Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Grabbing a Coffee on the Run

When I stop into one of the local coffee shops to grab a cup of joe, I don't usually worry myself with the details about what it is made with. Then again, I typically order a coffee and add my own creamer and sometimes a bit of sugar, at most a teaspoon.

But what if you do order one of the specialty blends offered on the menu board? Say, a venti Starbucks Carmel Chocolate Frappuccino. Do you know what you're getting?

Well, Starbucks has the nutrition facts on their website in an easy-to-use format - it's also an eye-opener! That venti Carmel Chocolate Frappuccino, with whipped cream - a whopping 730-calories!

But here is the really *disgusting* bit of information: that cup of coffee has 117g of total carbohydrate, of which 97g are sugar! That's right - more than 24-teaspoons, you read that right 24-teaspoons of sugar in the cup of coffee. Good grief!

People pay for this? Pay to have someone else make their cup of coffee with an unbelievable amount of sugar in it?

Honestly, would you order a plain cup of coffee and then proceed to add 24+ teaspoons of sugar yourself? Here's a more alarming visual - that's more than a 1/2 cup of added sugar!

Would you ever consider adding that much sugar to your coffee?

Grabbing a coffee on the run may be convenient, but it's important to be aware of what you're getting! Before you order blindly, ask to see the nutrition facts for the various offerings - if they're not available, stick with ordering a regular cup of coffee and add your own creamer and sweetener. That way you're not unwittingly sabatoging your diet or your health with insane amounts of added sugar!

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:31 AM

    My God, that's alot of sugar. Not a great way to start the day, eh?
    I love making my own coffee in the morning. A splash of cream, a packet or two of Splenda and topped off with a two second spray of whipped cream.
    And life is good...
    Adam;-)

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  2. To say I was shocked by the amount of sugar added to the specialty coffees at Starbucks would be an understatement. It's just disgusting - and I doubt most people know how much is being added! I can't imagine anyone adding that much sugar on purpose - that it's part of the "recipe" and done for customers, I think, is outrageous.

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