link (http://www.click2houston.com/health/16413443/detail.html)

Magazine Names Unhealthiest Drinks
Healthy-Seeming Liquids Can Pack Calories

Posted: 10:44 am CDT May 28, 2008

Drinks that claim to boost your health may actually ruin your diet, according to Men's Health magazine.

The publication listed the unhealthiest drinks, including a heavily advertised sports drink and smoothies from chains that market themselves to the health-conscious.

The magazine said that even people who drink diet soda could get 20 percent or more of their daily calories from beverages.

It named VitaminWater from Glaceua as the worst supposedly healthy drink. A 20-ounce bottle contains 130 calories and 33 grams of sugar. In a typical 2,000-calorie diet, that would be about 6.5 percent of the recommended amount.

The drink contains as much sugar and calories as a can of Coke.

Arizona Kiwi Strawberry was called the worst juice imposter, with 360 calories and 84 grams of sugar. At 99 cents for a 23.5-ounce can, it was called the cheapest source of empty calories in the country.

To learn about other drinks to watch out for, check out this slideshow.

Men's Health magazine said the worst "healthy" drink is a VitaminWater, with 130 calories and 33 grams of sugar.

It called Arizona Kiwi the cheapest source of empty calories at 99 cents with 360 calories and 84 grams of sugar.

The worst smoothie was the Jamba Juice's Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie at 1,170 calories and 30 grams of fat. It has more sugar than a bag of chocolate chips.

A pina colada is the worst summer cocktail. It has 625 calories and 75 grams of sugar.

The magazine called Baskin Robbins Large Heath bar shake the worst drink in America. It has 2,310 calories and 108 grams of sugar. You would have to eat 11 Heath bars to reach that number.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

I didn't know VitaminWater was so unhealthy. I've never tasted it.

I was reading an article similar to that, i forgot what restaurant (maybe applebees?) but i read that they have a "healthy portions" menu or something which is supposed to be good for you, but i believe the lowest calorie dish on it was over 700 calories. I agree with the fact that eating out is supposed to be "indulgence", but i eat out at 1-2 times a week and I want to know what i'm eating. Sure, indulgence is ok every once in a while but it's not good to over-indulge every week. Plus, there are people who may have a health problem, diabetes, or just had a heart attack, who need to focus on losing weight and eating better foods, and they should be able to enjoy eating out too with some lower-fat and low calorie meals. Just like McDonalds does, every restaurant should have a food guide available to consumers.

It just amazes me that even salads can be high in calories at these restaurants. You think you're doing good and you realize the thing has like 1000 calories in it.

When I eat out, I just order what I want, simple as that. For those who want to spend $17 or $20 on a piece of chicken or fish, with nothing on it, (no butter, oil, crumbs, etc), just order it that way. People who need to eat healthy know how to do it. Don't put butter or sour cream on that potato. Common sense should tell a person to stay away from the mashed potatoes.

It's getting ridiculous how people have to have their hands held through life. If it looks or tastes fattening, it usually is. Where's the big surprise that a pasta a chicken dinner had over 600 calories and is high in fat? Eat less, avoid the sauces, it's so easy. Not one item listed in that article surprised me. Those salads were exposed as fattening years ago. A tablespoon of dressing can have 100 calories alone.

This thread is making me hungry. :lol:

This thread is making me hungry. :lol:
That's a riot to me because I just went and grabbed some Ritz. They're 17 calories each. I think I know the calorie count to everything. :lol:

I would expect Italian food to be fattening. I don't expect pasta to be healthy or low in calories. If you add all the sauces, not including the breads and other stuff that come with a restaurant meal, you aren't going to come out of that restaurant any lighter than going in. I would rather pay $20 for a great-tasting meal than on any fast food. It's not like we eat fast food all the time, so any time I can enjoy a meal OUTSIDE of my house, it will be something delicious and worthwhile. I can splurge on myself going out to eat and leave the healthy eating for when I am home.

