10 Beverages That Have The Most Sugar & 10 You Can Sip Safely
Watch Out—These Drinks Sneak Up on You
Sugar in drinks adds up fast—it’s easy to consume a full bottle without feeling as full as you would after eating the same amount of sugar in food. The numbers below use common, labeled serving sizes from well-known products, since recipes and cup sizes can vary by brand and location. If you’re trying to keep your intake in check, the simplest move is to look at total sugars per container, not just per serving!
1. Regular Cola (12 oz)
A standard 12-ounce cola is one of the most familiar sugar bombs in the beverage aisle. For example, one little can of Coca-Cola lists 39 grams of total sugars, a pretty sizeable amount even before you consider refills or larger sizes.
2. Bottled Lemonade (20 oz)
Lemonade can sound light, but the sugar content often tells a different story. Minute Maid Lemonade lists 27 grams of total sugars per 8-ounce serving; with about 2.5 servings in a 20-ounce bottle, you’re looking at roughly 68 grams per bottle. When you finish the bottle, you’re effectively drinking dessert.
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3. Sweetened Bottled Iced Tea (18.5 oz)
“Tea” doesn’t automatically mean low sugar, especially when it’s sweetened! Pure Leaf Sweet Tea, for instance, lists 42 grams of total sugars per 18.5-ounce bottle. If you’re treating it like water on a warm day, that number can climb quickly.
4. Fruit-Flavored Bottled Tea (16 oz)
If you thought sweetened tea was bad, fruit-flavored varieties can compete with soda. Snapple’s Raspberry Peach Tea lists 40 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce bottle. It may taste easygoing, but the label does the talking.
5. Full-Sugar Energy Drinks (16 oz)
Energy drinks often pair caffeine with a serious dose of sugar, and neither does your system any favors. Rockstar Original, as one example, lists 63 grams of total sugars in a 16-ounce can. That combination can be especially deceptive because you may drink it quickly for the “boost.”
6. Dessert-Style Coffee Frappuccinos (Grande)
Hey, we all love Starbucks, but blended coffee drinks can function more like milkshakes than coffee. A Grande Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino lists a whopping 60 grams of sugar. If you’re ordering it for a midday pick-me-up, you’re also signing up for a major sugar load.
7. Frozen Coffee Drinks (Medium)
Frozen coffee drinks are often built on sweet bases, syrups, and toppings, so the sugar climbs fast. Though Starbucks has its fair share of sweet drinks, Dunkin’s is no better—their nutrition guide lists 126 grams of total sugars for a Medium Triple Mocha Frozen Coffee. At that level, it’s less “coffee break” and more “liquid candy.”
8. Bottled “No Sugar Added” Smoothies (15.2 oz)
“No sugar added” can still mean a lot of naturally occurring sugar from concentrated fruit. Naked Juice Pomegranate Blueberry lists 61 grams of sugar in a 15.2-ounce bottle alone! It may offer nutrients, but the sugar content is still pretty high for one little drink.
9. Bubble Tea With Milk and Toppings (Large)
Bubble tea gets sugary fast because sweeteners and add-ins stack together. Though you can score boba anywhere nowadays, the popular chain It's Boba Time’s lists 60 grams of sugar for a 23-ounce Matcha Tornado Milk Tea. Don’t kid yourself, either; other places carry just as heavy a burden!
10. Sports Drinks (20 oz)
Sports drinks are designed for endurance situations, but many people drink them for taste alone—and you might want to stop. A 20-ounce Gatorade Thirst Quencher (Cool Blue) lists 34 grams of total sugars. Forget about sweating hard for an extended workout; you may be woozy for a whole other reason.
Don’t you worry! We know it sounds like all the best drinks were just wiped off the menu, but you still have plenty of healthy options that not only bring refreshment, but a great taste, too.
1. Bottled Water
We all knew that water was our number one go-to! It’s the simplest baseline and contains no sugar by nature. Standard nutrition data lists 0 grams of total sugars for the bottled stuff, so if you want a drink that never surprises you, this is the safest bet.
2. Sparkling Mineral Water
If you like a little fizz in your glass, there’s no reason you can’t get it. Sparkling mineral water gives you carbonation without turning into a sweetened drink. Perrier, for example, lists 0 grams of total sugars per bottle, but just about every sparkling water brand would offer the same benefit.
3. Club Soda
Club soda is often used as a mixer, and it stays sugar-free when it’s plain. Canada Dry’s product facts list 0 grams of total sugars for its version, leaving you with a top-shelf option that doesn’t disappoint. When you’re building a low-sugar drink at home, this is one of the most dependable bases.
4. Black Brewed Coffee
Black coffee can taste bold, but it doesn’t bring any sweetness along unless you add it. Not even Starbucks carries any hidden calories; their Pike Place® brewed coffee nutrition lists 0 grams of sugar, so if you’re watching your intake and still want caffeine, this is a straightforward choice.
5. Espresso
Espresso is small in volume, yet it delivers a concentrated coffee flavor with no sweetness required! Starbucks’ espresso nutrition shows 0 grams of sugar, and you’d likely score the same low number across your favorite coffee chains. For a minimalist order, an unsweetened shot keeps things exceptionally low-sugar.
6. Unsweetened Iced Green Tea
We now know how bad the sweetened stuff is, but Iced green tea can feel refreshing without syrup or sweeteners. Most options boast 0 grams of sugar when served unsweetened, but they still carry the taste you know and love. If you want something light that still tastes like more than water, this option works well.
7. Unsweetened Herbal Tea
Herbal tea gives you aroma and flavor, all without any sugar! A Splenda packet here or a Sweet and Low packet there doesn’t hurt most digestive systems, but herbal tea packs plenty of flavor without any add-ins.
8. Unsweetened Almond Milk
Some milk can carry a surprisingly high amount of sugar. Unsweetened almond milk, however, is a good stepping stone to healthy beverages that don’t spike your blood sugar. For example, Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original lists 0 grams of total sugars per serving, making it especially useful for coffee.
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9. Diet Soda
Diet soda is designed to deliver sweetness without sugar, so it typically reads as sugar-free on the label. Diet Coke’s nutrition facts list 0 grams of total sugars per can, though the majority of diet sodas all carry the same health benefits! That said, it’s still best treated as an occasional beverage.
10. Zero-Sugar Sports Drinks
A zero-sugar sports drink can be useful when you want electrolytes without the standard sugar load. Ditch the Cool Blue and invest in a zero label with no sugar added. For workouts where you prefer flavor and sodium support but don’t want sugar, it’s a practical compromise.
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