Ditch the calories with these simple drink substitutes

Despite overhauling your diet and dropping a few pounds, your progress on your latest health kick has stalled. Your meal plan is packed with fresh fruits and veg, lean meat and oily fish, filling whole grains, beans and pulses… you're apparently doing everything right, but something's still wrong.

What's going on? It might not be what's on your plate that's the problem – it could be the calories hidden in your glass.

No, we're not talking about freakshakes (you don't need us to tell you those dessert-in-a-glass concoctions are full of calories), but about the everyday, diet-ruining drinks that are hiding in plain sight at cafes, bars and even in your home.

"I've seen how easily liquid calories can sabotage weight loss efforts" - Rimas Geiga, Registered Dietician

"I've seen how easily liquid calories can sabotage weight loss efforts," says Rimas Geiga, Medical Doctor, Registered Dietician and Clinic Nutritionist (RDN) at Glow Bar London. "It transcends the obvious culprits like sugary sodas and fruit juices, extending to healthy drinks too."

Geiga encourages us to become "label detectives", scrutinising ingredients lists for unexpected additions. "Look beyond the calorie count and pay attention to added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and hidden fats," he says.

Healthier choices

Of course, the best drink to choose if you're looking to reduce the number of calories you consume is water: it's calorie-free, fat-free… and, let's be honest, taste-free too. Drinking water all the time is not a sustainable goal for most of us. Who wants to give up delicious smoothies, refreshing sodas and their favourite booze to drink plain water all day every day? Not us.

The good news is that there are quick swaps you can make that allow you to consume fewer calories and still enjoy a tasty drink – and we've done the hard work to help you find them.

Below we've rounded up the 10 drinks to avoid when you're trying to lose weight, and suggested easy swaps that could help you to reach your diet goals. We'll also reveal the calorie counts of some popular drinks, and explain how your takeaway coffee could contain as many carbohydrates as a doughnut.

1. Fruit juice

It's a trap! Fruit juice may count as one of your five-a-day, but it's not as good as it seems.

"While fruit juices may seem healthy, they're usually loaded with sugar and have little to no fibre compared to whole fruits," says Annie Davies, Clinical Nutritionist at Body Fabulous Health Clinic. All that fructose will spike your blood sugar, and could lead to a crash in energy or cravings for other foods.

Davies recommends that we stick to fresh, unsweetened juice in moderation or choose water-rich fruits like watermelon for hydration instead.

You might also be tempted to swap your regular juice for a green alternative, but many of these are actually just fruit juice in disguise, containing only a small amount of the headline green veg. Always check the label before you buy.

Skip: Juice drinks with added sugar

Swap: Fresh unsweetened fruit juice, vegetable juice

2. Smoothies

Smoothies are good for you, right? Not always. "While they can be a great way to pack in nutrients, I find that many commercial versions are loaded with excessive fruit, added sugars, and even nut butters, quickly turning them into calorie bombs," says Geiga.

Making your own smoothies at home is the best way to ensure you're getting more of the benefits and fewer of the downsides. After all, a smoothie's nutritional profile can change dramatically depending on what you put in it.

"I advise my clients to be mindful of portion sizes and prioritise whole fruits over juices when making smoothies at home," says Geiga. Try swapping out some of the sugary fruit for leafy, vitamin-rich greens, switching full-fat milk or yoghurt for lower-fat alternatives, and swapping refined sugar for honey or maple syrup, for a smoothie that's lower in calories and higher in nutritional value.

Skip: Pre-made smoothies, especially ones with added milk or sugar

Swap: Homemade fruit and veg smoothies

3. Fizzy drinks

We all know soda can be full of sugar, but how does your favourite compare? The Sheffield’s Sweet Enough campaign group compiled data on 10 fizzy drinks with the highest amount of sugar per 500ml. Here's their list:

• Mountain Dew 66g (16.5 tsps)
• Cherry Coke 56g (14 tsps)
• Pepsi 56g (14 tsps)
• Red Bull 55g (13.5 tsps)
• Monster Energy 55g (13.5 tsps)
• Coca Cola 54g (13.5 tsps)
• Fentimans Cherry Coke 39g (9.5 tsps)
• 7up 35g (8.5 tsps)
• San Pellegrino 24.5g (6 tsps)
• Irn Bru, Dr Pepper, Fanta, Lilt 24g (6 tsps)

To put this in context, the 66g of sugar in a bottle of Mountain Dew is as much as you'd find in four jam doughnuts. That's an awful lot of hidden calories!

