Drinks

Better buys

• Water
• Tea or coffee.
• Diet soft/fizzy drinks.
• Artificially sweetened cordials,powdered drinks or chocolate drink powders.
• Unflavoured mineral or soda water.
• 'Diet' or Low Joule or Low Calorie drinks.

Good to know

• Drink plenty of sugar free drinks if blood glucose levels are high.Water is the best thirst quencher.
• Milo/Bournvita/ Ovaltine used in moderation (1 tsp per cup) are not likely to raise blood glucose levels above desirable levels.
• Tonic water doesn't taste sweet but does contain sugar. Use diet tonic water.

Watch points

• Flavoured water may contain carbohydrates.
  Check the label.
• Freshly squeezed juice is high in natural sugar.
• 'No Added Sugar': May still contain a lot of natural sugar – check the carbohydrate content on the label.
• Fruit juices, ordinary soft drink, sports drinks and cordials provide extra carbohydrate and can raise blood glucose above desirable levels.
• Watch the quantity you are drinking. The label may not have much carbohydrate per 100mls but an average serve is much bigger than 100mls – watch the amount you drink and check out the serving size. The serving size on the label may not be the amount you drink.