Although many of us frequently forget about the caloric content of the drinks we consume with otherwise healthy meals, what you choose to wash down each bite with can actually mitigate all the hard work you’re doing to eat well.
This is especially true when it comes to sugar. That drink you’re sipping may contain as much sugar as a candy bar… in fact, you may be drinking the equivalent of two or three candy bars’ worth of sugar at once! Read on to find out which drinks – some predictable, some not – contain more sugar than a Hershey’s bar.
Our Yardstick: The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar
There are certainly candy bars that have more or less sugar than a 1.55 oz Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, but I’m not sure if there’s a form of candy that’s more ubiquitous. For the purposes of this article, I’ll be comparing drinks to this classic sweet, which contains 24g of sugar.
1. Red Bull
The world’s most popular energy drink actually contains less sugar than anticipated. That said, your energy boost comes at a price of 27.5g of sugar per 250ml can, 3.5 grams more than a bar of Hershey’s chocolate.
2. Vitamin Water XXX
Although it’s marketed as a healthy alternative to soda and sounds like it should be water with added vitamins, Vitamin Water is most certainly not comparable to water when it comes to health.
The popular XXX (Acai, Blueberry, and Pomegranate) flavor contains 32.5 grams of sugar in addition to its 100% daily value of vitamin C and many B vitamins. A much better choice would be making your very own vitamin water.
3. Gatorade Fruit Punch
If you tend to re-hydrate after a trip to the gym with Gatorade, you might want to reconsider. While an 8-ounce serving contains only 14 grams of sugar, the standard size 20 oz bottle that thirsty gym buffs and sports players tend to chug contains 34 grams.