Ready-to-drink beverages often have too much sugar and too little nutrition. Adding water helps by reducing the sugar concentration (and making a beverage more refreshing and hydrating), but dilutes the nutrition.

We "poured" through dozens of teas, juices, etc., seeking those with the optimum profile: not too sweet (and no high fructose corn syrup), but with good flavor and nutrition. The antioxidants in teas don't show up on nutrition labels, but we counted these as a nutrition asset.

Links go to the manufacturers' Web sites, where more information (including ingredients) is available. Click on product photo to see Nutrition Facts (data not verified by Winning Foods). All are low in fat, so we left out the LF symbol here (except in our reviews of smoothies, which aren't always low in fat).

See Definitions page for a key to the RED SYMBOLS indicating nutrient/health claims and organic status.

Honest Tea
ASSAM Black Tea
Org

No need to water down this very lightly sweetened bottled black tea. We liked the clean, refreshing tea taste and only 17 calories (4.5 g sugars) per 8 oz serving (1/2 bottle). We also liked their Green Dragon and Peach Oo-la-long bottled teas (30 calories each).
(www.honesttea.com)

Tazo
ICED TEA (Black)
Org

This one is for those who like their iced tea a tad bit sweeter (but still way lower in sugar than the usual iced tea products). Only 35 calories per 8 oz serving, and packed with real tea flavor and a hint of citrus.
(www.tazo.com -- click on "Explore our teas" then "Black Teas")

Glaceau Vitamin Water
RESCUE Green Tea
H

This drink is slightly sweeter than the black teas above, but avoids the bitterness typical of many bottled green teas. Each 8 oz has 50 calories. Vitamins are added (Bs and C), which make the product qualify as "healthy." Not a bad choice compared to sodas, but the antioxidant claims are probably not compliant with labeling law.
(www.glaceau.com -- click on "VitaminWater" tab, then choose "Rescue" flavor ... good luck -- difficult site to use)

Tazo
PLUM DELICIOUS Juiced Tea
(Green Tea with Plum and Pomegranate Juices )

With an appealing flavor and color, this is one of the better examples of the growing tea-juice category. Lighter than a juice and more fruity and slightly sweeter than the iced teas above. One 8 oz serving has 80 calories.
(www.tazo.com -- click on "'Explore our teas" then "Green Teas" then click on appropriate bottle in display)

R.W. Knudsen
MANGO PEACH Juice Beverage
H

This one is more concentrated (from the purees), but the flavors are big and satisfying even when it's cut with a splash of water. Sugar/calories are a bit higher (130 calories per 8 oz), but it's still lower than most juices and it has both vitamin A (40% DV) and vitamin C (45% DV). (Note: revised nutrition data is from Web site.)
(www.knudsenjuices.com)

Naked Juice
WELL BEING Fruit Smoothies (various fruit flavors available)
H

100% pureed fruit and fruit juices make these substantial drinks that taste like they're fresh from the blender. In an 8 oz serving (half the bottle) you get about 120 calories, lots of potassium and some have vitamin C, etc . Sugar is high, but comes completely from fruit. Try the Superfood line of juices for added nutrients.
(www.nakedjuice.com -- click on "our juices" then search by "fruit"; nutrition either has changed or is incorrect on web site -- no vitamin C showing)

Santa Cruz
ORGANIC LEMONADE (Original and Strawberry)
Org

"Tastes like real lemonade" is, oddly, a rarity in commercial lemonade products, many of which have more additives than Lemon Pledge. That's why these are such winners. The taste of the Original is true lemonade, and both are less sweet than most (100 calories per 8 oz) and a good source of vitamin C -- from the lemon itself !
(www.scojuice.com (lemon) and strawberry)

Santa Cruz
ORGANIC RASPBERRY LEMONADE Fruit Juice Spritzer
Org

With about 2/3 the calories/sugar of typical sodas (only 120 cal. per 12 oz can), this one packs an impressively refreshing hit of true fruit flavor, plus a little vitamin C . Lightly carbonated.
(www.scojuice.com)

Steaz (formerly called "Steap")
COLA Green Tea Soda
Org

Sounds weird, but tastes good. It's not too sweet (90 cal. per 8 oz) and it's got the benefit of green tea and added vitamin C ( 60% DV). We also liked the light and refreshing Raspberry flavor.
(www.steazsparkling.com for cola and other soda flavors; www.steazteas.com for 16 oz canned teas)

Stonyfield Farm
SUPER SMOOTHIES (various fruit flavors)
LF, Org

Creamy yet clean (not too thick) texture, and a little less sugar than other drinkable yogurts (per 8 oz serving), but still fairly high. Low in fat (3 g per 10 oz bottle), and balanced with 10 g protein. Excellent source of calcium. Contains live active cultures. Nutrition shown (for 12 oz serving) is for Raspberry.
(www.stonyfield.com - click on "Get Nutrition Facts" for updated info)

Whole Soy
CULTURED SOY DRINK -- Discontinued (try their soy yogurt and soy frozen yogurts)
LF, H, Org

(It was...) a light yet creamy nondairy beverage with excellent taste, although a tad high in sugar (but much of it comes from fruit). This was the best soy smoothie we evaluated. Excellent source of calcium, low in fat (3 g per 8 oz), plus 7 g protein from soy. Contains live active cultures. Nutrition shown is for Raspberry flavor (8 oz portion).
(www.wholesoy.com)