Drink This, Not That

Last week I had a note from the Boy® and the WKW (Well Kept Wife). I was told I had to blog about a book they had been reading. I had seen the book strewn around the house here and there but paid it no attention until said note.

The book is by David Zinczenko and is touted as a 'supermarket survival guide'. It has the Boy® now telling me what I can and can't eat & drink. One of those pleasant experiences the first time around which ends up being like going to the dentist for a root canal. This is because as with most 9-yo boys, they don't know when something is too much of a good thing.

The book is 'Eat This, Not That' offering discerning shoppers everywhere a simple plan for finding the healthiest foods for them and their families. Beyond homing in on the best and worst in the world of packaged foods, the Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide scours the aisles to help you pick the most nutrient-packed foods, snack, and drinks available.


I have to admit, the book is like a Nutrition for Dummies read. It is entirely about food at supermarkets, every item on every page is something readily accessible to you. And since every item is captioned with its relevant nutritional information, it's like having the "Nutrition Facts" panel of every major item at your grocery store right there with you, in a little book that is so well designed and organized it is remarkably easy to use.

For example, during the summer I love to drink lemonade. But do you know the worst lemonade in terms of sugar content? Something I bet you have all had. Minute Maid Lemonade (20-oz bottle) which has 250 calories and 67-grams of sugar. That is the sugar equivalent of five Good Humor Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiches. Your punishment to work that off, per the book, would be sixty minutes of vigorous housecleaning.

Instead, opt for Crystal Light Pink Lemonade Hydration (16-oz bottle) which has 10 calories and 0 grams of sugar.

How about another example? In the past I have loved to drink Arizona brand drinks. Just live 'em. Why, I wonder? For example, the Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (23.5 oz can) has 360 calories and 84 grams of sugar! That is the sugar equivalent of seven..count 'em...seven bowls of Froot Loops! Your punishment would be thirteen laps around the high school track.

Instead I should be selecting Fuze Slenderize Strawberry Melon (18.5 oz bottle) with just 23 calories and 0 grams of sugar.

The book is full of categories dedicated to snacks, frozen foods, protein bars...and on and on. Each page uses colorful pictures and short informative descriptions. Simple and informative such as this actual page example shows:



So, I was really enjoying this book and then I got to page 278-279. Beer. Uh-oh! How would my brands rate?

The beers that made the cut (bolded indicate beers in my fridge) were:

- Rolling Rock Extra Pale Ale
- Carta Blanca
- Guinness Draught (huge sigh of relief!)
- Beck's
- Michelob Ultra
- Amstel Light
- Beck's Premier Light
- Budweiser
- Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss
- Sapporo

The beers that made the bad list (bolded indicate beers in my fridge) were:

- Blue Moon (my Belgian beer tastes are not to be tampered with!)
- Michelob Honey Lager
- Budweiser American Ale
- Bud Light
- Yuengling Lager
- Sam Adams Light
- George Killian's Irish Red
- Guinness Extra Stout
- Corona Extra
- Heineken

I may come back to this book from time-to-time and speak to other categories. Frozen pizza's come to mind! Enjoy, and happy food shopping!