Staying hydrated is always important, but it’s especially critical if you’ll be spending the day under the sun – and with festival season kicking into high gear this week with the French Quarter Festival Presented by Chevron, hydration is a top priority! And since hydration can extend far beyond just plain water, today we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best & worst options when it comes to sparkling drinks on shelves.
- How much fluid we need: Half of our body weight in ounces, plus 16 ounces for every pound of sweat lost.
- Hydration tip: We tend to drink more of a beverage when it’s flavored, so flavored sparkling water can make it easier to meet our fluid needs.
GOOD NEWS: There are TONS of “LOVE IT” options, easy to find at any type of store + even French Quarter Fest!
LOVE IT | zero calories, zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners or colors
Available at stores ranging from Walmart, Target & Costco to Rouses & Whole Foods
- Bubly – new on shelves, available at most grocery stores + French Quarter Fest
- Dasani Sparkling
- Target Simply Balanced
- Bai Bubbles
- La Croix
- Whole Foods brand sparkling
- Ozarka Sparkling
- Perrier
LIKE IT | zero calories, zero sugar, contains artificial sweeteners
NOTE: Artificial sweeteners are not typically in our “LIKE IT” category – but these sparkling drinks can be a “stepping stone” to gradually acclimate taste buds and habits to adapt to the “LOVE IT” natural, unsweetened sparkling waters
- Clear American Sparkling Water (Walmart) | artificially sweetened with aspartame & acesulfame potassium
- Market Pantry Sparkling Water (Target) | artificially sweetened with sucralose
HATE IT | high-calorie, high sugar, may contain artificial food dyes as wells
- Tonic Water – 130 calories & 32 grams sugar per 12-ounce serving
- IZZE Sparkling Juice – 90 calories & 21 grams sugar per 8-ounce can
- Sparkling Ice – 0 calories & 0 sugar – artificially sweetened AND artificial food dyes
Up next: Eat Fit at French Quarter Fest with Eat Fit food & drink at 20+ vendor booths!
Want more from Molly? Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune! And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram: @MollyKimballRD
