Is Root Beer Healthy? (5 Tips For Weight Loss)

If you grew up in the states, you also grew up with soft drinks, especially Root Beer. And if that’s the case, this article is for you. Find out what Root Beer is, if this type of beverage is healthy and how you can stay in shape drinking this classic American soft drink.

Root Beer was invented by the Native Americans before the arrival of settlers from Europe. It was made with the sassafras root bark of the sassafras tree, also known as sarsaparilla. The soft drink was then sold at convenience stores as a syrup, since 1840. 

Root Beer can be consumed by itself or as a Root Beer float, which is Root Beer topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Although Root Beer is delicious, is it healthy?

Root Beer is not necessarily the healthiest beverage, as it is high in calories and sugar. However, if consumed in moderation it won’t get you off track. 

Here are five steps that explain the calorie amount in one bottle of Root Beer, as well as the ingredients that go into making a classic Root Beer, and how to stay fit and healthy while drinking this popular American soft drink.

1. Find out What Root Beer is

2. How Many Calories Are in One Bottle of Root Beer?

3. Find out How Many Calories You Should Consume Daily

4. Find out If There Are Healthier Root Beer Options

5. How to Stay in Shape & Increase Your Activity Level

Now that we know our five steps, let’s get into the details that will help you stay in shape while enjoying some delicious Root Beer.

Tip 1: Find out What Root Beer is

Root Beer was initially invented for medicinal reasons before it became the soft drink we know today. 

The original recipe contained sassafras root bark, however, in 1960 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered that the aromatic oil called Safrole, found in the sassafras roots and bark, causes cancer. It has been banned ever since, and the aromatic oil has been replaced with artificial flavoring.

The ingredients have changed over the years, and this is the current list: Filtered Carbonated Water, Sugar, Nonfat Milk and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Cream, Pectin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Phosphoric Acid, Caramel Color, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Acacia Gum, Yucca, and Quillaia Extracts, Nitrous Oxide (Creates Foam). 

Root Beer might used to have medicinal benefits, but the soft drink we know today isn’t a healthy beverage, as it contains many ingredients that can cause health issues, such as:  

• Artificial flavoring: This is added to enhance the flavor of a product or replicate a flavor. However, it can cause allergic reactions and stomach discomfort. 

• Caffeine: Some people are sensitive to caffeine and if you drink too much of this beverage in addition to coffee, you might get the jiggers and have trouble falling asleep at night. 

• Caramel color: This is added to give Root Beer its dark color. However, according to the California list of cancer-causing agents, caramel color is one of them.

• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS): Is derived from corn, is highly processed, and high in sugar, and can lead to diabetes. 

Now that we know what Root Beer is, let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how many calories are in one bottle of Root Beer.

Tip 2: How Many Calories Are in One Bottle of Root Beer?

Weight loss is really the concept of calories in vs. calories out. So whether you live a sedentary lifestyle or an active lifestyle, it’s important to understand how many calories you need to consume daily. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts. As you can see, one bottle of Root Beer has 220 calories with a macronutrient ratio of 51 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein, and 1.5 grams of fat. 

Not only are the calories a bit high in this beverage, but it is also high in sugars, with 50 grams, and 50 grams additional sugars. It is also high in carbs with 51 grams, and additionally, it doesn’t deliver any vitamins or minerals.

If you decide to have a bottle of Root Beer make sure to eat nutritious and protein-rich foods throughout the day, as well as incorporate a workout routine. 

If you burn more calories than you consume, then you will find yourself in a “caloric deficit” which is the only way fat loss can occur. 

It’s important to first go over your daily caloric needs, and figure out how many calories you need in a day. The next step is to figure out how much of each macronutrient you should be consuming.

A good rule of thumb for dieting is a nice balance of macronutrients, which is sticking to 30% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fats. 

The key aspect is to understand how many calories you need to eat in a day and to make sure not to overeat on your total accounted calories for the day. 

Now that we know a little bit more about the nutrition facts of one bottle of Root Beer, let’s take a look at how many calories you need to consume daily to stay in shape.

