Australian_Healthy_Food_Guide_February_2017

46 healthyfoodguide.com

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I

t seems harmless at the time — a

kick-starting morning coffee, then

a refreshing juice with lunch, and

perhaps a pre-dinner glass of wine.

But the reality is you are sipping

down thousands of extra kilojoules,

without even realising it. If you’ve

been gradually gaining weight and

can’t seem to work out why, you

might want to rethink your drink.

Those thirst-quenching drinks may have more kilojoules than you th

Dietitian Brooke Longfield looks at how they impact your weight

How your

DRINKS

STACK UP

Empty calories

Soft drinks, alcohol and cordial

are what dietitians refer

to as ‘empty calories’

because they provide

little to no nutrients such

as fibre, vitamins and

minerals, but are high

in kilojoules (calories).

Consider this: a glass

of orange juice has 300kJ

(72cal) and only 0.5g of

fibre. We may think it’s a

healthy choice because

it’s made with oranges.

By comparison though,

smarter

? Grab one of th

ojoule refreshme

with a squeeze

on or lime juice

etened black tea

tea or coffee

ing mineral wate

ed-fat milk

a whole fresh orange has only 220kJ

(53cal) and five times more fibre. So,

drinking just one glass of orange

juice is equivalent to gulping down

around five oranges — with all the

kilojoules. Snacking on the whole

piece of fruit is far healthier. It takes

time to peel and eat, and it also has

satisfying fibre. This lets your body

know that you’re full.

Alcohol is another big offe

and most people don’t reali

how calorific it is. A fruity coc

have as many kilojoules as a

takeaway pizza! Three or fou

on a night out can easily equ

kilojoules of a hearty m

Photos: iStock.