Coffee, coffee drinks and all their delicious varieties are immensely popular here in the US. While the jury is still out about the negative or positive effects of coffee itself, there is a growing trend towards sugary, dessert like coffee drinks that is definitely harmful!
I recently met with a client who treats herself to a coffee drink in the late afternoon. I’ll admit it- I love my ice coffee with skim milk during the summer- but what I discovered about my client’s treat shocked me. I went on the Starbuck’s website which features- thank you Starbuck’s!- nutritional information about it’s products and discovered that her large coffee drink was almost 600 calories. 600 calories of pure sugar and pure fat. A total deal breaker! This “coffee drink” was more calories, fat and sugar than an ice cream sundae- and yet, because it is markteted as coffee- we don’t realize the harm it is doing.
SO- before you indulge in daily coffee drinks- find out how many calories are in your favorite. If it is over 100 calories- rethink it. OR- modify it- use skim milk, no extra syrup, no whipped cream, less sugar. You can check out the calorie content of many fast foods by visiting the websites of companies such as Dunkin Donuts and Starbuck’s. Be an educated consumer- both in buying power and food indulgences.