You might think a lot about how the food you eat will impact your health–but what about your drinks? It’s not uncommon for many people to enjoy a sugary drink with a meal or even as an afternoon pick-me-up, but sugary drinks like soda, fruit juice, and energy drinks can be some of the worst drinks for your health.
To compile this list of the worst drinks for your health, 24/7 Tempo consulted expert sources such as the Harvard School of Public Health, the National Institutes of Health, and the CDC to determine how they can negatively impact you. (Check out these foods and drinks that aren’t as healthy as they seem.)
1. Soda
Female hand pouring cola drink from tin to glass
- Nutrition: The average soda has 150 calories and 36 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try a stevia or monk fruit-sweetened beverage like Zevia instead
Soda is one of the most common beverages, especially in the United States. It’s also one of the worst beverages you can drink. Even though the amount of people consuming soda daily has gone down in recent years, at least 50% of adults and children drink a sugary drink of some kind every day.
Not only does one soda add at least 100 calories to your meal, it can also add nearly 40 grams of sugar. There are also many artificial colors and flavors in most sodas. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, try a stevia-sweetened drink instead, like Zevia, next time you have a soda craving.
2. Energy Drinks
- Nutrition: The average energy drink has 100-200 calories and 30-50 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try an energy drink with less sugar and artificial ingredients
They may give you a boost of energy, but energy drinks are some of the worst drinks for your health. The sugar content of most energy drinks is one of the main concerns since one drink can contain over 50 grams of sugar.
It’s also easy to chug an energy drink or two and not think about the caffeine content. However, drinking too many energy drinks can be dangerous and lead to increased blood pressure and additional negative symptoms due to the high amounts of caffeine and other stimulants. If you do need a boost of energy, try a more natural option with no artificial ingredients and drink them only in moderation.
3. Fruit Juice
- Nutrition: The average fruit juice includes 100 calories and 20-30 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Consume in moderation or try fruit-flavored sparkling water instead
Fruit juice is a popular choice for young kids. Considering it has fruit in the name, it seems like it would be healthy, however, it’s one of the drinks to avoid. The biggest concern with fruit juice is the sugar content. While fruit does have a high sugar content as well, it also has many nutrients and high amounts of fiber.
Fruit juice does have some benefits, but many of the nutrients are removed during the juicing process and sugar is often added. Not to mention, even whole fruit should be consumed in moderation but it takes a lot of fruit to make juice. For example, one cup of apple juice requires about three apples.
4. Sports Drinks
- Nutrition: The average sports drink has 140 calories and 34 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try unsweetened coconut water or regular water after a workout instead
Sports drinks, like Gatorade or Powerade, are another type of drink that is meant to be beneficial for your health. They’re especially popular with athletes or those who workout regularly, but are these drinks really healthy? Most sports drinks are loaded with sugar and artificial flavors and dyes.
Even though drinking regular water is usually sufficient for most people to rehydrate, there are also healthier alternatives if you’re looking for electrolytes. You can try unsweetened coconut water or even make your own sports drink with coconut water, lemon juice, honey, and salt.
5. Cocktails
- Nutrition: The average cocktail contains 100-200 calories and 15-50 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Skip the sugary cocktail or order a low-sugar cocktail instead
Whether you’re enjoying a night out with friends or creating your own cocktail at home, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a tasty drink every once in a while. But it’s easy with sweet cocktails to not think about how much you’re drinking and have more than one.
Alcohol of any kind should be consumed in moderation since it can have many negative impacts on your health, but on top of that, these cocktails can be loaded with sugar, syrups, and other ingredients. Some cocktails can even have over 50 grams of sugar. To avoid the negative impacts of these sweet cocktails, skip the drink entirely or try a low-sugar alternative.
6. Sweetened Iced Tea
- Nutrition: The average sweet tea contains 150-180 calories and 20-40 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try unsweetened tea with a squeeze of lemon instead
Iced tea seems like another innocent drink but it packs a ton of sugar. When it comes to the calories or sugar content, a medium or large sweet tea is even worse than a soda. It’s hard to resist when restaurants like McDonald’s offer a large sweet tea for less than $2. However, a large version of this drink also contains 210 calories and 49 grams of sugar.
