How Starbucks can be quite the killer

The thing is, coffee is naturally a low calorie drink. It’s virtually calorie-free! A latte, with the addition of milk and a bit of sugar, would hit it up by about 30 to 40 calories, which definitely isn’t too much. At least, not yet.

Coffee in the summer is synonymous to iced cappuccinos, frappucinos and blended creams. Basically the equivalent of liquid desserts, these drinks can actually hold in enough calories to match one full meal, maybe even two. And that’s pretty impressive (albeit scary), considering the fact that a Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks hardly constitutes lunch.

Take, for example, a Grande Vanilla Frappuccino from Starbucks. This 16-ounce drink, according to Leslie Beck, when topped with whipped cream (which, by default, goes into it) weighs in at approximately 430 calories, along with 14 grams of fat, nine of which are saturated. Beck compares this with your regular run-off-the-mill McDonald’s QuarterPounder burger, which weighs in at approximately 410 calories, and 19 grams of fat (seven of which are saturated). Of course, the burger isn’t actually better, but you get the picture.

So what can we do? People aren’t so keen about having to give up their favorite drinks just like that. Beck offers a few suggestions:

• Order small. A few less ounces of your pep drink wouldn’t exactly kill you, and when we put it into the context of this article, it might actually keep you living longer, literally.
• Skimp. Sacrifice a bit of the sweetness and creaminess of lattes and go for low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Try to skip the whipped cream if you can, and order the light version if one is available for your drink. A drink without whipped cream is approximately 100 calories lighter than a regular one, for example.
• Make or brew your own. Beck suggests that whenever you brew yourself coffee and end up making too much, keep the leftovers. When you’re starting to crave, you can just whip it out, add some ice, maybe sweeten a bit, and enjoy. Not only do you save on calories and fat, but you also get to hold on to a few more dollars.
• Read your drinks’ nutrition information. Nothing beats knowing exactly what you’re going into. If one is not readily available, request for it.