Calories in drinks are not hidden (they're typically listed right on the Nutrition Facts label), but many people don't realize just how many calories beverages can contribute to their daily calorie intake. View the example below where just a few substitutions to low-calorie drinks greatly reduced the daily calorie intake by about 650 calories!
| Occasion | Instead Of… | Calories | Try… | Calories |
| Morning coffee shop run | Medium café latte (16 ounces) made with whole milk | 265 | Small café latte (12 ounces) made with fat-free milk | 125 |
| Lunchtime combo meal | 20-oz. bottle of nondiet cola with your lunch | 227 | Bottle of water or diet soda | 0 |
| Afternoon break | Sweetened lemon iced tea from the vending machine (16 ounces) | 180 | Sparkling water with natural lemon flavor (not sweetened) | 0 |
| Dinnertime | A glass of nondiet ginger ale with your meal (12 ounces) | 124 | Water with a slice of lemon or lime, or seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice | 0 calories for the water with fruit slice, or about 30 calories for seltzer water with 2 ounces of 100% orange juice. |
| Total beverage calories: | 796 | 125-155 |