Sugary drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the American diet. Did you know there’s up to 17 teaspoons of sugar and 300 calories in drinks like:

• Soft drinks and sodas
• Sports drinks
• Energy drinks
• Fruit juices and juice drinks
• Sweetened tea and coffee drinks
• Flavored milks or milk alternatives

Even drinks that seem healthy, like fruit juice or sports drinks, can have a lot of added sugar.

So, what makes sugar so bad? The extra sugar in these drinks doesn’t have any nutrients or vitamins. It just adds calories. Plus, studies show that kids and adults who drink sugary drinks are at a much higher risk of being overweight or obese. Just one sugary drink a day can cause other health problems, too, including tooth decay, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Learning how much sugar you and your family drink every day is a good way to start making a change. Think about the beverages you drink most often. To give you an idea of how much sugar is in some common drinks — the average 20-ounce soda has 14 teaspoons of added sugar, 240 calories, and takes 52 minutes of walking to burn off. Energy drinks have about the same amount of added sugar and calories as soda. Coffee drinks, sweet tea, and juice drinks all have about 10 teaspoons of added sugar.

Sometimes sugar hides behind other names. When you’re checking nutrition labels on these types of drinks, it can be confusing to figure out how much sugar is actually in them, especially if the word “sugar” isn’t listed.

Watch out for these other names for added sugar and sweeteners:

• Barley malt
• Fructose
• Maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Molasses
• Cane sugar
• Glucose
• Nectar
• Corn syrup or corn sweetener
• High fructose corn syrup
• Raw sugar
• Dextrose
• Honey
• Sucrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Lactose
• Syrupare

All these different names mean the same thing. If any of these ingredients is at the top of the list, you might want to think about a different option.

Replace sugary drinks with healthier options. It might be hard to start drinking water all the time if you’re not used to it. But there are ways you can work up to it. Carry a refillable water bottle with you. Or add slices of oranges, lemons, or even cucumbers to water for extra flavor.

Try seltzers or sparkling waters, 100 percent fruit juice, or low-fat or fat-free milk for healthy drink options. Be careful with 100 percent fruit juice because it can still have lots of sugar. It’s best to limit how much juice you drink. Kids under 5 should have no more than half a cup per day. Diet sodas don’t have sugar or calories, but they aren’t very healthy. Their sweet taste can also make you crave more sugar.

Amp up your water intake and cut out sugary drinks today for a healthier diet!

Visit www.anthem.com/wisconsin for more healthy living tips.

Sources: American Heart Association (www.heart.org) • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/drinks.html)