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April 29, 2004
Prairie Fare: Canning a Pop Habit
Thinking back, soda pop was really a treat when I was a kid. I looked forward to retrieving a glass bottle and prying off the cover with the built-in opener on the pop machine. I thought having an orange or purple “mustache” from my favorite soda pop varieties was pretty neat. Soda pop is no longer an occasional treat for most Americans. Since we’re born with a natural liking for “sweet”, it’s no wonder we have a taste for “regular” soft drinks. Soft drinks account for over one-fourth of Americans’ beverage consumption, and Americans spend $54 billion on their habit. That’s enough pop for every American (from infants to elderly) to have a can and a half of pop a day. Fortunately, infants aren’t drinking their share. Soda pop container sizes have grown markedly since the 1950s. At one point, a bottle of pop was just over 6 ounces. The bottles later doubled to 12 ounces, and then were replaced by non-breakable, lighter 12-ounce metal cans. Next came the 20-ounce plastic bottles. The containers have expanded even more. Now it’s easy to pick up a two-quart (64-ounce) “super serving” of soda pop. If you’re not among the all-star pop consumers, who’s drinking it all? Males 12 to 29 are among the heavy hitters when it comes to pop consumption. In fact, teenage males drink close to 30 ounces daily (or 2.5 cans). Women in their twenties drink about two cans daily and teenage girls, about 1.7 cans daily. Females, however, are more likely to choose “diet” pop than males. So, what’s the big deal? Nutrition professionals worry that drinking too many “regular” soft drinks provides excess calories, which could result in weight gain unless people exercise more or eat less of other foods. Since hunger isn’t necessarily “satisfied” by drinking beverages, it becomes easy to take in extra calories in liquid form. Researchers are showing a link between weight and pop consumption. A yearlong study was conducted with 644 children ages seven to eleven in England. The researchers reported a 7.6 percent increase in the number of overweight and obese kids among the group that continued to drink sweetened beverages during the study. Even substituting calorie-free “diet” pop has some implications. For example, choosing diet pop over milk and other calcium-rich beverages and foods, over time, can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a condition where bones become weak and easily susceptible to fractures. May, National Osteoporosis Month, is a good time to think about bone health. Can soda pop fit in a healthy diet? Yes, there’s room for some sweet treats in a healthy diet, but consider water, juice and milk as healthier beverage choices. Here’s a recipe for upcoming celebrations. It provides carbonation with a little nutritional “punch.” Consider using one of the calcium-fortified types of fruit juice, too.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
