When you're trying to lose weight and stick with a healthy diet, getting rid of sugary sodas and unhealthy drinks is one of the keys to success. However, you don't have to stick with bland-tasting water to quench your thirst. There are dozens of tasty diet drinks and healthy drink options available, and quaffing these can help keep you on a healthy track.
Tasty Diet Drinks for Your Daily Diet
Some healthy drink choices for your daily diet include:
Fat-free hot chocolate -- You'll find "diet" hot chocolate at the grocery store, and these are usually made with fat-free cocoa and artificial sweeteners. Just add hot water and you can enjoy a comforting cup of hot chocolate without the guilt!
Reduced-calorie juice -- You can find many organic and natural juice brands with reduced sugar; these are healthier versions of regular juice and will help you keep your blood sugar levels in check.
Flavored water -- Pick up some water flavored with lemon, raspberry, orange and other flavorings for a twist on plain water. These are usually calorie-free and can make it easier to meet your daily water quota for the day.
Water add-ins -- Enjoy even more options for flavored water by mixing in some green tea packets, lemon flavoring or vitamin-enhanced flavorings. You can just stir these in to a tall glass of water or pour them into your water bottle.
Iced tea -- Iced green tea or other herbal teas served over ice are healthy, calorie-free treats for any dieter. Plus, natural tea contains antioxidants that can help boost your immune system and keep your cells healthy.
Hot teas -- When you need a comforting drink on a chilly day, enjoy a cup of hot black, herbal or green tea. You can sweeten these teas with natural honey or sweetener to enhance their flavor.
Drinks to Avoid When You Want to Lose Weight
A trip to the local coffee shop or eating out at a restaurant can be enough to derail your healthy diet plans, especially if you order some of today's most popular drinks. Even healthy-looking smoothies and fruity drinks can be made with lots of sugar, full-fat yogurt or cream. Here are some drinks to avoid when you want to stick with that healthy diet and lose the excess pounds:
- Blended coffee drinks -- Most of these are made with lots of sugar and cream and contain several hundred calories per serving.
- Mixed espresso drinks -- Unless you're ordering a skim milk, no-whip, sugar-free version of your favorite coffee shop drink, espresso drinks are also made with lots of fattening milk, sugar and cream.
- Sugary smoothies -- If you can find an all-natural smoothie place that serves only fresh fruit and juice combinations, great! If not, you'll be setting yourself up for diet disaster because smoothies are typically made with sugary juice, ice cream and fruit flavorings.
You already know that drinking water will help you stick with your healthy diet and keep your appetite in check, but there are dozens of other calorie-free and low-calorie options that can keep your diet on track. From diet hot chocolate to sweetened and sparkling water, you can quench your thirst without sabotaging your diet.