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Is mocha madness widening your waistline?

On a cold morning, what's better than a steaming, frothy latte from your local coffee shop? On a hot summer afternoon, can anything beat a frozen mocha smoothie? If they get to be a daily habit, though, those delicious coffee concoctions could start adding inches to your waistline.

Espresso – a thick drink, popular in Italy – is used to make other coffee drinks, such as:

  • Cappuccino. Espresso with milk and milk foam. Cinnamon or cocoa powder are often sprinkled on top.
  • Latte. Espresso with milk added.
  • Mocha. Latte mixed with chocolate and often topped with whipped cream.

Loaded with fat and calories

Drinking a Starbucks Caffe Mocha® has been compared to sipping a Quarter Pounder With Cheese® through a straw. Both have about 500 calories. A Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino® contains 650 calories and 25 grams of fat. That's similar to a regular coffee with 11 creamers and 29 packets of sugar. Fattening ingredients include whole milk, ice cream, sugary flavoring syrups and whipped cream.

What's in your drink?

Here are the calorie and fat counts of a few popular 16-ounce coffee drinks.

  • Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha® – 490 calories, 24 grams of fat.
  • Baskin-Robbins Turtle Blast® – 540 calories, 17 grams of fat.
  • Tulley's Espresso Shake® – 804 calories, 42 grams of fat.

Lighter versions

You don't have to give up your favorite coffee drink all together. Order a lighter version. Starbucks offers a fat-free Caffe Latte® with only 160 calories. Baskin Robbins offers the Non-fat Cappuccino Blast®. It's also fat-free, with 210 calories. Tully's Espresso Spin® has 2 grams of fat and 324 calories.

Slash calories and fat by trying these tips:

  • Go nonfat. Ordering a 16-ounce cappuccino or latte with nonfat milk instead of whole will save you all of the fat, plus 50 to 100 calories.
  • Skip the whipped cream. Whipped cream can add about 120 calories and anywhere from 7 to 12 grams of fat.
  • Don't add sugar. If you order a sweetened drink, ask for sugar-free syrup. If you order an unsweetened drink, add Splenda® or Equal®. Sprinkle cinnamon or vanilla flavoring for some extra flavor.
  • Go light. Drinks like the Starbucks Frappuccino Light® and the Dunkin' Donuts Latte Lite® can reduce your calorie count by about 100. The whipped cream is left out and sugar is replaced with Splenda. Have a Starbucks Caffe au Lait with milk for only 145 calories or a cappuccino with non-fat milk for only 100.

Other beverage choices:

If you just have to have your morning latte or cappuccino, make up for it during the day with smart beverage choices.

  • Serve water with meals. Add a slice of lemon, lime or another fruit.
  • Add 100 percent fruit juice to sparkling water for a refreshing, low-calorie drink.
  • If you drink soda, try the small, 8-ounce cans, which contain about 100 calories.
  • Brew decaffeinated tea and add a sugar substitute.
  • Blend coffee, ice and nonfat or soy milk for a low-calorie frappe. Add flavoring.
  • Combine fruit, nonfat yogurt and ice in a blender for a low-fat smoothie. If extra liquid is needed, add fruit-flavored tea, water or ice.

Diane Griffith
HealthAtoZ writer

Reprinted on February 28, 2007, courtesy of HealthAtoZ. For more information, please visit http://www.healthatoz.com.

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