Tip 3: Find out How Many Calories You Should Consume Daily

You can easily overeat or drink too much unhealthy, processed foods that are high in fats and carbs, especially when something is as delicious as Root Beer. Overeating or drinking too many high-calorie beverages are usually the quickest ways to get out of shape. 

Great health and fitness are all about calorie or energy balance, which means that you can still eat your fats and carbs, and stay in shape. 

To stay healthy and in shape, we need to first go over your daily caloric needs and figure out how many calories you need in a day, as well as figure out how much of each macronutrient you should be consuming.

There are a few factors that determine your daily calorie intake. Such as weight management, weight loss, or weight gain. Other factors that play a major role are your gender and your height. 

So, how do you know how many calories you should be eating in a day?

The answer is through trial and error and finding a calorie range that allows you to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. 

However, a good place to start is to multiply your body weight by 12 or to use an online TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator.

Your TDEE relies heavily on how active you are and how much movement you see in your day.

Within your TDEE lies a subsection, which is called TEPA (Thermic Effect of Physical Activity) which accounts for 15-30% of your entire day’s worth of calories.

This means, you are in control of 15-30% of how much you can eat, which is a huge portion of calories.

The key here is to find foods that keep you full longer and still deliver a balanced amount of macronutrients. 

If you’re someone who loves to eat a lot while staying fit, then being active is the key to a balanced lifestyle that allows you to eat or drink whatever you like, such as Root Beer, and stay in shape. 

Once you know your calorie intake based on your weight and height, you can then decide how much you want to decrease it. If you want to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, we suggest you start with 100 calories less than what you are currently consuming and see if you notice a difference within a week.

If you don’t see any changes in your weight, decrease your calorie intake by another 100 calories and see how that works. 

However, it is suggested, to not decrease the calorie intake below 1,200 per day for women, or below 1,500 calories per day for men.

So, just calculate whatever calorie range you find, and split up your calories by following those macro guidelines. 

Now that we know how many calories to consume daily, let’s take a look at whether or not there are healthier Root Beer options.

Tip 4: Find out If There Are Healthier Root Beer Options

Since Root Beer is considered a soft drink and is high in sugar, it is not considered healthy. However, if you crave a sweet beverage with the Root Beer flavor, you can try these beverages instead:

• Virgil's Zero Sugar Root Beer: It contains 0 grams of sugar, no artificial flavors, and only contains 12 grams of carbs in one can. 

• Maine Root Beer: It uses certified organic cane sugar, and is caffeine-free.

• Boylan’s Root Beer: It claims to be using 100% natural ingredients.

• Blue Sky Organic Root Beer: Uses organic cane juice. 

• Santa Cruz Organic Root Beer: Also uses only organic ingredients. 

We suggest always checking the nutrition label and ingredients list, and keep in mind the fewer the ingredients, the better the product. 

Now that we know about healthier Root Beer options, let’s take a look at how you can stay in shape and increase your activity level while indulging in a classic Root Beer. 

Tip 5: How to Stay in Shape & Increase Your Activity Level

Calories are direct sources of energy that fuel your everyday life, so you need to make sure that you utilize them efficiently throughout your day. 

The more movement the better and, to utilize and burn those calories, you should be moving all you can.

The best way to do this is to build muscle and to also move more throughout your day. 

60-75% of energy expenditure comes from your basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is how much your body burns if it did nothing all day. (NASM)

10% of energy expenditure comes from the thermic effect of feeding (TEF) which is the calories you burn from digesting different foods. (NASM)

15-30% of energy expenditure comes from the Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA) which is movement such as working out and aerobics. Source (NASM) 

To sum it up, up to 30% of our energy expenditure can come from movement and activity so this is a huge portion of our weight loss journey that you can actively control.

Building muscle allows you to burn calories at rest, which means you can eat more and still lose fat. 

This is the daily goal of working out and is what keeps you healthy as your metabolism increase.

So if you love drinking Root Beer, you have to make sure your activity level is higher than usual, especially if you want to lose weight. 

You need to use weights and build muscle by doing a variety of workouts that isolate each muscle group specifically. 

Although it can be intimidating to get in shape, as it will be hard to learn and might be discouraging at the beginning, it’s definitely worth it in the long run for both your health and fitness. 

