Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Cutting Calories & Costs: My New Liquid Diet: Hold The OJ


At my house, our waists were expanding and we found a source of extra calories. Orange Juice! With 120 calories per 8 oz. serving, fruit juices are packed with calories.

And it's not just the calories. OJ and other juices are relatively expensive, especially when compared to water (zero calories) and honey-sweetened herbal fruit teas ( about 33 calories per serving). The numbers and the nutritional values are even worse when it comes to soda.

I did the math this afternoon. It's cheaper and healthier to drink water and herbal teas. I rarely drink soda and have really cut back on juices. I still like OJ and the vitamin-C kicker, but I don't want to drink 500-600 calories a day or spend more money than I have to.

Here are my figures for calories & costs:

Herbal Tea 64 oz Pitcher

4 Celestial Seasonings Tea Bags = 53 cents (total)
2 ounces of honey = 75 cents
filtered tap water = 0 cents
total = $1.28 for 64 oz = 16 cents per 8 oz serving = 33 calories

Orange Juice from concentrate

1 can (12 oz Tropicana) = $1.69
filtered tap water = 0 cents

total = $1.69 for 64 oz = 21 cents per 8 oz serving = 120 calories



Tropicana 64 oz container = $3.67 for 64 oz = 45 cents per 8 oz serving = 120 calories



Soda 6-pack
$3.29 for 48 oz = 55 cents per 8 oz serving = 100 calories
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Digg!


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2 comments:

Snowbag said...

If you like juice, apple juice tends to be cheaper (at least for me in NYS, but I think elsewhere as well).

There's also the idea that you can water down juice--dilute it a little. My wife, for example, finds OJ too sweet, so sometimes she'll add seltzer, like homemade Orangina. I'm not sure that kids like that much, though.

There also is a gentleman health guru on Clear Channel talk radio who pushes a half-water/half-juice per-glass practice to promote health (for people who I guess never eat vegetables & fruit) and lessen calories (for the same population).

Anonymous said...

Hey Frugal Duchess,

I was looking at Lazy Man's health blog and he mentioned you. Let me just say dieting is a pain in the culo! But the orange juice idea is definately a good one.

I've been writing about my weight loss objectives and what that might interest you on how I lost 25lbs in two months =)

http://millionster.com/articles/debt/lose-weight-gain-control/
http://millionster.com/articles/debt/lose-weight-gain-control-2/

and I'm working on the third one hehe.

Btw, this is an excellent post, with the recipes and all. thanks for sharing!

Juan Million (1mil)