I cannot start my day without a cup of coffee. It makes me a nicer person. So, every morning I brew up a big pot and dump in some Splenda and a heaping helping of French Vanilla creamer. Figured I was doing ok, after all, black coffee is zero calories and so is Splenda. The creamer? I figured it couldn’t be more than 50 calories or so.
Boy, was I wrong. Yesterday I decided to actually read the nutrition label on the creamer (what a novel idea) and found out it is 45 calories per tablespoon! I’ve easily been dumping in a ¼ of a cup of creamer into every cup of coffee I drink – meaning, I’ve probably been consuming 300-400 (undocumented) calories a day just from my coffee!
Hidden calories are sneaky little things- you practically need to hold a Congressional Hearing just to figure out what the hell you’re consuming. So to all my fellow coffee-addicts out there – here’s a caloric wake-up call.
Dunkin Donuts (10 oz.) coffee with cream and sugar, 120 calories
Dunkin Donuts Coffee Coolatta (16 oz.) made with milk, 210 calories
Starbucks Cafe Latte (Grande) made with whole milk, 260 calories
Dunkin Donuts Gingerbread Latte (10 oz.), 330 calories
Venti Mocha Coconut Frappuccino with whipped cream, 710 calories
Now, there is nothing wrong with splurging on a Frappuccino every now and then – just be sure you know ahead of time what you’re getting into. The other 99.9 percent of the time, use these tricks to fend off hidden waist-enlargers:
-Always, always, always READ THE LABEL and MEASURE - most chain-coffeehouses have nutrition information on their websites
-Substitute skim milk for whole milk or creamer
-Use a non-caloric sweetener like Splenda or Equal instead of sugar (you really can’t tell the difference)
-If it sounds fancy, and you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably full of calories
-And…
If you’re buying coffee out, bring a washable, reusable travel mug and ask the coffee barrista to use your mug instead of their disposable cups – they are usually happy to oblige (ok, ok, this has nothing to do with calories, but it is much more environmentally-friendly! All those disposable cups add up to lots of landfill waste…)
4 responses so far ↓
1 alice
// Jan 24, 2008 at 3:07 pm
i stopped drinking coffee when i learned that caffeine increases insulin resistance and water retention. i know stopping coffee is pratically impossible for some people so i guess i would suggest that you switch to a fat free (or low fat) creamer? that may help cut down the calories.
2 Fatty
// Jan 25, 2008 at 5:38 am
Its amazing how those little things add up. I know that is one of my biggest problems - sneaky calories that arent being counted… a taste here, a bite there. Over the course of a day it can really add up!
BTW, I love your idea about bringing your own cup to the coffee house!
3 b, the better body blogger
// Jan 25, 2008 at 10:41 am
Hey guys! Thanks for checking in!
Isn’t is crazy?! All this time I’ve been consuming tons of calories without even knowing it! I just did the math - if I did nothing other than cut out my coffee addiction, I’d lose 3/4 of a pound every week.
Alice- good idea. I think it’s time I switched to skim milk or something. Not as good, but well worth the sacrifice!
Fatty - I’m glad you liked the coffee mug suggestion! The way I see it, getting a “better body” isn’t just about weight loss - it’s about being an all-around better person and changing one’s lifestyle.
4 Acai Health Benefits
// Feb 10, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Wow, I never thought about that. Definitely something (significant) to watch out for.
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