Healthy Beverages

What Nutrition Pros Drink
The USDA recently introduced the simpler MyPlate eating plan. Shown beside the plate is a glass marked dairy. Milk still does a body good, but what else could fill the cup? Here’s what nutritional experts pour for them­selves and recommend to clients.

DRINKING LIKE A DIETITIAN

Throughout the day, you can drink the dietitian way. Here’s what Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, imbibes: “In the morning, a decaf, nonfat latté to skip the fat and caffeine but keep the calcium, protein, and other beneficial nutrients in nonfat milk.” Save money, she says, by making your morning latté at home with an inexpensive, hand­held milk frother from a kitchen store.

Dobbins also drinks water. “But if plain water fails to entice you, add a squeeze of lemon, a shot of fruit juice, or a dash of calorie-free flavored drink mix,” she says. “You don’t need to use the full strength if you don’t want to, just enough to help you get the water your body needs without the sugar and calories it doesn’t.”

She recommends milk at dinnertime, especially with the family. “Not only is your body getting protein, calcium, and vitamin D, you’re being a good role model for the kids.”

ALLERGIC TO WHAT YOU DRINK?

Which beverages are the least risky for people with food sensitivities, lactose intolerance, and allergies? “Water, coffee, tea, or diet carbonated beverages are good choices for hydration and free of any potential allergens,” says Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, of the International Food Information Council.

“Replacing milk with soy or nut milk is important. When people are allergic to several foods, such as soy, nuts, and dairy, then calcium-enriched juices are good choices.”

SPORTS SIPS

“My favorite drinks for exercise are water or sports drinks,” says sports dietitian Hannah Nelson, MS, RD, LN, of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance and Center for Youth Sports & Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. ”Water is sufficient unless you’re doing moderate- to high-intensity exercise, such as running or cycling that lasts longer than 60 minutes. Then consider adding a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade because of the added carbohydrate for energy and the electrolytes. Look for one that provides 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour of exercise,” Nelson says. “Diet sports drinks aren’t the best choice for extended exercise because they don’t contain enough carbohydrate.”