"Fizzy drinks and sugary beverages are among the worst offenders for weight gain," explains Davies. "They’re high in calories and offer little to no nutritional value. These drinks spike your blood sugar and can lead to weight gain over time."

Swapping to low-calorie alternatives is one easy way to avoid all that extra sugar, but there's a catch. Some scientists believe that artificial sweeteners can play a role in weight gain, too. It's thought that the mismatch between the sweetness you taste and the number of calories in the drink leads you to crave – and eat – other carb-heavy foods.

So your best option may be to avoid the fizz altogether, or try making your own healthier version using sparkling water with fresh fruit slices and a dash of cordial.

Skip: Sugary fizzy drinks such as colas and lemonades

Swap: Sparkling water with fresh fruit slices

4. Energy drinks

Nothing beats a can of energy drink for a quick pick-me-up when you need it most. But have you thought about where that energy might be coming from?

"Tall drinks cans and bottles sold in shops claim to be all about caffeinated ‘energy’, but in reality, a lot of the energy they advertise comes from the sugar content, which makes them highly calorific," says Ana Carolina Goncalves, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmica.

A 355ml can of Red Bull contains 163 calories – that's more than a can of cola.* If it's just a big caffeine hit you're after, try switching to a tried-and-tested double espresso.

Skip: High-sugar branded drinks

Swap: Sugar-free alternatives, or black coffee

5. Sports drinks

Like energy drinks, sports drinks can be packed with hidden calories. If you're in the middle of a workout, then this may be exactly what you need, but many of us are choosing these drinks when we're nowhere near the gym.

"Drinking these beverages casually instead of when undergoing physical activity (which is what they’re intended for) means a sufficient number of those calories are not burned off," explains Goncalves.

She suggests water with a squeeze of lemon as a suitable alternative, because it can "supply the body with essential minerals, without the calorie cost".

Davies recommends another option: "Coconut water is a natural, low-calorie drink that’s rich in electrolytes," she says. "It's a great alternative to sugary sports drinks and can help with hydration."

Skip: High sugar sports drinks

Swap: Coconut water, or water with a squeeze of fruit

6. Alcoholic drinks

Fond of winding down with a drink at the end of a long day? It could be ruining your diet in more ways than one. "Alcohol quite literally tells your body not to burn fat," says Sonia Khan, Senior Pharmacist and Nutrition Expert at FeelGut. "The body prioritises metabolising alcohol over burning fat because alcohol is treated as a toxin that the body wants to try and eliminate."

"While alcohol is being processed, fat metabolism is temporarily paused, meaning your body stores more fat instead of using it for energy." Add to that the fact that you're more likely to make unhealthy food choices after a few drinks, and you have a recipe for diet disaster.

But it's not all bad news. There are easy swaps you can make to reduce the number of calories you imbibe next time you're at the pub.

Khan suggests choosing spirits such as vodka and gin with soda water and lime, as they're low in calories and sugar. If you really fancy a pint, go for a light beer, as they have fewer carbs and calories than regular beer, she says. And dry red or white wines are lower in sugar than their sweet counterparts.

Skip: Beer, sweet wines, sugary mixers

Swap: Light beers, dry wines, spirits with soda water

7. Alcoholic cocktails

Speaking of alcohol, cocktails require a category all of their own. With so many different versions to choose from, these drinks are a minefield for anyone paying attention to calorie counts. Not only do you have calorie-dense alcohol to think about (we're looking at you, Long Island Iced Tea!), but also all the different mixers and garnishes.

Would you still choose a Pina Colada if you knew it had about as many calories as the burger you'll eat on the way home?

Whatever you decide to go for, there are a few key ingredients to avoid – particularly cream (White Russian, Mudslide, Alexander), coconut cream (Pina Colada, Hawaiian, Painkiller) and sugar syrup (too many to count). That's not to mention eggs, ice cream and chocolate sauce…

For a healthier option, look for lighter cocktails and spritzers made with soda water or juice, and packed with fresh herbs and citrus fruits for extra flavour. Be your own mixologist rather than relying on pre-made drinks, which are often full of added sugar.

Skip: Pina Colada, White Russian, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai Tai

Swap: Mojito, Mimosa, Margarita, Bloody Mary

8. Mocktails

You might think that by forgoing the alcohol, you'd also be forgoing the calories, but that's not always the case. As we've seen, while alcohol can be calorie-dense, so can the mixers.

