacéau (the owners of Vitaminwater) and has the carbonation of a soft drink with the fruit-forward flavors of Vitaminwater. We aren't always the biggest fans of Vitaminwater, but we definitely see the appeal of this zero-calorie drink for the faithful Vitaminwater drinker who's looking for something low in calories.
Glacéau Vitaminwater Zero
Speaking of Vitaminwater, they made the list with their non-carbonated drink - Vitaminwater Zero. The stuff is just like regular Vitaminwater except with zero calories. The flavors are creative and offer a great substitute to the sugary drinks we're so used to consuming. Big props to Glacéau for creating more than one functional alternative!
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is sugar-free and a way to get that soft drink fix many people crave on a regular basis. While some claim that Diet Coke doesn't give you all that you might miss from a regular Coca-Cola product, we tend to disagree - there are so many different flavors of Diet Coke, even a Splenda-enhanced version for those that are dying for a sugar fix.
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