Fruit juices are a good source of vitamins and minerals; however, they do contain a large amount of sugar as well as calories. One cup (8 ounces) of apple juice contains 26 grams of sugar and 120 calories. An 8-ounce soft drink contains 30 grams of sugar and 140 calories. This is an example to show that most soft drinks and juices rank about the same when comparing sugar and calories. The difference is that juice contains vitamins and minerals and most soft drinks do not. Juice is a good substitute for soft drinks on occasion, but the best substitute would be water. You can add flavor to water by mixing in sugar-free flavor packets. Some sports drinks do not contain large amounts of sugar such as Propel. However, the best substitute for soft drinks would be plain water.

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