Concept
Coffee is much more than a beverage. With establishments all over the country, coffeehouses have become social hubs, as much a part of our everyday routine as checking our email and reading the news. Therefore, it is understandable that coffee has gone far beyond the basic brew to include specialty drinks that seem to require the understanding of another language to place an order. While your basic black coffee has very few calories and no fat, it can become as caloric as a full meal when combined with milk, syrup, and sweetener, and then topped with whipped cream.
Nutrition Facts and Figures
While we love the pick me up from a cup of coffee, it's bitter taste often makes us want to add milk and sugar. Both a cup of coffee and a shot of espresso only contain about 5 calories. However, the many things that are added to balance the their natural bitterness can result in decadent treats.
Espresso
In an espresso based drink, the amount of water is minimal. A medium size (16 oz) latte generally has 2 shots of espresso, or 3 ounces, leaving a LOT of room for steamed milk! Thirteen ounces of 2 percent milk makes this latte a 200 calorie drink before you add any syrup or sweetener. Fortunately, there are several ways to cut back on your calories and still enjoy an espresso based drink.
Portion size: By cutting back to a small (12 oz) drink, you save 50 calories. These calories could also be eliminated by removing just a tablespoon of sugar or a pump of syrup from your drink.
Fat Content: By switching from 2 percent milk to skim, a medium drink drops down to 130 calories.
Drink Option: Try a cappuccino. A cappuccino has less milk than a latte along with a deep layer of foam. A medium 2 percent cappuccino is only 120 calories. Already drink cappuccinos? Try switching to a macchiato (espresso with a small amount of foam) and drop down to a guiltless 15 calorie drink.
Ice-Blended drinks
These blended coffee drinks often taste more like a milkshake then a traditional cup of joe. For instance, a Starbuck's Java Chip Frappuccino is a blend of chocolate and java chips, milk, ice, and of course some coffee. Topped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle, this 16 oz drink has 460 calories and 19 grams of fat. If ice-blended drinks are a must have ritual in your day, try the following:
Pass on the whip: By skipping the whipped cream topping with a drizzle of chocolate, you can reduce this drink by 120 calories. This is the same decrease that you get if you simply reduce the portion from 16 to 12 oz.
Skip the syrup: A 16 oz Espresso Frappuccino contains only espresso, milk and ice and is a healthier choice at only 190 calories.
Try it light: The Frappuccino light version is only 200 Calories. Additionally, at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, you can get a NSA (No Sugar Added) version of your favorite drink and save almost 2/3 of the calories.
Brewed Coffee
Not buying a fancy drink? Twenty years ago, the average cup of coffee was 8 oz. Today, it is double that. With double the coffee comes double the creamer and double the sugar. Calories and fat grams add up quickly if several cups are consumed over the course of the day. Adding your own sweetener and creamer lets you decide what you consume...or so you think.
Flavored Creamers: These non-dairy options are convenient for both the home and office and come in a variety of appealing flavors. While they appear to be both low-fat and low-calorie, it generally takes several one tablespoon servings to lighten up a large cup of coffee. Additionally, FDA guidelines allow products to be marketed as fat or trans fat free if they contain less than 0.5 grams per serving. Therefore, if you use two creamers per cup of coffee and have two cups of coffee per day, you would consume close to two grams of fat. As for trans fat, there is no established upper limit to clarify the amount that is safe to consume daily. Therefore, you want to avoid them altogether. If the label lists "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredients list, the product contains trans fat.
Dairy Products: Low-fat dairy products are a great way to lighten up your coffee without adding a lot of calories. One tablespoon of skim milk has only 5 calories. If you need something more substantial, fat-free half and half is another great alternative with only 10 calories per tablespoon. If you don't drink dairy, soy is a great option. Soymilk has only 6 calories per tablespoon and soy creamer has 15 calories.
Alyse's Advice
If you enjoy drinking coffee, one to two cups per day with a little low-fat milk or fat-free half and half is your best bet. If you are set on drinking a fancier blended or espresso drink, choose fat-free milk and watch your portion size. While there may be more value in purchasing the larger sizes, over time the additional calories will make you a larger size too!
www.starbucks.com
www.coffeebean.com
Los Angeles nutritionist Alyse Levine MS, RD, founder of NutritionBite. Visit her profile on LIVESTRONG.COM.
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