Trying to lose weight? Watch what you drink

You have the right idea. Drinking beverages can satisfy your urge to nibble when you're trying to lose weight. Although juice and milk have many important nutrients, they also contain a lot of calories. A calorie in liquid form is the same as a calorie in solid food, so it's important to keep track of the calories in the beverages you drink.

A balanced diet includes at least two servings from the milk group and two servings from the fruit group daily. In terms of beverages, the suggested serving size is 8 ounces for milk and 6 ounces for fruit juice. If you drink more than the recommended daily servings, you could easily be getting unwanted calories.

To help cut calories, switch to low-fat or fat-free milk and reduced-calorie ("light") juices. Diluting juices with plain or sparkling water can reduce calories, too.

That said, water is still the best bet overall when it comes to satisfying thirst and trying to cut the urge to snack. Water has no calories and is very cheap if taken from the tap. Try adding a twist of lemon or lime for a change of pace, or try sparkling water if you just don't like plain water.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2005

*When calorie values varied among like beverages, the average value was used. Actual calories may vary by brand.