All you need are a set of dumbbells, such as these adjustable dumbbells, and a reliable treadmill such as the Bluefin Fitness Treadmill that tracks your calories and you’re on your way to controlling the number of calories you burn. 

Regarding working out with dumbbells, it’s important not to add too much weight too soon because that could result in injury if you are unfamiliar with the correct body positions. It is better to start small and then increase the weight level. 

Here is a workout plan we’ve created for women and men, where you can get started if you are someone who is new to a resistance training regimen.

WOMEN

Day One (Full Upper):

• Weighted Crunches: 3x35 

• Lateral Raises: 4x15

• Lat Pulldowns: 4x12

• Knee Push-Ups: 4x20

• Seated Shoulder Press: 4x20 

• Dumbbell Row: 3x10

• Dumbbell Fly: 3x10

Day Two (Back/Hamstrings/Biceps):

• Hammer Curls: 3x10

• Bicep Curls: 3x10

• Hamstring Curl: 4x15

• Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4x15

• Cable Row: 4x15

• Lat Pulldowns: 4x12

• Assisted Pull-Ups: 3x10

Day Three (Legs/Butt/Abs): 

• Leg Lifts: 3x35

• Weighted Crunches: 3x35 

• Jump Squats: 4x20

• Glute Kickbacks: 4x20 each leg

• Glute Bridge: 4x20

• Goblet Squats: 4x20

• Squats: 5x5

MEN:

Day One: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs (Push Day) : 

• Cable Crunches: 4 sets 15 reps 

• Triceps Rope Push Down: 3 sets 15 reps

• Lateral Raises: 3 sets 15 reps

• Shoulder Press: 3 sets 10 reps

• Dumbbell Press: 4 sets 12 reps

• Bench Press: 3 sets 10 reps

Day Two (Legs & Abs):

• Weighted Toe Touches: 4 sets 25 reps

• Weighted Sit-Ups: 4 sets 25 reps

• Jumping Squats With Resistance Bands: 5 sets 20 reps

• Glute Bridges With Weight: 4 sets 20 reps

• Stiff Leg Deadlift (Romanian Deadlift): 4 sets 15 reps

• Weighted Walking Lunges: 2 sets 20 steps

• Goblet Squats: 4 sets 20 reps

Day Three: Back & Biceps (Pull Day):

• Hammer Curls: 3 sets 10 reps

• Bicep Curls: 3 sets 10 reps

• Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets 15 reps

• Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets 10 reps (Each Side)

• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets 12 reps

• Assisted Pull-Ups: 3 sets 10 reps

We recommend working out at least three times per week in the beginning, since the resting days in between are important to build muscle. 

Building muscle will happen relatively fast if you are new to working out, so this is great news for anyone looking to get in shape.

Although working out and building muscle takes priority, having a consistent cardio schedule can help with expediting the fat loss process as it raises the energy expended throughout your week.

There are two types of cardio that you can do in your week that will speed up the fat loss results. Those two types come from LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) cardio and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) cardio. 

What you want to aim for is to burn around 1,000 kcals of cardio every week through means of either LISS or HIIT.

LISS is cardio that comes from walking or a brisk walk, you should be able to have a conversation while still building up a sweat.

HIIT cardio is intervals of a very high-intensity movement, such as sprints, battle ropes, or kickboxing movements aiming to quickly raise the heart rate.

The benefit of HIIT is allowing yourself to burn calories in a shorter amount of time. 

If you put calorie tracking, muscle building, and actively moving more together, beverages such as Root Beer won’t get you off track because the formula provides so much leniency for you to shed some fat.

Working out allows you to be more flexible in your diet and lifestyle, which is so important if you want to sustain a lean body and stay healthy. 

So, next time you’re wondering how you can lose some weight, remember that you need to build some muscle and track your calories to your specified amount. 

THERE IT IS!

In this article, we discussed what Root Beer is, if this beverage is healthy, and how many calories it contains.

There is a ton of sugar in one bottle of your classic A&W Root Beer, so make sure you stay active and keep consistent with the workouts we provided for you, in this article. As well as consider healthier Root Beer options listed in Step #4 instead.

The key to healthy eating is balance and moderation. Our five steps will help you stay fit while indulging in Root Beer. 

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