Too many times we reach for a drink and don’t even think about how many calories (i.e. sugar) we guzzle down. And too many times we hand off these drinks to our children! On the website, www.rethinkyourdrink.com, you can click on some typical beverages, like soda or sports drinks, and see just how much sugar is ingested. For example, a 32 oz container of a sports drink has the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of sugar or 23 Starbursts! If you or your little one is involved with sports, research from the College of Health Sciences faculty at Appalachian State University has shown that water and a banana gives the same hydration and carbohydrate benefits of a sports drink PLUS all the added nutrients from the banana!

If you are on the “healthy lifestyle resolution path”, this is a fairly easy change to make during this first week of 2014…and an easy way to help change the diet of little ones around you who definitely don’t need sugary drinks!

Here’s to better drink choices in 2014!