My Stupid Question of the Day: Diet Coke or Orange Juice?

Options
TheTrimTim
TheTrimTim Posts: 222 Member
in Food and Nutrition
OK, please forgive me for what I think it a very stupid question, but one I'm struggling with.

When I go out for lunch or dinner, I am often faced with a dilemma when ordering a drink. Assuming water is a no-no, I would generally like to drink either a Diet Coke or Orange Juice.

On the face of it, Orange Juice seems more healthy but it has many more calories and lots more sugar than a Diet Coke. For example, 330ml of supermarket Orange Juice might have around 141 calories, 27g of carbs (with 27g being sugar) and perhaps 2g of protein. On the other hand, we have low calories Diet Coke, which for 330 ml is 1 calorie and 0g of carbs (and 0g of sugar).

So which is better for me?

Taking that one step further, assuming I have fulfilled my calorific intake for a day, does the Diet Coke become the better option? I can't see how Diet Coke is a better option in any circumstances, but I just want to be sure.

Thanks.



(Edit: I was suggesting that water was a no-no just because I want something different when I'm out. Water all day and all night makes TheTrimTim a dull boy).
«13

Replies

  • VitaBailey
    VitaBailey Posts: 271 Member
    Options
    Why is water a no-no?
  • crazy_ninja
    crazy_ninja Posts: 387 Member
    Options
    Take the juice....never use anything called "diet"...its junk!

    Juice is pretty fine and healthy. If you dont like that, try apple juice with water :)
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    Options
    Always choose water or unsweetened tea.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Healthier = Orange juice

    Lower cals = Diet Coke

    Depends on what you want really. I'd personally go for the diet coke as I'm not bothered about sweeteners like some as I rarely drink it and I don't like drinking my calories, I'd rather eat them!
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    Options
    In the context of an otherwise balanced diet (assuming your diet is balanced), it doesn't matter.

    Drink what you enjoy.
  • jcamer12
    jcamer12 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    neither! choose water with a lemon or lime; with or w/out ice. But no diet and no juice...chew your fruit...
  • xratedkisses
    xratedkisses Posts: 18
    Options
    neither... with orange juice it's filled with so much sugar its not even funny.. right after your hungry..your getting three times the sugar you would if you were to just to eat a fruit.. and with a diet drink it has the same about of sugar in it not to mention the carbonation it has that makes you hungry right after because it makes your stomach stretch out almost like a balloon.. so your best bet would be water... it will make you feel full.. and its healthy for you (sorry for the sp)
  • confettibetti
    confettibetti Posts: 405 Member
    Options
    I always get water, and when I feel like splurging I get a diet coke... Orange juice may not be the healthier choice though unless they are actually squeezing them fresh in the kitchen, which I doubt. ;-)
  • nuttygirlc
    nuttygirlc Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I would go with the diet coke-its okay to have that as a treat once in a while! I used to drink diet Dr. Pepper every single day which is surely not good for you, but I say once a week is fine! OJ is loaded with sugar and is actually terrible, especially at a restaurant where they are definately using "from concentrate". If you are craving OJ, it's better to squeeze yourself a small, fresh glass at home.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    First, water is *not* a no-no. Assuming you don't want to drink water, unsweetened ice tea is probably a good option. Some people hate artificial sweeteners, but I'd still argue that diet coke is better for you than OJ, which is basically concentrated sugar with little else (fruit contains fiber, which reduces the speed at which the sugar enters your blood stream and also has other benefits, I'm not anti-fruit, but juice is a terrible thing to do to fruit).
  • AlotOfSweatAndPain
    AlotOfSweatAndPain Posts: 234 Member
    Options
    Trop50 orange juice has less sugar...go for it
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    Options
    if it's breakfast-orange juice. if it's lunch/dinner-diet coke :P
  • Amandajean2591
    Amandajean2591 Posts: 12
    Options
    ..
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    I don't drink either one, so I'd have nothing. Orange is way too much sugar. That's like eating 16 candy bars in 5 seconds. Diet coke is just gross. So, if water isn't an option, I'll have nothing.
  • Amandajean2591
    Amandajean2591 Posts: 12
    Options
    Take the juice....never use anything called "diet"...its junk!

    Juice is pretty fine and healthy. If you dont like that, try apple juice with water :)

    Unless you are a type one diabetic... then the "diet" stuff isn't "junk"....
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
    Options
    Diet soda never stopped my progress, but it does incite hunger and/or sugar cravings in quite a lot of people.
    I dislike drinking sugar or my fruit, so I prefer either to make my own smoothie or have a piece of fruit. BUT that's me, it depends how you feel, nobody can answer this really for you but you.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    neither... with orange juice it's filled with so much sugar its not even funny.. right after your hungry..your getting three times the sugar you would if you were to just to eat a fruit.. and with a diet drink it has the same about of sugar in it not to mention the carbonation it has that makes you hungry right after because it makes your stomach stretch out almost like a balloon.. so your best bet would be water... it will make you feel full.. and its healthy for you (sorry for the sp)

    Wow, I don't know where to start, but I'll try anyway.
    (1) Diet soda does *not* have sugar in it. At. All. Diet soda has artificial sweeteners in it, which some people argue are terrible for you, but there is evidence that in moderation they're probably not the worst thing ever. Either way, they are distinct from sugar.
    (2) I would love to see some evidence that carbonation increases hunger by *any* mechanism, let alone by stretching your stomach out like a balloon.
    (3) While some people swear by water as "making you feel full" the evidence for this is at best mixed. Yes, it provides volume in your stomach, but that doesn't mean it makes you feel satisfied, there is more to satiety than a full stomach.
    (4) I'd also like to point out the logical issue, in which the commentor argues that carbonation stretching out your stomach will make you hungry, but water doing something similar will make you feel full.
  • MrsTattie
    MrsTattie Posts: 79 Member
    Options
    If I am going out for lunch or dinner I have a glass of wine. Simple!
  • AlexandraLynch
    AlexandraLynch Posts: 161
    Options
    I miss being able to drink orange juice without getting a headache and feeling nauseous.

    I usually have water when we go out, because it's cheaper, but as I write this I have just got out of bed and am sipping one of my two cans of Diet Coke a day.

    I'm early enough in my weight loss that if not eating clean keeps me under my total calories and makes me psychologically okay with this, then I'm fine with it.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    neither... with orange juice it's filled with so much sugar its not even funny.. right after your hungry..your getting three times the sugar you would if you were to just to eat a fruit.. and with a diet drink it has the same about of sugar in it not to mention the carbonation it has that makes you hungry right after because it makes your stomach stretch out almost like a balloon.. so your best bet would be water... it will make you feel full.. and its healthy for you (sorry for the sp)

    Wow, I don't know where to start, but I'll try anyway.
    (1) Diet soda does *not* have sugar in it. At. All. Diet soda has artificial sweeteners in it, which some people argue are terrible for you, but there is evidence that in moderation they're probably not the worst thing ever. Either way, they are distinct from sugar.
    (2) I would love to see some evidence that carbonation increases hunger by *any* mechanism, let alone by stretching your stomach out like a balloon.
    (3) While some people swear by water as "making you feel full" the evidence for this is at best mixed. Yes, it provides volume in your stomach, but that doesn't mean it makes you feel satisfied, there is more to satiety than a full stomach.
    (4) I'd also like to point out the logical issue, in which the commentor argues that carbonation stretching out your stomach will make you hungry, but water doing something similar will make you feel full.

    Who cares. It's semantics. No one can argue that fact that diet coke is gross.

Categories