All this talk about being calorie-conscious while eating out has got me thinking about another area that tends to trip people up: Coffee drinks. Don’t worry, good old-fashioned black coffee is still calorie-free. I’m talking about something like those awesome blended coffee beverages with the big pile of whipped cream on top. Whether your poison is a cold, iced mocha or a foamy cappuccino keep these tips in mind while ordering if you don’t want to smash your daily calorie budget:
Make the shift to skim milk. As someone who used to be a barista in college, I can tell you that unless you specify your milk choice you will be served whole milk. You’ll be saving yourself a great deal of calories you remember to speak up when ordering. A small latte made with skim milk is only around 100 calories while one with whole milk can be twice as much- and that’s just for a 12 ounce cup. A large latte with whole milk is nearly 300 calories. If you just can’t handle skim, even asking for 2% milk will leave you better off.
Embrace the “light” blended drinks. Did you know that Starbucks makes light versions of all of their frappuccinos? You can still get coffe, mocha, and caramel flavors but with 1/3 to 1/2 fewer calories than the regular version. A tall coffee-flavored frappucino light is a mere 90 calories. It doesn’t hurt to ask our local coffee shop if they have lighter versions of their blended drinks too.
Skip the whipped cream on top. That dollop of cream can add up to 60 extra calories to your drink. It’s a super easy way to save if you just skip it all together.
Simple syrup. If you want to jazz up your coffee but don’t want all the milk of a latte try ordering a bit of flavored syrup in your drink. A dash of vanilla, hazelnut or almond can really satisfy a sweet tooth. However, you may want to ask if they have sugar-free syrups because each pump of the regular stuff is around 20 calories. It may not sound like a lot but if 4 or 5 pumps of syrup is going in to your coffee than those little numbers can add up quickly. Don’t be afraid to be specific about exactly how much you want in your drink.
Think small. Do you really need a 20 ounce cup? You may think you do but it’s probably not the case. At least consider it.
Ask about flavored teas. Tea doesn’t have to be boring. Hot or iced, many coffee shops have an array of tea flavors that go way beyond your basic earl grey. Nothing beats a cold, fruity-flavored tea on a hot summer day and the fact that teas are next to zero calories sure doesn’t hurt. Many bottled teas tend to be sweetened with extra sugar (and therefore not calorie-free) so make sure to read the label if you are buying iced tea from a cooler.
So those are my coffee shop go-to tips but my ears are open if you have any other suggestions to pass along!
*Photo by @bdthomas.
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