When you think about meal planning for the day, you probably think of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and maybe dessert. But you may not be giving much thought to the drinks you’re drinking and how they can help (or hurt) your health goals.

Too much added sugar is bad for our health for many reasons: There is a link between added sugar and diabetes, there is a link between added sugar and cardiovascular disease, and it may be linked to cognitive problems

.But experts don’t say you should completely cut sugary drinks from your diet.You can still drink soda everywhere.

There’s a time and place for everything when it comes to healthy eating, but if you’re someone who drinks soda as your main beverage all day long, that’s something to be aware of.

Why? There are several reasons. Below, experts share the drinks they tend to avoid and the reasons behind their choices.

Diet Soda

Artificial sweeteners found in diet soda can cause bloating and other potentially unpleasant digestive issues.

Research shows that artificial sweeteners can affect your digestion. Additionally, artificial sweeteners can affect your tolerance for sweetness, making you want something sweeter.

However, all foods and drinks can be included in a meal plan—so for most people, if you’re drinking soda, drink half a can instead of a full can of diet soda.

Dietary advice is individualized, so for people with diabetes, diet soda is the best option because it has little effect on blood sugar.

Regular Soda

With the exception of diet soda, regular soda isn’t often the drink of choice among experts.

A 12-ounce can of soda contains approximately 39 grams of sugar, and current dietary guidelines state that 10 percent of our total daily calories should come from added sugar—so for a 2,000-calorie diet, a can of soda equals almost 10 percent limits.It’s common to drink more than one 12-ounce can of soda a day.

Energy Drinks

What’s very interesting about energy drinks is that most people think of them as, “Oh, it’s good for me. It’ll give me energy.” They often overlook the fact that they also contain large amounts of this added sugar.

An 8-ounce can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to about 7 teaspoons of sugar.

According to the American Heart Association, women should limit sugar intake to 6 teaspoons per day. For men, it’s 9 teaspoons. One can of Red Bull contains more sugar than a woman can consume in a day, and almost as much as a man can consume in a day.

Juices

Juice also meets experts’ concerns about high sugar levels. Minute Maid Fruit Punch, for example, contains 24 grams of sugar per 8-ounce cup, which is comparable to Red Bull’s high sugar content.

It is recommended that you should eat the whole fruit itself, which contains fiber.

Alcohol … With A Caveat

At first glance, alcohol seems like something to avoid—it’s often high in sugar, linked to liver damage, and increases the risk of cancer.

Additionally, some people have adverse reactions to alcohol and simply cannot tolerate it.

But research suggests that some alcohol (namely red wine) may have some health benefits.

Dark red wine—not necessarily rosé, which won’t give you as much antioxidant benefit—but really dark, rich red wine.

The exact benefits of red wine are still to be explored. Some think that white hellebore Alcohol, an antioxidant in red wine, may reduce inflammation and blood clot risk, but more research is needed because the data are mixed.

However, in addition to wine, there are mixers in cocktails that can increase the caloric and sugar content of the drink (such as tequila in a margarita or rum in a rum and coke). For example, a 4-ounce serving of Margaritaville Margarita Mix contains 26 grams of sugar, which is about the same amount as a can of Red Bull.

On top of that, people often don’t reveal exactly how much they really drink.

It’s a taboo subject that no one wants to admit. If they admit this, they often underestimate how much they consume.

When you underestimate how much you drink, you also underestimate how much sugar you’re consuming at dinner.

And, as experts point out, high-sugar drinks are okay sometimes, but drinking them shouldn’t become a habit.