Thirsty for the facts about drinks? Reach for water most often to quench your thirst. Two cups (500 mL) of milk or fortified soy beverages and no more than 1 cup (250 mL) of fruit juice can make up the balance for the day. For better health, make the smart choices more often by following these tips.
Quench your thirst with water
- Drink water regularly for a calorie-free way to satisfy your thirst.
- We all need more water when we are active or it’s hot. Kids and older adults may need reminders to drink more at these times too.
- Keep a jug of cold water in the fridge at home with a wedge of lemon or lime.
- Provide your child with a water bottle for school and sports.
- Keep water by your desk at work and you’ll find you drink more.
- And order water more often when eating out.
Choose vegetables and fruit more often than juice.
- It takes 13 cups of apple juice to give you the same amount of fibre as one apple! And that goes for most vegetables and fruits. That’s why you should meet most of your Food Guide servings of vegetables and fruit by eating not drinking them.
- If you really want to drink your vegetables and fruit, try making a soup or smoothie. That way you’ll get all the goodness of the whole fruit or vegetable.
Surprising Facts!
- Fruit juice and milk served between meals can spoil an appetite - so stick with water between meals and snacks.
- Juice has over 20 vitamins and minerals and pop has none. Think of pop as liquid candy!
- A 250 ml “fruit drink box” with 10% fruit juice has 230 ml of sugar sweetened water and only 30 ml or 2 tbsp (30 mL) of real juice. That’s a very small amount of juice.
- There are 10 teaspoons of sugar in one can of regular pop. Make pop an occasional treat.
- You can get calcium and vitamin D from certain fortified juices – a nice supplement to the 2 cups (500 mL) of lower fat milk or fortified soy beverages we should all be drinking each day.
- Frozen concentrated 100% juice is just as nutritious as the juice in cartons and generally a lot cheaper.
- Served hot or cold, chocolate milk is just as nutritious as white milk. Make a chocolate slushy by partially freezing it – you’ll love it!
- Fortified soy beverages are a healthy substitute for anyone that can’t drink milk or doesn’t like milk.
Are You Choosing Juice Wisely?
Visit the Health Canada website for more information: