The granita is a frozen coffee beverage offered by PJ's Coffee, a cafe chain located throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey, that has a refreshing blend of sweetened flavor and whipped cream. A granita can be an effective way to beat the heat but may also defeat your diet, as granitas are high in calories, fat and sugar.
Calories
A 24-ounce granita is high in calories, with 418. That's 20 percent of the daily recommended intake of 2,000, which makes this beverage a poor choice for weight management. Granitas are higher in calories than many other types of beverages, even soda; a 24-ounce soda contains 118 fewer calories than a 24-ounce granita.
Fat
One of the reasons granitas are high in calories is their high fat content. A 24-ounce granita contains 20 grams of total fat, of which 8 grams are saturated. While you do need some fat to survive, consuming too much saturated fat can be unhealthy. The American Heart Association recommends consuming fewer than 16 grams of saturated fat each day, as this type of fat can increase your cholesterol levels.
Carbohydrates
Granitas are rich in carbohydrates, as a 24-ounce serving contains 54 grams of this nutrient. Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of fuel, but consuming too many carbohydrates may be detrimental to your body composition. A study in the March 2011 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism" found that the higher your ratio of carbohydrate to protein intake, the more likely your body may be to store fat and the less likely it may be to build muscle.
Sugar
All of the carbohydrates in a 24-ounce granita, 54 grams, come from sugar. Too much sugar can cause a number of health issues, including tooth decay. Research in the August 2004 issue of "The Journal of the American Medical Association" also suggests that a diet high in sugar-rich beverages can promote weight gain and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Protein
Granitas do not contain any protein, a vital nutrient for your overall health and wellness. Protein helps build and maintain the structure of tissues such as skin and muscle.
References
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in Pj's Coffee - Granita - Small
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate: Calories in Pepsi (Pepsi)
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; Increased Ratio of Dietary Carbohydrate to Protein Shifts the Focus of Metabolic Signaling From Skeletal Muscle to Adipose; S. Devkota, D.K. Layman; March 2011
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association"; Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women; M.B. Schulze et al.; August 2004
