While the World Health Organization recommends less than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day1, one 600 ml soda with a refill provides about 30 teaspoons of sugar and nearly 500 kcal.
Tips to cut calories in drinks
- Provide smaller portion sizes (250-300 ml), instead of 600 ml.
- Avoid offering endless refills on sugary beverages, limiting them to one per customer.
- Make black coffee or unsweetened iced tea the standard, leaving sugar, syrups, and whipped cream out of the drink.
- Provide a single sugar or creamer when requested, instead of stocking the table with multiple packets.
- Look for juices and soft drinks without added sugar.
- Keep decadent coffee and tea drinks in the dessert section of your menu to signal their high calorie and/or fat content to guests.
Sources
1 WHO. Sugars intake for adults and children. 2015
Read more on the increasing pressure from regulators and general public on food service operators regarding their contribution to the global obesity rise:
Oversized meals have been shown to be a factor in obesity (01.2019) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190129162359.htm
Larger portion servings in restaurants are a global issue (03.2019)
https://www.worldhealth.net/news/larger-portions-serving-restaurants-are-global-issue/
Fast food vs fast casual – Which has more calories? (02.2019)
https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/food-and-nutrition-news-316/fast-food-versus-fast-casual-which-has-more-calories-742293.html
Restaurants have gotten a hall pass on obesity and it must end (08.2018) https://www.forbes.com/sites/hankcardello/2018/08/30/restaurants-have-gotten-a-hall-pass-on-obesity-and-it-must-end/#39fdc71e2d51
Death by diet: the race to transform the world's bad food habits (04.2019)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nutrition-food-health-environment-ins/death-by-diet-the-race-to-transform-the-worlds-bad-food-habits-idUSKCN1S601Y
