Summer drinks are very popular and why wouldn’t they be? There is nothing that calms the body in a hot and sweaty day than cold soft drinks. However, have you ever wondered just how unhealthy these drinks are? It is becoming clear that some of the most popular summer drinks have sugar levels that are three times more than the FDA’s recommended daily sugar intake. The FDA recommends only 50 g of sugar intake per day. This is nearly the same quantity of sugar that is available in a Coca-Cola can. Despite this recommended intake, Americans can’t seem to break their romance with sugar. It’s estimated that the average amount of sugar taken in by an American stands at 94 grams.
This is very high compared to the recommended intake. It’s almost double the amount recommended by the FDA, in fact. However, even as people become more aware of their sugar intake, there is no doubt that staying away from sugar is a big challenge. It takes a lot of effort and commitment. Just to give you a clear cut explanation of the total amount of sugar you are taking, we’ve created a small list of your favorite cold drinks and the amount of sugar they contain.
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Sweetened Iced Coffee by Starbucks
The sweetened iced coffee from Starbucks is a popular summer delight and while its sugar level is not as high compared to other drinks in your local fast food joints, it still has a substantial amount. The total amount of sugar in the drink stands at 30 grams which is 60% of the recommended intake by the FDA.
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Sweet Tea by McDonald’s
This Sweet Tea will give you almost 76% of your recommended sugar intake in one serving. The drink contains 38 grams of sugar. It’s somewhat more popular in the south.
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Shake Shack Shack Lemonade
The Shake Shack Shack Lemonade goes above and beyond the recommended sugar intake with 118% of the daily recommended dose. The drink has 59 grams of sugar. While most lemonade is high in sugar, there’s a reason this one made the list.
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Midnight Mocha Frappuccino by Starbucks
The Midnight Mocha Frappuccino will give you 64 grams of sugar. This stands at 128% of the total daily sugar intake. On the plus side, you’ll be wide awake.
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Frozen Fanta Cherry Ice by Burger King
The Frozen Fanta Cherry Ice is another high sugar drink with 65 grams. This is 130% of the required daily sugar intake from the FDA. For only $0.75 you certainly get your money’s worth.
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Eleven Slurpees by Coca-Cola
This highly coveted convenience drink is also unsurprisingly high in sugar content. The 7-Eleven Slurpee packs nearly 67 grams of sugar, or about 134% of the daily intake. That’s a big splash of sugar.
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Panera Frozen Caramel
The next time you decide to enjoy the Panera Frozen Caramel, you should know that the sugar intake from the drink stands at 69 grams, or 138% of the required daily intake. While it is delicious, it’s very unhealthy.
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Mango Pineapple Smoothie by McDonald’s
You would think anything with the words “mango” and “pineapple” in the title to be healthy, but that’s far from the case. The Mango Pineapple Smoothie is no doubt a sweet savory drink but its 72 grams of sugar means that you are taking 144% more than the recommended daily intake. You may be better off blending your own smoothie.
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Chick-Fil-A Freshly Squeezed Lemonade
The Chick-Fil-A Freshly Squeezed Lemonade contains 146% more than the daily recommended intake at 73 grams. You will certainly be filled with sugar after drinking one of these.
There are of course other drinks that have a lot of sugar. The Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta, for example, comes packed with 174 grams of sugar which is 348% more than the recommended daily intake. The Mountain Dew Baja Blast by Taco Bell features 110 grams of sugar while the Wendy's Strawberry Lemonade will give you 107 grams of sugar in every drink. So be a cautious consumer out there, and be careful about what you drink.
