#7: WORST 'HEALTHY' JUICE
V8 Splash Mango Peach (8 fl oz)
80 calories
0 g fat
18 g sugar
What could possibly be wrong with a juice made from mangoes and peaches? Well, only 10 percent of the liquid in this bottle comes from fruit, and much of that is actually sugar-loaded apple juice. The other 90 percent is a blend of water and high fructose corn syrup. Sounds remarkably similar to soda, doesn’t it?
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V8 Original Low Sodium Vegetable Juice (8 fl oz)
50 calories
0 g fat
8 g sugar
#6: WORST 'HEALTHY' TEA
Snapple Mango Green Tea Metabolism (17.5 oz)
140 calories
0 g fat
33 g sugar
This isn’t the highest-calorie green tea on the market, but it is the most shameless. See the word “metabolism” riding that blue banner across the bottle? That’s Snapple’s way of suggesting this tea will help you burn calories. And while it’s true that green tea carries metabolism-boosting antioxidants, there aren't nearly enough in the bottle to transform your body into an energy-burning inferno. What's more, this tea has more sugar than it has “green tea concentrate.” It also has more sugar than a Snicker’s bar. If you want to drop pounds, start by cutting the sweet stuff.
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Honest Tea Community Green Tea (16 fl oz)
34 calories
0 g fat
5 g sugars
#5: WORST 'HEALTHY' SODA
Cherry 7Up Antioxidant (12 fl oz)
150 calories
0 g fat
37.5 g sugar
If antioxidants had lawyers, they'd sue 7Up for libel. This is just a can of liquefied candy. The basic recipe is carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial coloring. And the grand antioxidant load? A touch of citric acid—commonly added to soda for added bite—and 10 percent of your day’s vitamin E. Ten percent, that’s it! That’s less vitamin E than you’d find in a spoonful of sunflower seeds.
Drink This Instead!
7UP Plus Mixed Berry (12 fl oz)
15 calories
0 g fat
2 g sugar
#4: WORST 'HEALTHY' MILK
Rice Dream Carob Rice Drink (8 fl oz)
150 calories
2.5 g fat (0 g saturated)
26 g sugar
What more would you expect from a dairy alternative made from a nutritionally feeble starch like rice? Rice milk is made by blending brown rice with water and straining out the solids. That’s why, unlike regular milk, it carries almost no protein whatsoever. What this carton has instead is an extra dose of fat, and for that you can thank the vegetable oil that Rice Milk pumps into the carton. You’re better off going with low-fat chocolate milk or choosing sugar-free almond milk.
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Almond Breeze Unsweetened Chocolate
45 calories
3.5 g fat (0 g saturated)
0 g sugars
#3: WORST 'HEALTHY' SHAKE
Boost Chocolate Plus (8 fl oz)
360 calories
14 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
14 g protein
0 g fiber
24 g sugar
The 14 grams of protein in this bottle are a nice touch, but they don’t justify the nearly 100 calories of pure sugar. That’s more sugar than you’d find in a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. If you’re looking for an on-the-go meal replacement, find one that doesn’t come with dessert already stuffed in the bottle. Our favorite is below. It packs in a sturdy cache of nutrients, 3 grams of fiber, and an equally impressive shot of muscle-building protein.
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Atkins Advantage Milk Chocolate Delight
160 calories
10 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
15 g protein
3 g fiber
1 g sugar
#2: WORST 'HEALTHY' SUPERMARKET SMOOTHIE
Naked Protein Zone Juice Smoothie (15.2 oz)
418 calories
3.5 g fat (2 g saturated)
53 g sugars
30.5 g protein
Protein is often what sets a stomach-filling smoothie apart from a fruit-flavored blood-sugar spike—but does it justify slurping down more calories than you’d find in a Quarter Pounder? No. Especially considering the fact that this bottle goes overboard with protein (while loading you up with 13 spoonfulls of sugar). One study pinned the ideal post-workout protein load at 20 grams. Anything beyond that is just extra calories.
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Odwalla Strawberry Protein Monster (15.2 oz bottle)
300 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
33 g sugars
25 g protein
#1: WORST 'HEALTHY' RESTAURANT SMOOTHIE
Smoothie King Cranberry Supreme (40 oz)
1,108 calories
2 g fat (0 g satureated)
8 g protein
192 g sugar
Smoothie King has different menus to meet different dietary goals, so you’d expect to find this one listed on the “Indulge” or “Build Up" menus. But no. Instead, Smoothie King identifies it as a “Stay Healthy” smoothie. But here’s the truth: Unless you’re on the verge of starving to death, taking in this many calories is the opposite of staying healthy. Plus, the barrel-sized cup in which Smoothie King serves it packs in nearly as much sugar as an entire jar of Nutella! That ain't right. Want to stay healthy? Find a leaner smoothie and stick to reasonable serving sizes.
Drink This Instead!
Blueberry Heaven (20 oz)
325 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
7 g protein
64 g sugar
