Drink healthier
Aussies are bombarded with a huge amount of sugary drink marketing every day.
What these companies don’t advertise is the serious damage that having sugary drinks regularly can do to our health. Too many sugary drinks can cause cavities and contribute to weight gain, increasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and 13 types of cancer.
If you want to drink healthier, but aren't sure where to start, we're here to help with fun facts, practical tips and tasty low-sugar drink ideas.
How much sugar are you drinking?
How to break a sugary drinks habit
Ditch sugary drinks to reduce your cancer risk
Look for low sugar on the label
Unsweetened is best! Still or sparkling water (add herbs or slices of fruit for a flavour boost) and unsweetened tea and coffee are great options. Low-sugar drinks like sparkling water with a dash of flavour can add variety.
For an occasional sweet drink, or if you’re not quite ready to make the switch from sugary drinks to water, choose something with less than 5 g sugar per 100 mL. A regular soft drink has about twice that amount, so you could halve how much sugar you’re drinking by making the switch – which is a big win for your health!
| Best choice | Okay sometimes | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
|
Unsweetened drinks are for everyday Low sugar options with less than 2.5 g sugar per 100 mL and no intense sweeteners. |
Lower sugar drinks with 2.5 - 5 g sugar per 100 mL. 100% fruit or vegetable juice in small quantities (up to ½ cup or 125 mL). Drinks containing intense sweeteners like stevia (960), sucralose (955), acesulfame potassium (950), erythritol (968) and aspartame (951). |
Sugary drinks with more than 5 g sugar per 100 mL. |
Healthier drink ideas
Try our tasty low- and no-sugar drink ideas to help you confidently break up with sugary drinks.
Blueberry, pineapple and sage water
A delicious drink for a hot day!
Breakfast smoothie
A creamy banana smoothie, perfect as a quick snack or a breakfast on-the-go!
Cherry creaming soda
When the sparkling water hits the frozen cherry mixture this drink fizzes up like a volcano!
Choc cherry bomb
This decadent drink is so thick and creamy you'll need a spoon to get through it!
Coffee blizzard
Dump the added sugar laden options available from the servo and switch to this easy peasy blended iced coffee
Cucumber skewers
A delicious drink for a hot day!
Frozen fruit ice cubes
A delicious drink for a hot summer day!
Iced latte
Make the sugary drinks switch with this quick and easy iced coffee.
Iced London fog
We've adapted the classic British beverage to help you stay cool in a sweltering Aussie summer.
Peach and rosemary iced tea
Enjoy this beautiful tea with Sunday roast, at a dinner party, or during a celebratory picnic in the park.
Pine-berry frappe
The essence of summer, served over ice.
Pineapple sparkler
This drink combines the fiery heat of ginger with the bright sweetness of pineapple.
Poolside Percy
A refreshing summer sensation.
Popeye's punch
This vibrant green drink delivers fruity sweetness to your tastebuds before revealing a powerful punch of earthy green goodness.
Ruby zinger
Zingy, earthy and sweet; we love the uniqueness of this drink.
Ski slopes
This fruity and spicy hug-in-a-mug will warm up your hands and put a rosy glow in your cheeks.
Sliced citrus water
A delicious drink for a hot summer day!
Strawberry and mint sparkling water
A refreshing drink for the hot summer days!
Sweetpea
Chickpeas are the secret hero ingredient that makes this peanut butter and banana sensation extra creamy.
Tropical fruit smoothie
A banana smoothie, with a tropical twist!
Watermelon fizz
If summer could be condensed into a drink, this would be it.
How much sugar in...?
Click the buttons below to reveal the amount of sugar in each drink.
The sneaky sugar in "healthy" drinks
While most of us might know that soft drinks are packed with sugar, what about some of the other drinks out there that market themselves as a better option?
Sugary drinks, with their high payload of sugar and acidity, can wreak havoc on our smile.
Australians over the age of 15 years have an average of 13 decayed, missing and filled teeth and only 1 in 10 adults has no dental decay in their permanent teeth.
Sugary drinks are the single biggest source of added sugar in Australians’ diets. We encourage Aussies to think twice before having a sugary drink – they're not worth losing your teeth over.
What happens to your teeth when you have a sugary drink?
- Bacteria that are naturally present in your mouth break down the sugar in sugary drinks into acids.
- The acid attacks the teeth, dissolving the outer surface of tooth enamel.
- Each acid attack lasts for about 20 min. Each time you take a sip, the acid damage begins all over again.
- Regular loss of enamel can lead to cavities which exposes the inner layers of the tooth. This can ruin your smile and make teeth sensitive and painful.
Fight back
It's easy to get sucked in when sugary drinks are all around us. Sugary drinks are heavily marketed and available everywhere, which can undermine people’s effort to be healthy.
We need to set higher standards for how the sugary drink industry markets and sells these products that are making Australians sick.
Actions you can take to push back against industry
- Write to your State Member of Parliament asking that sugary drinks and junk food advertising no longer be allowed on state government assets – this includes buses, trains, train stations and many billboards.
- Talk to your school, sports clubs and community centres about their food and drink options.
- Write to your favourite sports team and ask them stop accepting sponsorship and advertising from junk food and sugary drink companies.
- Complain about a sugary drink or junk food ad to the Advertising Standards Bureau.
