Between Meal Beverages

[wosnes]

I have to admit that this is something I've had a problem with since reading about No-S. I don't think it's a good idea. A number of the people who commented on Michael Pollan's request for their food rules said "don't drink your calories".

12 ounces orange juice -- 150 calories (26.8 grams carbs/8 ounces)
12 ounces Coke Classic -- 155 calories (27 grams carbs/8 ounces)
12 ounces whole milk -- 225 calories
12 ounces unsweetened apple juice -- 174 calories
12 ounces grape juice -- 255 calories
12 ounces tomato juice -- 60 calories
12 ounces V8 juice -- 75 calories

I threw the Coke Classic in there for comparison. I chose 12 ounce portions (even though 8 ounces is considered a serving) because it's difficult to find 8-ounce glasses anymore and I think most people probably drink from a glass that holds 12-16 ounces and maybe as many as 20 ounces.

These could potentially be significant sources of calories -- especially if you're not extremely active.

While I agree with Reinhard that drinking between meals differs from eating, I think many of us need to be aware of the calories in these beverages. They could very easily sabotage your weight loss.

[khristal23]

Agreed. On N days I only drink water or unsweet tea between meals, sometimes milk with meals though.

[janmarie]

i have been enjoying a drink consisting of almond milk with a little stevia, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, threw it in the blender and it's good! 40 calories if you are counting, takes away the hunger pains at night! i buy the blue diamond natural almond milk, sugar free.

[BrightAngel]

i i buy the blue diamond natural almond milk, sugar free.

Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze is my FAVORITE.
40 calories for 8 oz and YUMMM.
I love it on my original Fiber-One cereal.

[bluebunny27]

I never had any almond milk ... thanks for the tip, I'll investigate this a bit more to see if I can have a daily sip of that ... I saw the product at the grocery store earlier today, never been tempted to try it .. until now.

Cheers !

Marc

[Thalia]

I don't drink a lot of calories between meals either -- juice is strictly with breakfast, a very small glass of orange juice. I'll sometimes have a glass of wine or sherry before dinner, usually on the weekends when I'm cooking. Otherwise, it's water or the evil Diet Coke.

[janmarie]

yay brightangel! finally someone else who likes almond milk! i just had a glass. I blended up a glass of almond milk with some stevia, vanilla and cocoa powder...yummy drink! my stomach is so much happier since i stopped using regular milk. i sometimes make my own almond milk in the blender but i am sure it's more than 40 calories when i make it!

[reinhard]

Restricting caloric drinks between meals might be a good mod.... but I think the vanilla no-s policy of excluding caloric drinks (except sugar soda) from restriction is a better starting point for most.

The main reason is I think it's just too hard for most people. Between meal drinks are a necessary crutch for them.

The (close) runner up reason is that (for most people) I think it won't be necessary -- and there's no reason to do more than necessary.

The "between meals" part definitely makes it more doable than a blanket "don't drink your calories." Yes, a calorie is a calorie, and some of these drinks have a lot. But look at it at the granularity of behavior rather than biochemistry. Our (post hunter gatherer) ancestors drank plenty of caloric beverages and stayed thin (water wasn't very safe to drink straight up, you had to boil or alcoholize it). On the other hand, I imagine these beverages were mostly consumed with meals.

I personally don't drink a lot of caloric drinks between meals (mostly black coffee and water), but I don't have a rule against it. I'll have a beer after work sometimes, or a glass of wine while I'm cooking dinner, or a swig of apple juice before shugging. But I can understand how a hard rule might be helpful for some. If your compliance with the vanilla rules has been good, but you're still not seeing results after several months, this might be worth considering.

Reinhard

[vmsurbat]

I chose 12 ounce portions (even though 8 ounces is considered a serving) because it's difficult to find 8-ounce glasses anymore and I think most people probably drink from a glass that holds 12-16 ounces and maybe as many as 20 ounces.

One thing that I personally have found helpful is to "resurrect" the old-fashioned serving sizes. I now regularly have a juice size (4-5 oz) glass of orange juice and a normal 8oz. glass of milk for breakfast. It is not a "rule" for me by any means, but I find that a goodly amount of nutritious liquid really helps my day start off well. And I vastly prefer drinking my juice and milk for Vit. C and Calcium--I tolerate this much better than vitamin and mineral supplements.

I have done a *little* bit of research into "supersizing" and it is amazing to me how widespread the phenomenon is. The standard Tollhouse cookie recipe on the back of the choc. chip bag now "makes" 60 cookies. Same recipe a number of years ago "made" 100.

My older edition of the Joy of Cooking lists a yield of 2 dozen muffins for the same amount of flour that yields 1 dozen in a more recent Better Homes and Garden cookbook and yields only 8-10 muffins in a very recent cooking magazine--same basic ingredients in the same proportion--just differing expectations...

Anyway, while I don't "drink" my calories between meals very often, I do find them very helpful for breakfast because I discovered that the old-fashioned serving sizes are reasonable and sane. (Just like NoS).

HTH,

[mimi]

H-m-m! Great points to ponder! I have looked at my plate sizes - even measured them, and found them to be much larger than the 9 inches we hear so much about lately. I've never really looked at my glasses, however, and I have such an assortment (breakage over the years!). When I get home today I'll have to do some investigating - my "glass" of milk or juice may actually turn out to be more closer to two! Thanks for the tips wosnes and vmsurbat!
Mimi

[Cassie]

I'm actually sticking to just water & plain teas (no milk) between meals. It really helps me to keep a 'vanilla-NoS' mindframe (and, I feel, it's not as if a latte will actually fill any cravings). I think for some people (like me) having a relatively strict rule about drinks might help. Those lattes have lots of milk in them (hence lots of calories)...

[TingTing]

What about soy milk? I often drink tea with soy milk. Is soy milk considered highly caloric also?

[wosnes]

What about soy milk? I often drink tea with soy milk. Is soy milk considered highly caloric also?

Soy milk has 132 calories/cup or 198/12 ounces.

vmsurbat -- you might find this about supersizing interesting:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... upersizing

Also

And I vastly prefer drinking my juice and milk for Vit. C and Calcium--I tolerate this much better than vitamin and mineral supplements.

Me, too. I eat an orange or a grapefruit and have cheese or yogurt instead of milk or juice. Except this last week. Both my daughter and I have had some nasty upper respiratory virus (not swine flu; we were both tested and were negative) and I've been drinking lots of juice. No milk. I never drink milk.

Reinhard, I think beer and wine were the exceptions to not drinking your calories.

UPDATE: Both my daughter and I had swine flu.