Simply drinking a glass of water can prompt better choices at the dinner table, concludes new research by T. Bettina Cornwell, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon, and Anna R. McAlister, Ph.D., of Michigan State University. In separate studies, young adults and children were tested according to their food and beverage choices. When the participants were served a soda, they selected foods that tended to be more salty and calorie-dense. However, when the provided beverage was water, participants ate more raw vegetables.