You don’t need to be Einstein to know that a can of cola has a lot of sugar in it. Sadly, there are other drinks out there that are loaded with sugar but appear to be ‘healthy’. Let’s take a look at some of the worst culprits.

Sports drinks  

A sports drink is not necessary unless you are training continuously for 90 minutes or more. They are designed to replenish your electrolytes, including glucose. In a typical 600ml bottle of sports drink, you are looking at 34g of sugar!

Fruit juice

Juice bars are popping up all over the place. There’s certainly some beneficial vitamins in the fruit used in a juice, but a single juice can have up to 8 serves of fruit in it. That’s 4 times the daily recommendation! A 500ml of orange juice has 40g of sugar in it.

TIP: Use your fruit juice like a shot of cordial and top it up with still or sparkling water.

Iced tea

Commercially bought iced teas are certainly tasty, but in a 500ml bottle, you’ll be swallowing 41g of sugar. Why not try making a fruit based herbal tea and popping it in the fridge to chill? Add some ice cubes, a straw and it will feel a little special too!

Fancy coffee  

Chilled coffees with crushed ice and lashings of cream on top – they look like the belong in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory scene! Save ‘iced coffees’ as a rare indulgence. A small 300ml chocolate milk alone has 34g of sugar, so once you add in the ice-cream or whipped cream, the calories really do add up.

Café smoothies

A green smoothie can look really nutritious, but be careful as some juice bars and cafés load them up with fruit or even sorbet. Creamy banana and mango versions often have full fat or high sugar yoghurt added to them, as well as lashings of honey. So be mindful that if it tastes super sweet or super creamy, that it’s not just a blend of fruit and veg.

Best choices?

Make water your number 1 and your drink of choice 95 per cent of the time. Whether it be sparkling or still, water will keep you hydrated. If you prefer a warm drink, opt for herbal teas and if you are hungry, a small glass of milk can provide some protein to keep hunger at bay.