When I eat out, I just order what I want, simple as that. For those who want to spend $17 or $20 on a piece of chicken or fish, with nothing on it, (no butter, oil, crumbs, etc), just order it that way. People who need to eat healthy know how to do it. Don't put butter or sour cream on that potato. Common sense should tell a person to stay away from the mashed potatoes.

It's getting ridiculous how people have to have their hands held through life.

Same here. If I want sauce and dressing, I get sauce and dressing. I get fat, well then, it's my fault. It's sad that common sense seems to ellude so many people. ohno:

Why do people from the government on down keep trying to tell other
people how and what to eat?

I realize how dumb it was now to make the thread, sorry.

You did nothing wrong and there's no need to apologize.:)

I realize how dumb it was now to make the thread, sorry.

You don't have to apologize

I'm chunky and it's nobody's fault but my own.

There was nothing wrong with your thread. The story was not made up by you. We commented on how it seems the media is hyping the fact that restaurant food is high in calories and so forth. The story went on to say something abt how "local 2 investigates your restaurant" as if the restaurant had something to hide or were doing something illegal. That is what irked me abt the story, as if we need to be told that as adults, we need to check out the good and bad abt the food we eat regarding calories, etc.

Don't take it personal. We were blasting the story itself.

I realize how dumb it was now to make the thread, sorry.
You have nothing to apologize for. People are yelling at the story, not at you. :)

Why do people from the government on down keep trying to tell other
people how and what to eat?
I'm guessing the el cheapo government is tired of paying medical bills (through Medicare/Medicaid) for obesity-related illnesses. They don't seem to care as much about smoking-related ones. Not enough to ban smoking anyway.

When I eat out, I just order what I want, simple as that. For those who want to spend $17 or $20 on a piece of chicken or fish, with nothing on it, (no butter, oil, crumbs, etc), just order it that way. People who need to eat healthy know how to do it. Don't put butter or sour cream on that potato. Common sense should tell a person to stay away from the mashed potatoes.

It's getting ridiculous how people have to have their hands held through life. If it looks or tastes fattening, it usually is. Where's the big surprise that a pasta a chicken dinner had over 600 calories and is high in fat? Eat less, avoid the sauces, it's so easy. Not one item listed in that article surprised me. Those salads were exposed as fattening years ago. A tablespoon of dressing can have 100 calories alone.

Exactly. The real criminals in the food scenario were the sauces, the oil, the cream and the butter (as in mashed potatoes) and the salad dressing. And gigantic portions--which explains the chicken and shrimp .These are probably where 40-60% of the calories get racked up. Skip the sauce and put fresh lemon on the chicken or fish. A little balsamic vinegar on a salad is quite nice. Baked potatoes, without crap on them, are very good for you and in and of themselves, not high in calories. If you need flavor a little salt or use 1/4 of the sour cream/butter you usually would.

However, once in a while nature does actually provide us with something delicious and not high in calories. Bananas. A large banana only has 125 cals, high in fiber & potassium --it's one of those rare foods that taste fattening but isn't.

Exactly. The real criminals in the food scenario were the sauces, the oil, the cream and the butter (as in mashed potatoes) and the salad dressing. And gigantic portions--which explains the chicken and shrimp .These are probably where 40-60% of the calories get racked up. Skip the sauce and put fresh lemon on the chicken or fish. A little balsamic vinegar on a salad is quite nice. Baked potatoes, without crap on them, are very good for you and in and of themselves, not high in calories. If you need flavor a little salt or use 1/4 of the sour cream/butter you usually would.

However, once in a while nature does actually provide us with something delicious and not high in calories. Bananas. A large banana only has 125 cals, high in fiber & potassium --it's one of those rare foods that taste fattening but isn't.
MMMM loves vinegar on a salad. Delish!

MMMM loves vinegar on a salad. Delish!


Me too - esp. the exotic flavored ones like pear vinegar, raspberry vinegar and my favorite old standby - balsamic vinegar, which, BTW, when a little is put on a baked potato, is nice.

There's this guy who was on the news and he informed many restaurants to "Clean Up"! And he sounded like the Budweiser "Wazzup" guys, but was extremely annoying.

