8.10: Think Before I Drink COY
- Page ID
- 14100
Learn:
- How much sugar is in a sugary beverage.
- How to make an alternative, healthier option
Giveaway: Sample of alternative beverage such as infused water/tea.
Tools:
- Signage and handouts (e.g. recipe cards)
- Five sugary beverages with nutritional labels: soda, sweet iced tea, sports drink, smoothie in bottle, coffee blend, fruit juice, flavored water, flavored milk etc.
- Five containers (plastic cups or bags) and Disposable cups
- One teaspoon; permanent marker, bulk white cane sugar.
- Alternative beverage container and alternative beverage such as infused water/tea/ fruit-smoothies.
- Feedback survey, pencils and collection box
Set-up:
- Calculate how many teaspoons of sugar are in each beverage by dividing the grams of sugar listed on the nutritional level by four.
- Measure out the teaspoons of sugar for each beverage and put into an individual see through container (e.g. plastic cup or bag). Write the teaspoons of sugar on the container.
- Set out beverages and containers with sugar and ask students attempt to match the bags of sugar with the beverages.
Activity:
- Ask participants to practice dividing the grams of sugar on a drink's nutritional level by four and measure the teaspoons of sugar out themselves.
- Share that an alternative to sugary beverages are water-based beverages such as infused water and tea.
- Offer students a sample of an alternative beverage, its ingredients and the recipe to prepare their own sample at home.
- Ask participants to complete the feedback survey.
Talking Points:
- Introduction: What is your favorite drink? How many times do you drink it a week? Would you like to see how much sugar you drink?
- Liquid calories are less filling than food so we get too many calories before feel full. Americans consume on average 150 pounds of sugar every year!
- We always hear about how much sugar soda has, but some Iced Teas and sports drinks can have the same amount so check the nutritional label.
Suggested Information for Café O Yea:
KEY TERMS:
Intrinsic (natural) sugar: found in whole, unprocessed foods, such as milk, fruit, vegetables, and some grains. Fruit contains fructose and milk contains lactose as naturally occurring sugars.
Free (added) sugars: added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Recipes for alternative drinks:
Infused water recipes (https://wellnessmama.com/3607/herb-f...infused-water/)
- Blackberry Sage Water
- Cucumber Mint
- Grapefruit Raspberry
Healthy Smoothie Recipes: (https://www.prevention.com/food-nutr...othie-recipes/)
- Green smoothie
- Green Tea Blueberry Banana
- Cranberry Citrus

Resources:
- World Health Organization. "Information note about intake of sugar recommended in the WHO guideline for adults and children". Retrieved from:
www.who.int/nutrition/publica...garsintake/en/
- American Heart Association. "Sugar 101". Retrieved from: www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...tion/Sugar-101 UCM 306024 Article.jsp
- American Heart Association. "Frequently Asked Questions about Sugar". Retrieved from:
www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Health...ns-About-Sugar UCM 3060725 Article.jsp