Ask the Dietitian: Liquid calories cause substantial weight gain; new KFC grilled chicken lower calorie and tasty

on July 29, 2009 at 8:17 AM, updated July 29, 2009 at 8:20 AM

Question: Will you add your opinion about foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and the fact everyone seems to be getting more and more overweight?
-- T.D. Grandville

Answer: More calories from any source can be a cause of increasing weight. But now it looks like liquid calories have more of an impact on weight than solid food calories.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University looked at liquid versus solid calorie intake in 810 adults. The participants were being studied to see what would help blood pressure. They received behavior counseling related to weight loss, exercise and sodium reduction.

Researchers found a significant difference between cutting 100 calories from solid food vs. cutting 100 calories from liquids. Cutting calories from liquids scored a better weight loss.

The researchers wondered if the difference could be that beverages aren't as satisfying as solid food, and may cause different metabolic responses in the body. When they looked at the types of beverages, they found that cutting down on the beverages sweetened with either sugar or high-fructose corn syrup caused the most significant weight loss.

What can you do with this information? If you are interested in losing weight, you really need to look at the calories from your beverages. This means the lemonade, fruit punch, Koolaid-type drinks, sweet iced tea, regular pop, sports drinks, slushes, juices, etc. These calories are "sneaky calories" and can make a huge impact on your weight (without making you feel full.)

Question: Do you know the calorie count of the new grilled chicken at KFC? It sounds interesting but you never know.
-- B.F. Rockford

Answer: I recently tried their grilled chicken and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor. A grilled KFC chicken breast has about 180 calories, compared to the Original recipe's 370 calories and the Extra Crispy breast's 490 calories. And just like many other ready-prepared foods, it adds to your sodium intake with about 440 milligrams of sodium per breast (this is half the sodium of the fried versions).
