This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
The last 18 months has been hard on all of us, and if you’ve been finding ways to treat yourselves from online purchases to fast food delivery–we don’t blame you. That might involve an extra order of fries or a big, syrup-y drink from Starbucks–all in the name of “coping.” But if losing a few of those Covid-19 pounds is also on your radar, experts warn that ordering the specialty drinks from coffee chains like Starbucks is the worst mistake you could make. The health benefits of the spices and dairy these drinks contain are negated by the high-sugar and high-fat content, doctors specializing in weight loss warn. I’m sorry to crush all your PSL dreams on the eve of this glorious season–but you’ve got to hear what health experts told us about these drinks:
Ordering ‘Featured’ Drinks
Starbucks has a “Featured” section of its menu where it spotlights new seasonal items like the current Fall offerings of Apple Crisp Macchiato and Pumpkin Spice Latte. If you are trying to lose weight, you should never order items directly off this menu prepared exactly as Starbucks is offering them.
Take the famed Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin Spice is typically a blend of health-boosting spices such as ground cinnamon (may reduce cholesterol), nutmeg (anti-aging), ginger (weight loss and brain health) and cloves (antioxidant-rich). But thinking that you’re getting any health benefits at all when ordering this seasonal menu item could be the one big mistake you’re making, doctors say.
“While the benefits of the individual spices are amazing, just adding them to high sugar, high fat foods does not make those foods healthy,” board certified physician and nutrition specialist Dr. Melina Jampolis warns us.
The same goes for other specialty drinks, too. "People make an assumption that it is healthy to start one's day with dairy, which is true to an extent) until it's packed with caramel, chocolate sauce, and other premixed 'special' favored powders," board certified internist and bariatric specialist Dr. Amy Lee agrees.
Exactly, how bad is the nutritional content of these drink specials? By the time someone walks out with a venti double caramel macchiato, they've taken in a whopping 350 calories (51% of the calories from sugar), Lee warns.
So--specialty coffee orders are bad. But what should you order instead? Start with your coffee base and add in what you want or need accordingly, rather than ordering exactly what Starbucks has on the menu, Dr. Lee, who is the Head of Nutrition for Nucific, advises. "People likely don’t need 5 pumps of vanilla flavoring in their drink, but can start by ordering black coffee and adding in low-fat milk and control the amount of pumps of sugar they get," she suggests. Order one or two pumps of the favoring if you really crave it, and see if that hits the spot. We're trying this immediately!