Here's a bit of childhood nostalgia.

When I was a boy, most of the greasy-spoons and family-cafe restaurants in Western Canada, the ones that lost out to a few big chains in the mid-eighties, had huge hot sandwich selections.

And my favorite was the Monte Christo ham sandwich. I loved it, way more than burgers, pizza, mexican, chinese, or whatever the trend is or was.

Of course you can still get lots of sandwiches, hot or cold. But for some reason, the Monte Christo is off the menu. I haven't seen it or eaten it in more than twenty years -- unless it's the homemade variety, which is no fun.

Too bad. :)

Here's a bit of childhood nostalgia.

When I was a boy, most of the greasy-spoons and family-cafe restaurants in Western Canada, the ones that lost out to a few big chains in the mid-eighties, had huge hot sandwich selections.

And my favorite was the Monte Christo ham sandwich. I loved it, way more than burgers, pizza, mexican, chinese, or whatever the trend is or was.

Of course you can still get lots of sandwiches, hot or cold. But for some reason, the Monte Christo is off the menu. I haven't seen it or eaten it in more than twenty years -- unless it's the homemade variety, which is no fun.

Too bad. :)
You should also post this on the thread NOSTALGIA on chit/chat. I think it would be great to add to that. Mikado (being a Canadian as well) is the one who made that thread.

It's not the food itself, the reason why so many are overweight is the portion sizing. The portions that restaurants in this country serve are huge compared to other places. I was reading an article in Men's Health last month and I stumbled upon a quote that said "In a typical restaurant in Italy, a serving a pasta is 4 oz., at Maggiano's a portion of pasta is 2 lbs." People can eat the most unhealthiest fattiest, saltiest foods and be fine, as long as their diets are balanced with enough servings of fruits, veggies, etc., and eat a small portion. Overeating is the biggest cause of obesity in this country, not the actual food itself.

gee, I thought this was going to be a thread for everyone's list of unhealthiest drinks :(

well, here's MY list:

10. Deep-Fried Peanut Butter and Fried Chicken Smoothie (Extra Crunchy - with Extra Lard)
9. Antifreeze & Absinthe - Sweet Green Death in the Afternoon
8. Bubonic Vodka Gimlet
7. Whiskey and Kerosene Sour (Fire Optional)
6. Salmonella Cosmopolitan
5. Tri-Nitro Toluene Tumbler (Shaken not Stirred)
4. Strawberry Typhoid Daiquiri
3. HIV-Positive Bloody Mary
2. Pina SARS-o Colada

...and topping the list at number 1.
- Sparkling Ebola Punch -

Why was this thread changed? Why not just make a thread on this topic?

Why was this thread changed? Why not just make a thread on this topic?
yeah that really confused me :confused:

Yes, somehow the thread veered onto food instead of just drinks. Oh well, it happens.

It wasn't until I became a borderline diabetic that I did an about face and did a long hard look at WHAT I was drinking. I was aghast. I was going through 3/4 of a gallon of juice, thought nothing of having a McDonald's milkshake, 1/2 & 1/2 in my coffee, whipped cream on top of a drink? - sure- why not - the more the merrier. I was easily racking up 800-1000 cals of readily avoidable bev. calories

NO MORE. Now its just seltzer, water, 1% fat milk ( I really should have skim but I don't like the taste), and when I have juice I have it 1 part juice to 2 or 3 parts seltzer as a spritzer & no more than 6-8 oz a day. And only diet soda.

BTW, a 12 oz can of reg soda is like taking a teaspoon and dipping it 8 or 9 times into a cookie jar of sugar. Nowadays, just the IMAGE of this makes me sick. And fruit drinks like Hi C could easily be renamed AND EVEN HIGHER SUGAR. And the Arizona lines are first cousins.

A pina colada is the worst summer cocktail. It has 625 calories and 75 grams of sugar.

I had no idea pina coladas had that much calories!! When I go out to eat, I always order a pina colada. I guess I'll have to cut down :lol: .