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Coffee is one of the most beloved morning beverages to start the day off with, and with the caffeine content to give your energy a boost, there isn’t much not to love. Black coffee is inarguably the best option for weight loss as it contains a number of health benefits from providing a metabolism boost to offering valuable disease fighting antioxidants.
However, preparation is everything when it comes to determining the nutritional value of your morning drink of choice, and there are certain ways you could be crafting or purchasing your coffee which may be skyrocketing the calories and negating any nutritional benefits your cup could offer. The next time you’re out ordering coffee to kick off your morning, there’s one order in particular that health experts warn steering clear of in order to keep from drinking your calories and overloading your diet with sugar.
Starbucks Frappuccino
It may not come as a huge surprise, but the Starbucks Frappuccino is possibly the worst coffee order to regularly start off your day with. Packed with sugar and an overwhelming amount of calories, it’s more accurate to classify this drink as a dessert than a coffee. “Frappuccinos are a cold, blended coffee beverage with coffee, milk, ice and flavored syrups. The flavored syrups can add a high amount of sugar--in some instances more than a can of soda,” warns Holly Klamer, MS, RDN. While black coffee provides a slew of health benefits, these are all negated by the syrups and dairy added in.
Certain frappuccino orders may be worse than others, but generally speaking, every option on the menu is a calorie bomb to the system. “For example, a grande Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino provides 55 grams of sugar. A grande Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino provides 60 grams of sugar. Even just a plain grande coffee frappuccino provides a surprising 45 grams of sugar,” says Klamer. “Compare these to a 12 ounce serving of soda which provides 36 grams of sugar. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends women limit daily added sugars to 24 grams of sugar or less.”
Compared to black coffee or even a lightly sweetened option, frappuccinos can slow your metabolism over time with the sugar content alone. “The extra sugar and calories from these frappuccinos can cause a surge in blood sugar followed by a crash which signals the brain it is time to eat again which is not great for metabolism,” says Klamer. RD Heidi Moretti agrees that both sugar and trans fat can make a dent on your metabolism. “They are full of sugar, trans fats, and very high in calories, all of which cause inflammation in the energy-burning parts of the cell,” she says.
Instead, you’ll be better served ordering a lightly sweetened coffee with oat milk if you’re looking for something creamy without front loading your day with calories. You can still order frappuccinos on occasion, as a well-rounded diet is one which can include your favorite foods in moderation, but making it an everyday habit will only increase the difficulty of losing weight over time. Kicking sugar cravings can be difficult at first, but removing frappuccinos from your morning routine may make it that much easier to reach your healthy body goals this summer.
