Join Us & Get Wine 101 Course 75% Off

5 Drinks Worse For You Than Wine

worse-than-wine-whiskey

5 Drinks Worse for You Than Wine

Here are 5 unassuming drinks that are worse for you than wine. In some cases: way worse. These drinks come to us from all over the board, from the quotidian latte to the special occasion milkshake. After seeing how wine stacks up, you’ll probably prefer it over having a soda.


retro-cellars-petite-sirah

What’s in a standard glass of wine?

For the control comparison, we chose a typical glass of red wine from California.

  • Petite Sirah
    6 oz. (177ml) Retro Cellars Howell Mountain Petite Sirah
  • Calories: 157
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Carbs: 0g
  • Potassium: 150mg
    (~5% daily. Compare to say, bananas at 400mg)
  • Alcohol: 0.79 oz / glass
    (US standard is 0.6 oz)
  • pH: 3.9
    (water is 7, limes are 1.8)


 

*Why is 6oz wine’s typical serving size?

Call us indulgent if you like, but many restaurants and individuals pour themselves a 6 oz portion of wine. Instead of pretending this doesn’t happen, we are more generous with our serving size to give you a ‘worse case’ (ahem, ‘best case’) scenario.
If the aforementioned wine was only 5 oz, it would be 131 calories.

starbucks-grande-vanilla-latte

2% Grande Vanilla Latte

  • Calories: 250
  • Fat: 6g – 60 calories
  • Carbs: 37g
  • Sugar: 35g
  • Calcium: 400mg
  • Protein: 12g
  • Caffeine: 150mg

This drink slyly convinces you that it’s a positive because it has 12 grams of protein and it’s only 2% milk. What it doesn’t say is that dairy causes people to break out and have pimples and sugar leeches collagen from your skin and causes sharp spikes in your body’s insulin levels. If you want protein why not substitute a slice of turkey breast and a glass of 12% ABV Sauvignon Blanc; you’ll still be in for less!


Pure Leaf Sweet Tea

Pure Leaf Sweet Tea

  • Calories: 160
  • Sugar: 42g
  • Carbs: 42g
  • Caffeine: 57mg

The words ‘Pure’ ‘Leaf’ sound very healthy when you read them. However, this drink has so much more sugar and carbohydrates than even a sweet glass of wine (most Riesling clocks in around 2-4 grams). It’s also barely enough caffeine to jump start your day. If you’re super thirsty, try an unsweetened version instead.


gatorade-endurance-formula-lemon-lime

Gatorade Endurance Formula

  • Calories: 160
  • Sugar: 42g
  • Carbs: 42g
  • Sodium: 600mg
  • Potassium: 280mg

The problem with prepackaged foods like chips or gatorade is that there’s usually 2-3 servings per package. You end up drinking the whole thing and then justify to yourself that the strange flavor is simply the cost of being healthy. Cabernet is much more tasty and still offers about 5% of potassium per serving if you’re trying to justify anything.


manhattan-on-the-rocks-seattle

Manhattan Cocktail

  • Calories: 180
  • Sugar: 6g
  • Carbs: 6g
  • Alcohol: 0.82 oz / glass
    (US standard is 0.6 oz)

Don’t get me wrong, a proper Manhattan is a beautiful thing. It’s only a little worse for you than a dry red wine. If anything, this will help you understand that not all single-serve alcoholic drinks are the same.


in-n-out-vanilla-milkshake
so good but oh so bad. source

 

Vanilla Milkshake

  • Calories: 580
  • Fat: 31g – 280 calories
  • Carbs: 67g
  • Sugar: 57g
  • Sodium: 300mg
  • Protein: 10g

I used to be addicted to the espresso milkshakes that were offered at the local coffee roaster made with locally sourced ice cream. I would get them 1-2 times per week. The justification was that it was ‘craft’ and ‘local’. I also used to be 15 pounds overweight.


Perhaps before we suck down that beverage in front of us, perhaps we should think ‘Wouldn’t I rather have a glass of wine later?’ — I certainly would!

Sources
Who vets this health content? Find out more about Dr. Edward Miller


Join Our Newsletter

Jumpstart your wine education and subscribe to the Wine Folly newsletter right now. Always awesome. Always free.

sign up free