By Joe Frollo

Everyone knows that soda is a poor choice for athletes who are training, competing or re-hydrating. But sugary, carbonated beverages aren’t alone among drinks to avoid.

Stack.com found five drinks – some of which are marketed as “healthy choices” – that people may not realize how much sugar is contained in each sip.

Here’s a look:

• Flavored coffee. A 12-ounce Pumpkin Spice Latte can have as much as 300 calories, 11 grams of fat and 38 grams of sugar. To put that in perspective, that’s the same amount of fat than is contained in a donut.
• Fruit juice.  A 12-ounce serving of apple juice has 180 calories and 42 grams of sugar, nearly as much sugar as you’d get from five Fudgsicles. Fruit punch – even those marked “100 percent natural flavors” – contains 135 calories and 37.5 grams of sugar. A better choice would be a glass of water and a piece of fruit, which has the same nutrition with a lot less sugar.
• Flavored milk. Banana strawberry milk sounds like a nutritious choice, but you are looking at 255 calories and 42 grams of sugar. Flavored milks are good sources for calcium and protein, good for a post-workout drink, but not at every meal.
• Energy drinks. USA Football has written about the hazards of giving caffeinated drinks to children, but the nutritional contents of a typical energy drink are pretty much the same as a can of soda. With 160 calories and 41 grams of sugar, the instant burst eventually gives way to a tired crash.
• Sweet tea. Unsweet black, green and herbal teas have numerous health benefits and are rich in antioxidants, but sweet tea – whether canned, bottled or sweetened with sugar – should be consumed in measured portions. Just 12 ounces of sweet tea includes 110 calories and 27 grams of sugar. Remember, though, that fast food restaurants serve the beverage in 24-ounce servings, so double those numbers.