Everything we said above counts for mocktails too: watch out for syrups, cream- or coconut-based drinks and sugary garnishes (such as canned fruits), as they may be hiding extra calories.

Non-alcoholic spirits are growing in popularity, and there are delicious botanical options to replace all the most well-known drinks, but don't expect them to be less calorific than their alcoholic equivalents. In some cases they may be smuggling even more calories in the form of additional sugars and flavourings!

Read the label before you buy – and if in doubt, mix your own with fresh fruits and herbs.

Skip: Sugary or creamy mocktails

Swap: Soda water infused with fruits or herbs and calorie-free syrups

9. Sweetened iced teas

They may sound like a better option than a can of fizzy drink, but some iced teas contain as much sugar as cola. It's always worth checking the label to find out what you're really drinking.

"Sugar is the primary culprit for weight gain – but it isn’t just about plain sugar," says Goncalves. "I would recommend watching for all forms of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, which is found in processed foods and sugary drinks and can contribute to weight gain by spiking blood sugar levels and increasing fat storage."

Paradoxically, all that sugar may also make you hungry. "These sugar-based ingredients increase calorie intake without necessarily making us feel fuller, leading to cravings and overeating in many cases," Goncalves explains.

It's easy to make your own iced tea at home – and that way you can control exactly what goes in it. Try adding lemon, peach or ginger for flavour, and a touch of honey or maple syrup for sweetness.

Skip: Sugary store-bought iced tea

Swap: Home-made iced tea with honey and lemon slices

10. Coffees

If you're a regular at your local coffee shop, there's a good chance you're consuming more calories than you think. "Coffee-based beverages (frappés, mochas and nut-flavoured drinks) often include syrups or sugary flavourings, particularly when sold by popular high street retailers, and are highly calorific," says Goncalves.

"Additionally, when counting calories, it can be easy to forget about the amounts of milk or whipped cream being put into the drinks, especially when having a coffee is part of a regular morning routine."

To put that in context, a grande ​​Starbucks caramel macchiato with semi-skimmed milk contains as many carbs as a ring doughnut (and almost as much fat).* And that's before you add a slice of cake or a pastry on the side…

Goncalves recommends black coffee as a simple swap, but if you prefer your coffee white and sweet then skimmed or nut milks and sugar-free syrups are suitable alternatives.

Skip: Milky drinks, whipped cream and sugar syrups

Swap: Skimmed or nut milks, sugar-free syrups or black coffee

Simple swaps

How do your favourites compare? Here are the calories you're consuming in a range of popular drinks, and the easy swaps you can make to low-cal alternatives.*

SKIP			SWAP
Unsweetened orange juice	72 calories per 200ml glass	36 calories per 100ml	V8 Vegetable Juice Original	34 calories per 200ml glass	17 calories per 100ml
Innocent Tropical Defence Super Smoothie	171 calories per 300ml bottle	57 calories per 100ml	Naked Green Machine Super Smoothie	123 calories per 300ml bottle	41 calories per 100ml
Coca-Cola Original Taste	142 calories per 330ml can	43 calories per 100ml	Coke Zero	0 calories per 330ml can	0 calories per 100ml
Monster Energy Drink	237 calories per 500ml can	47 calories per 100ml	Double espresso	7 calories per 60ml serving	12 calories per 100ml
Lucozade Energy Drink Original	142 calories per 380ml bottle	37 calories per 100ml	Vita Coco Coconut Water	45 calories per 250ml glass	18 calories per 100ml
Lager	132 calories per 550ml serving	24 calories per 100ml	Lager Shandy with Diet Lemonade	72 calories per 550ml serving	13 calories per 100ml
Mojito	198 calories per 275ml glass	72 calories per 100ml	Skinny mojito	88 calories per 275ml glass	32 calories per 100ml
The Mocktail Company Nojito	143 calories per 275ml bottle	52 calories per 100ml	Lime and soda	53 calories per 250ml serving	21 calories per 100ml
Lipton Peach Ice Tea	96 calories per 500ml bottle	19 calories per 100ml	Black tea	2 calories per 250ml mug	0.8 calories per 100ml
Costa Latte (semi-skimmed milk)	151 calories per 364ml serving	42 calories per 100ml	Costa Americano (black)	18 calories per 340ml serving	5 calories per 100ml

*Calorie counts are based on data from NutraCheck.

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