It’s also important to note that iced tea is made from black tea, which does have a decent amount of caffeine. A large sweet tea can have about 100 mg of caffeine. If you’ve got a craving for iced tea, ask for unsweetened or even half unsweetened to cut out some of the sugar of this unhealthy drink.
7. Frappuccinos
- Nutrition: The average frappuccino has 150-300 calories and 35-50 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try making your own blended coffee at home or reduce the amount of syrup in your frappuccino
Frappuccinos are a popular coffee drink, especially for those who want caffeine but don’t necessarily like the flavor of unsweetened coffee. This blended beverage was made popular by Starbucks, but you can find similar beverages at any mainstream coffee place. McDonalds even has its own version, known as the Frappé.
As you can imagine, these coffee beverages are loaded with sugar and even though they don’t typically have ice cream, they’re no better than drinking a milkshake. You can try making a blended coffee beverage at home if you’re looking for a healthier alternative.
8. Flavored Milk
Chocolate and regular milk in glasses
- Nutrition: Flavored dairy milk such as chocolate or strawberry typically contains between 150-300 calories and 25-50 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try flavored milk with less sugar and fewer artificial ingredients for a healthier alternative
The calcium in dairy milk may be good for your bones, but don’t let the flavored milk fool you. Some of the most popular brands of chocolate or strawberry milk are full of sugar and often have other additives as well.
Most versions of flavored milk are high in fat, calories, and sugar. They also often add other ingredients, such as carrageenan, to make the milk thicker. Even though this is a common ingredient in many foods, there are many possible risks to consuming it. If you’re looking for an alternative, stick with regular milk or even try flavored non-dairy milk that doesn’t contain as much sugar.
9. Bottled Smoothies
- Nutrition: Bottled smoothies contain between 200-300 calories and 30-50 grams of sugar
- Healthy Alternative: Try making a smoothie at home or ordering a smoothie without added sugar
Smoothies are another type of drink that you might assume are healthy and they can be in certain circumstances. How healthy a smoothie is depends on what’s in it and where you order it from. But bottled, pre-made smoothies are one of the worst kinds.
Like many fruit juices, these smoothies often contain more fruit than anyone would normally eat in one sitting. They also contain added sugars, juice, and other ingredients, making them high in calories and sugar. They may be delicious as a treat, but they’re not as healthy as their advertising may suggest.
10. Milkshakes
- Nutrition: The average milkshake contains 700-1200 calories and 90-150 grams of sugar
- Healthier Alternative: Try ordering a small scoop of ice cream instead of a milkshake
No one is indeed ordering a milkshake for the health benefits, but you may not realize just how unhealthy they can be. Milkshakes are essentially a dessert in a cup. They’re usually made with a large serving of ice cream along with milk, syrup, and any other added mix-ins. One milkshake can contain nearly 1,500 calories and 150 grams of sugar.
If you’ve got a craving for something sweet and you’re ordering from an ice cream shop, try ordering a small scoop of ice cream instead. It can satisfy your sweet tooth but ends up being only about 100 calories and less than 20 grams of sugar.
11. Diet Soda
- Nutrition: Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners, colors, and preservatives
- Healthier Alternative: Try sparkling water with lemon or lime juice
Even though soda already made the list, the problems with diet soda still need to be addressed. Many people choose to drink diet sodas because they seem a lot healthier than regular soda. While diet soda certainly will have fewer calories and often less sugar than your standard Coke or Pepsi, these diet drinks are not necessarily healthy.
Diet sodas are often filled with artificial ingredients and they can even be more harmful than other traditional sodas. Drinking these sodas regularly has been linked to heart problems, type-2 diabetes, and an increased risk of stroke. If you’re looking for an alternative to your diet soda, try sparkling water with a bit of lime or lemon juice squeezed in for flavor. (Plus here are 10 reasons you should stop drinking diet soda.)