Savannah Valley District

Summer Thirst

Patti Chapman, EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Beaufort County

Would you quench your thirst in this summer heat by drinking a big, tall glass of SUGAR?!?!  At a recent “Child Abuse Prevention Festival,” Nutrition Educator, Patti Chapman, encouraged attendees to guess and measure out how much sugar is in a 20-oz. bottle of Coca-Cola.  The answer is SIXTEEN teaspoons!  That’s a lot of sugar!  The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) teaches about the three categories of drinks: “go, slow, stop/whoa.”  (Think of a traffic light.)  “Go” drinks are the healthiest choices; the ones we want to drink most are water and low-fat, white milk.  “Slow” drinks have some good qualities, some not-so-good qualities; ones we don’t want to drink too much of, flavored and/or full-fat milks, and 100% fruit juices. “Stop/whoa” drinks are the least healthy choices; we want to try to avoid sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice cocktails (that do not contain much fruit juice).  So, make the best choice this summer, and beat the heat with lots and lots of WATER!!!          

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