We are college students, up late writing papers, studying for midterms, staying up until all hours on the weekends, so it makes sense that we are addicted to caffeine. However, did you ever stop and think how many calories are in your café mocha, non-fat milk and ‘no whip’? Well it has about 220 calories for only a 16 ounce drink. Many of us have more than one caffeine fix a day so you can consume over 500 calories without taking a bite.
Plain black coffee on the other hand only has about 10 calories in a medium sized cup. It is not the coffee itself that may be causing your weight gain, but rather the add-ins that up the caloric intake. One tablespoon of both chocolate and table sugar has 50 calories apiece. Yes, your drink might taste better with lots of sugar and caramel drizzle but remember, a moment on the lips, but forever on the hips.
Before you head to your favorite coffee spot, make sure you check their nutritional information online. Starbucks, for instance, nicely lays out all their nutritional information on their website so you can see that there are 440 calories in that peppermint white chocolate mocha. The average latte has anywhere from 200-400 calories for a medium drink–so be wary!
So, does this mean you can’t enjoy a latte now and then? Of course not! Just try to limit your intake of fattening coffee drinks. For your day to day coffee intake, try to follow these tips:
- Stick with non-fat milk. One tablespoon only has 5 calories.
- Use sugar free syrups. They won’t add any extra calories to your drink.
- Always, always, always say no to whipped cream
- Request zero calories sweeteners such as Equal or Splenda.
- Feeling adventurous!? Drink caffeinated tea. Eight fluid ounces has only 2 calories.
Sources:
http://www.cultofmac.com/109019/starbucks-will-give-you-a-free-iphone-app-with-your-coffee/