The markets are in town, the Christmas trees are up and the festive jumpers have begun to emerge, which can only mean one thing… our favourite Christmas drinks are back for the countdown to Christmas! These seasonal coffees bring a level of excitement that no other caffeine beverage can offer.
Ever wondered which coffee house offers the most for value, has the most choice of festive frappés, AND is best for your waistline? Well look no further, Her Campus have found out everything you need to know!
Based on a medium size drink, we have found the most favourable calorie option from each of our favourite coffee shops:
Costa Coffee: Skimmed Caramel Latte with just 152 calories is Costa’s calorie friendly coffee.
Caffé Nero: We just couldn’t decide which drink is our favourite, so it’s a joint entry from Caffé Nero! Roasted Chestnut Latte with semi-skimmed milk and the Ameretto latte with semi-skimmed milk, both ranking in with just 191 calories, are the winning drinks from Caffé Nero this Christmas.
Starbucks: Skimmed Pumpkin Spiced Latte with just 184 calories is Starbucks’ most slimming drink.
It seems that Costa are winners for the title of the most slim-friendly drink, however it should be noted that to achieve these low calories in the likes of Starbucks and Costa you will have to opt for skimmed milk, and Café Nero can still compete with their semi-skimmed equivalent. With this option you get to experience the comforting creaminess of the fuller fat versions!
Costa have a very impressive 10 choices of hot Christmas drinks, closely followed by Café Nero and Starbucks with a respectable 8 for you to choose from.
Overall price comparisons show Café Nero to be the cheapest option, followed by Costa and then Starbucks ranking as the most expensive. And if Café Nero being the cheapest offer still doesn’t impress you then you might be tempted by the chance for a free hot drink? Now that’s got your attention hasn’t it! If you are the owner of an O2 Priority Moments app then you’re in for a treat because Café Nero are offering a free hot drink every Tuesday until the 30th December!
In my opinion the best place for us all to indulge in our favourite festive drinks is in fact Café Nero. Whilst not being the winner for the lowest calorie drink, you can have a semi-skimmed version which is much more fulfilling and festive that the alternatives offered by Starbucks and Costa. Overall across their Christmas selection the average calories are lower than their Starbuck and Costa equivalents. Café Nero have a respectable amount of choice for you to experience over the Christmas season and with the low cost and the chance for a free drink the others just can’t compete!
During our research into what’s inside these festive drinks we were shocked by just how many calories we can take off our average order by taking a few cuts every now and then.
Tip 1: Opt for skinny. Choosing skimmed milk over the standard full fat version can knock off around 60 calories off your medium sized drink and choosing soya milk can still knock off almost 40 calories which isn’t bad either.
Tip 2: Save the whipped cream for special occasions. Whipped cream on your medium hot drink adds an extra 60 calories- which let’s face it, we don’t need. Opt for chocolate topping for 6 calories or caramel for just 15!
Tip 3: Watch out for sugar content! Whilst we have helped find the lowest calorie options the high street can offer us, there is still a high sugar content in a lot of these drinks, some of which contain more than our daily allowance. Let’s face it, the warm chocolatey heaven was never going to be a thigh friendly treat – something tasting that good is bound to have its consequences, so indulge with some restraint.
Edited by Amelia Bauer
References
http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/761c7196fdf7443797ebea502d7db5ad.pdf
www.studentmoneysaver.co.uk/caffe-nero/
http://www.londontoolkit.com/blog/eats/coffee-shop-chains-in-london/
http://www.costa.co.uk/nutrition/
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