Everyday Systems

What about beverages - juice, tea, coffee etc? I usually only have juice occassionally. Sometimes I make green juice for breakfast (not often), is that counted as one bowl/meal, or are beverages just that?

As long as you don't put a ton of sugar in your beverage, coffee, tea, milk and juices are just beverages. You can have them as desired. They're the only "approved" things to have between meals.

You call whatever you want "breakfast." If you prefer to drink it, fine. If you want your green juice with something, fine. Beverages at meals and between them are your call.

was thinking about this some more and wanted to get some more insight on this.

if i have a few coffees or teas throughout the day (my hope is to cut them down eventually but this is my only thing i can have between meals so it's hard for me right now)...

but if i have them i put a tsp of creamer, sugar free french vanilla mix (1-2 tsp) and maybe some stevia or sugar (1 tsp)... i was thinking this is ok. i'm not putting in a ton of sugar or cream. and it's probably 50 calories tops... i know we are not supposed to count calories and stuff so not tryign to get hung up on that...

my thinking is if it was full sugar coffee, full sugar soda, etc maybe it would count? i dont' even drink diet soda at all. mostly i just have water, tea, coffee with a few additives (little bit of sugar, cream)... what do we think? what is your philosophy?

You don't have to drink black coffee or tea in order for it to be acceptable. If you put sugar or milk/cream in coffee or tea, that's okay. Most of us aren't going to put in more than a teaspoon or two of sugar. Soda is something else. It has huge amounts of sugar in it. This is my own opinion, but I think the only difference between soda and juice is the source of the sugar.

Does anyone think OJ is ok between meals? I have been avoiding it because it's something I have with breakfast like a fruit.

I feel I've done very well over the three years having milky coffee or mocha (maybe two cups on weekdays, sometimes even a little more) between meals. Lately, I've been cutting down.

The only thing I've been drinking other than water is Unsweet iced Tea.

I guess this is just one of those gray areas. I do agree about soda though. Diet soda, if i was desperate i would have one but i generally try to stay away from it because of the carbonation bothering my stomach. i think it could be ok as long as not overdone. and i think if a diet soda is replacing snacking that would be ok too. orange juice might be ok if it's low sugar or something. i think as long as you're not overdoing something you're probably ok. maybe just try and think if you're putting too much sugar in it and go from there.

Part of my whole No S hangup has been Starbucks mochas! However, I have been doing well on my latest return to No S by allowing myself black tea with 1 tsp of sugar between meals and I may have up to 5-6 cups a day in the winter time. I'm not going to let a little thing like a tsp of sugar become a hangup now.

I, on occassion, will have a regular can (can only) of Coke on an N Day, or a glass of chocolate milk. But taht is an exception I give mysylf. They aren't daily habits, and I figure a glass of chocolate milk while watching RAW is better than a bag of M&Ms.

Over43 wrote:I, on occassion, will have a regular can (can only) of Coke on an N Day, or a glass of chocolate milk. But taht is an exception I give mysylf. They aren't daily habits, and I figure a glass of chocolate milk while watching RAW is better than a bag of M&Ms.

totally agree! if it keeps you from snacking, it's probably not that bad! as long as it's not a daily habit.

I don't drink 'full fat sodas' as I just can't justify to myself a small can of drink with the equivalent of 10 tsp of sugar However apart from that, I don't generally worry about what I drink. I mainly drink water or tea with skimmed milk (no sugar), will occasionally have low sugar squash, diet/no added sugar sodas or fruit juice, and also occasionally have a low calorie hot chocolate to tide me over if I'm struggling. The eating habits are most important to me rather than drinking habits. On a weekend I may have a more calorific drink such as a milkshake or latte, although even when I am in a coffee shop I more often than not have a pot of tea! Benefits of being a Brit I suppose

leafy_greens wrote:Does anyone think OJ is ok between meals? I have been avoiding it because it's something I have with breakfast like a fruit.

According to the rules of No-S, having OJ between meals is okay.

Like Over43 I occasionally have a can of soda with a meal. And like milliem I'll occasionally have a milkshake. However, I generally prefer not to drink my calories.

What do you all think about kefir or drink yoghurt (low sugar) when hungry between meals?
I have re-discovered kefir and like it; it is wonderful. So far I have drunk it with meals but would think it is very filling when needed bw. meals. Also great for smoothies. (Trying to strengthen my immune system, etc.)
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well if it's a beverage and pretty low in sugar i think that's fine. i drink almond milk occasionally between meals. it is pretty low calorie too. what brand of kefir do you like? been thinking about getting some as i've heard good things about it.

MJ, I buy my kefir in Germany...It's natural, milk-based lowfat (1.5 %) kefir, usually found in the yoghurt/buttermilk section. Mine is called "Berchtesgadener Land Kefir," after a region in the southeastern corner of Germany.
This weekend I'll prepare a kefir based (with chia seeds) Ranch dressing/dip, soon will make kefir-fruit smoothies for breakfast. Mmmh.
There's much info about kefir on the internet; have fun searching for recipes.
It often can be substituted for yoghurt, but has a lot more healthy bacteria.
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I recommend having it only if you feel really hungry and need it to tide you over. In my mind, things like kefir or milk are closer to foods, though I've used milk. There are better beverages for thirst. For general thirst, drink water or beverages closer to water.

MJ, oolala, thanks for your helpful responses. I mostly use kefir in recipes, breakfast smoothies or dressings right now. It also seems to help when I drink 1/2 a small glass right before my meals, can eat in a calmer fashion when very hungry...it has a filling and calming effect on me, is good for the nervous system.
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oolala53 wrote:I recommend having it only if you feel really hungry and need it to tide you over. In my mind, things like kefir or milk are closer to foods, though I've used milk. There are better beverages for thirst. For general thirst, drink water or beverages closer to water.

I agree and add that I think juices are closer to to soda. Yea, there are some nutrients, but all the calories come from sugar. Ounce for ounce, there are as many calories in orange juice as there are in a Coke. Some juices have even more calories per ounce than Coke.

I love orange juice, but have it infrequently. I don't necessarily consider it an S, but usually only have it when I eat breakfast or brunch away from home. (It's best when combined with champagne! )