Caribou Coffee owns nearly 500 coffee franchises in 16 U.S. cities. The company offers 15 coffee varieties, each brewed from coffee beans grown all over the world. In addition to coffee, Caribou Coffee also offers hot chocolate for a sweeter indulgence. The chocolate beverage can range from 300 to 800 calories per drink, depending on the ingredient choices of the consumer. The hot chocolate can be made with your choice of milk as well as your choice of chocolate.
Calories
If you were to order a small regular hot chocolate from Caribou Coffee, it would contain 460 calories. A regular hot chocolate is made with 2 percent milk and milk chocolate and topped with whipped cream. When made with skim milk, a small hot chocolate provides only 420 calories. By omitting the whipped cream, you can save an additional 100 calories, bringing the total calorie content down to 320 calories. Alternatively, a large Caribou Coffee hot chocolate made with 2 percent milk and milk chocolate, topped with whipped cream, provides 780 calories, making up 39 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet.
Fat
A small hot chocolate made with 2 percent milk, milk chocolate and topped with whipped cream provides 29g fat. Of these, 17g come from saturated fats. The beverage is trans-fat free. Saturated fats have been shown to cause elevated cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends keeping saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your total calorie intake, less than 20g per day. Omitting the whipped cream and choosing skim milk instead of 2 percent can bring the fat total down to 14g and the saturated fat down to 8g.
Carbohydrates
Caribou Coffee hot chocolate is not considered a low-carbohydrate beverage. A small serving made with 2 percent milk, milk chocolate and topped with whipped cream provides 40g of carbohydrate. A large serving of the same hot chocolate would provide 75g of carbohydrate. The American Diabetes Association recommends consuming 45 to 60g of carbohydrate per meal to help manage blood sugar levels. It is important for those with diabetes to monitor other sources of carbohydrates at meals where Caribou Coffee hot chocolate is consumed.
Protein
Because of the milk content in Caribou Coffee hot chocolate, a small serving of the beverage, made with either skim or 2 percent milk, provides 11g of protein. By switching to soy milk, the hot chocolate provides only 10g of protein. While they may not contain the same amount of protein as meats and dairy, soybeans are the only plant protein that is considered to be a complete protein. The National Institutes of Health defines a complete protein as proteins which contain all nine essential amino acids. Proteins are needed for the body to function properly. Discuss your protein intake with your doctor to be sure you are meeting your individual protein needs.
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