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Friday, March 18, 2011

Tip #43: Coke vs. Sweet Tea

I am originally from Colorado, but have lived in the South for close to 14 years.  Anyone who has lived in the South for as long as I have is very familiar with two drinks; Coke and Sweet Tea.  I know some people who won't even go to a restaurant that doesn't serve one of these.  Yes, it's that serious.  If you are someone (like me) who is not willing to completely eliminate coke or sweet tea from their beverages, you can at least be informed on which is the lesser of the two evils.

Coke (8oz)
Calories: 170
Sugars: 46g
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sweet Tea (8oz)
Calories: 35
Sugars: 24g
Sweetener: table sugar

The verdict?  I don't know about you, but I would reach for the glass of Sweet Tea.  It has almost 1/5 of the calories and about 1/2 the sugar.  The kicker?  All natural ingredients.  There is a lot of debate right now on the harm (etc.) of High Fructose Corn Syrup, but the fact is that sugar is natural and HFCS is highly processed.  If given the option, I will always opt for the more natural, less processed choice.  Not surprisingly, our bodies handle natural foods much better.  But, I digress...this is another post for another day.

Please know that I am by no means encouraging anyone to drink either of these drinks.  I do however, want you to be informed on what is in them.  If you get a hankering for a sweet drink, make a good choice!

9 comments:

  1. Whew! I was afraid you were going to tell me I had to give up my sweet tea!!! YAY! I don't drink it much, but I sure do like it :) By the way....I enjoy your blog!!!

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  2. I'm with you Jess! I must say that I/we are one of those people who are not happy when a restaurant doesn't sell sweet tea. We love our sweet tea! Thanks for making me feel better about drinking it.

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  3. Whew! Glad my sweet tea is safe! I have no problem giving up Cokes, but it will be a very sad and painful day if I have to give up sweet tea. I probably drink it 3 - 4 times a week, so not overboard, but enough to get my fix. (Totally Honest Admission: sweet tea was the bribe we used convince our little girl to sip through a straw! Not a lot of it, of course, but drinking tea out of momma's glass was much more appealing than her own water!)

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  4. @Jess-glad you are enjoying the blog! I wonder if it's worth it sometimes, but I'm glad it's been an encouragement to some :)

    @Stephanie-I didn't discover sweet tea until 1997, and I've been hooked ever since. I try only to drink it when we go out, so yeah I get a little annoyed when a restaurant doesn't serve it. I just get water instead...so I guess that can be a good thing??? ;)

    @Momma Peach-no shame in a little sweet tea :) As long as you and your daughter don't live off of it. If you drink it 3-4 times per week, just be sure to drink water too. Tea is a diuretic and can dehydrate you if you're not also drinking water. Enjoy!

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  5. I might drink a little more sweet tea knowing that it is only 35 calories! I am a faithful water drinker when eating out, but I may treat myself every now and again with no guilt!

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  6. A 12oz can of coke states it has 140 calories and 39g of sugar, so I believe there is an error in saying 8 oz of coke has 170 calories and 46g sugar. However, sweet tea is my choice. Just wanted everyone to be informed with the right info.

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  8. Excuse the typos. I'm on my phone, but at least the numbers are right. I hope too many people haven't taken your info here and added it to their lifestyle. Your sweet tea number is way off. Assuming your tea has 24g of sugar in it that would be agonist 93 calories. A gram of sugar is just under 4 calories.

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  9. I LOVE MY SWEET TEA! I believe me mama gave it to me in me bottle. So, perhaps, I've been drinking it ever since I emerged from the womb.

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