Drink Goals or Just Hype?
When an Ad Stops You in Your Tracks
The other day, I was walking down the street when I stopped dead in my tracks, literally, after spotting a McDonald’s ad with three drinks alongside the hashtag #DrinkGoals. The lineup: Frozen Fanta® Blue Raspberry, Frozen Coca-Cola® Classic, and a Strawberry Banana Smoothie.
My first thought? That’s ridiculous. Those can’t be drink goals. I pulled out my iPhone and took a picture to show it to my husband, Phil so that we could debate it over dinner.
A few days later, an article in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye about LA going crazy for a $33 smoothie. Once again, my eyebrows went up. Both examples made me wonder, how much of this is marketing hype, and how much is truly health-related?
The Best Guidance We Have
My future olive oil article for the Fischer Kitchen would have to wait because beverages turned out to be a surprisingly deep topic, both complex and straightforward. The best baseline advice comes from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend[1]:
Water as the foundation, calorie-free and hydrating.
Fat-free and low-fat milk and 100% fruit juice for beneficial nutrients.
Coffee, tea, and flavored waters as options provided they have little to no added sweeteners or cream.
This advice might sound familiar, like something your parents told you, but where the guidelines come alive is in the data, especially regarding added sugars. They are the “sneaky sugar” found in so many of the foods we buy without a second thought.
Beverages in a Healthy Diet
A healthy dietary pattern limits foods and beverages high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, while cutting back on alcohol.[2]
Here’s the math[3]:
85% of your daily calories should come from nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and proteins (including fish).
The remaining 15% can be for extras, including added sugars and saturated fats.
Less than 10% of daily calories should be from added sugars.[4]
Pro Tip: You can spot your added sugar intake just by checking the nutrition label.[5] That’s a simple, quick win for anyone in the U.S. Turn the product around in the grocery store and read the label!
Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/nutrition-facts-label
How We as Americans Actually Stack Up
According to the guidelines, the average American consumes ~270 calories/day (over 13% of total calories) from added sugars.[6] So we are already over the 10% guideline - yikes!
Top sources:
Sugar-sweetened beverages
Sweet snacks
Sweetened coffee/tea drinks
Candy
These account for more than 50% of all added sugar intake yet they don’t contribute much to essential nutrient needs.[7]
Pro Tip: If you like sugary drinks, you don’t have to quit cold turkey. Being an extremist usually it doesn’t help. You might hold back from it once, but then go all in on it later. So everything in moderation, as they say, which you’ve probably heard a gazillion times before, but is still such a helpful thing. You can:
Drink smaller portions
Look for lower-sugar alternatives
Make it an occasional treat
The Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Breakdown
Sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened coffees/teas) make up over 40% of daily added sugar intake.[8]
A few examples from the Guidelines’ tables[9]:
Plain water, unsweetened tea – 0 calories, 0 added sugar.
Sports drink – 97 calories, 5 teaspoons added sugar.
Fruit drink – 238 calories, 14 teaspoons added sugar.
Café mocha – 290 calories, 5 teaspoons added sugar.
Soft drinks alone make up 16% of added sugar intake.[10] The takeaway: sugar-sweetened beverages are everywhere, inexpensive, and easy to access. Choose wisely. Read the label.
Why Transparency Matters
McDonald’s gets points here. They publish detailed nutrition information on their food and drinks. I checked their Frozen Fanta® Blue Raspberry, Frozen Coca-Cola® Classic, and Strawberry Banana Smoothie in small, medium, and large sizes. They were $2 each for the small size in the ad I saw.
The winner? My analysis identified the Strawberry Banana Smoothie. It’s still high in sugar (some naturally from fruit), but possibly fine if your day’s food already has enough protein, fiber, and vegetables.
Transparency empowers consumers. While I’m no fan of McDonald’s fried foods, their nutrition disclosure sets a good example. It makes me trust the Golden Arches more than those who don’t list the ingredients. And in some situations, especially when traveling, McDonald’s might be the only option you trust for accurate information.
Erewhon: The Other End of the Spectrum
Erewhon, famous for celebrity-endorsed $20+ smoothies, provides ingredient lists but no nutrition labels. That struck me as odd, especially given their mission to promote organic, ethically sourced foods. Why not give people a nutrition label? Without calorie, fat, or sugar data, it’s hard to know where their drinks fit into a healthy diet.
People who drink their smoothies were quoted in the Wall Street Journal.[11] One user likened Erewhon's grocery store to Hermès and the smoothie to the Birkin bag, noting that the premium ingredients justify the cost.
This comparison shows how a smoothie has become a luxury status symbol because of its nutritional value. When drinks become fashion accessories, their social significance rises in importance. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s good to recognize that another form of marketing is at work here, and it’s targeted at you.
Another user said that drinking an Erewhon smoothie provides the nutrients and vitamins upfront. Maybe it does, but how do you know that without a nutrition label?
A dietitian writing for PopSugar helped solve some of the mystery by ranking Erewhon’s smoothies for satiety, nutrition, trendiness, and appearance. Her winner: the Coconut Cloud Smoothie, edging out Hailey Bieber’s “Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie” at #7.[12]
In the Fischer Kitchen, Phil and I made a carrot cake smoothie following the recipe on the back of the bag of organic shredded carrots from Whole Foods. Phil gave it a thumbs up and called it a “guilt-free” drink.
Final Sip
Beverages go beyond just hydration. They reflect culture, personal taste, and the situation. Whether you spend $2 on a McDonald’s Smoothie or $33 on an Erewhon creation, understanding what you’re getting and why can make a difference.
Marketing is always around us, just like when I walk down the street. But with nutrition labels and knowledge of dietary guidelines, we can make good choices. Maybe we'll still follow the latest trends, but we should also remember that taking care of yourself is its own kind of cool.
Me, one of these days I’m going to drop into McDonald’s for the unsweetened tea. It will be my first time in there in a long while.
Footnotes
[2] Ibid, p. 49.
[3] Ibid, p. 37.
[4] Ibid, p. 41.
[5] https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/nutrition-facts-label
[7] Ibid, p. 42.
[8] Ibid, p. 103.
[9] Ibid, p. 36.
[10] Ibid., p. 43.
[12] https://www.popsugar.com/nutrition/best-erewhon-smoothies-49368588
Another well-written and interesting article, Linda. Glad to see that you have endorsed my preference for a glass of plain water with a slice of lemon.