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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – No matter where you live, there is a coffee shop on every corner and many of us cannot get through the day without our special cup of “joe.” Is your coffee habit adding to your expanding waistline? What are the researchers saying?
We know that liquid calories are less satisfying that food calories. We know that in the last 40 years, on average, we are drinking over 200 extra liquid calories a day.
A recent research study published in Preventing Chronic Disease looked at late afternoon beverage consumption at two national coffee chains (Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts). The findings provide a good deal of useful consumer information that could be helpful for many who can’t seem to get their weight under control. It might be the coffee they’re drinking.
Neither Starbucks nor Dunkin’ Donuts is in business to make their customers fat. But they both represent trends in coffee and tea consumption in this country and provide a good illustration of consumer behavior that could be modified to help control weight. Coffee chains have proliferated in recent years from the two coasts throughout the rest of the country. The United States National Coffee Association estimates that 55% of American adults drink brewed coffee daily and 17% drink blended coffee daily.
Of those who frequent coffee chains, blended beverages are becoming increasingly popular. Blended beverages, both hot and cold, include the addition of milk, sugar, syrups and whipped toppings. The researchers found that those who frequent Dunkin’ Donuts are more likely to order simple brewed coffee which averages 69 calories a drink with milk and sugar. For consumers who regularly visit specialty coffee chains, like Starbucks, two-thirds ordered blended coffee beverages. Only 20% of customers chose “light” options. Forty percent opted instead for whipped topping which adds 60 to 150 calories a drink, depending on size. More than half of the blended coffee and tea drinks ordered had more than 300 calories.
Calorie counts are high because the size of coffee and tea drinks has exploded over the years. A small coffee today is usually 12 ounces and a large can be as much as 24 ounces. If you add milk and sugar these regular coffees add up to 120 to 240 calories a serving. But you are just having a cup of coffee, right? Add 200 extra coffee calories to your food intake each day and it can amount to almost 20 pounds gained at the end of the year. Subtract those 200 calories and you could lose 20 pounds.
But you love your after-work coffee on the way home. Okay, here are few hints to make it a better choice. First, skip the whipped topping. Next, ask for sugar free syrup, which has the same taste, but far less calories. Ask for nonfat milk and save 75 calories or soy milk and save 32 calories. Even 2% milk offers a 20 calorie saving over whole milk. Twenty calories doesn’t really sound like that much. But if you have 5 coffees a week for 52 weeks a year, this simple switch can save you 5200 calories or 1.5 pounds of added weight. If you add to that the savings from skipping the whipped topping and requesting sugar free syrup you eliminate enough calories to lose over 7 pounds in a year. And, you’ve changed nothing else about your eating habits or your exercise routine. That should be an eye opener for most.
When you stop at your local coffee chain for a pick-me-up:
Keep the serving size small.
Opt for lowfat, nonfat, or soy milk.
Skip the sugar or consider using a no calorie sugar substitute.
Ask for sugar free syrup and stick to 1 pump.
Pass up the whipped topping.
And, remember black coffee and plain brewed tea has only 2 to 4 calories in an 8 ounce cup. Add-ons and supersizing add calories and cause you to pack on the unneeded pounds.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 7 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to The Nutrition Experts
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