It’s the ultimate time of year for indulgence and coffee chains are jumping on the holiday spirit bandwagon by introducing festive beverages that might satisfy your sweet tooth, but also pack plenty of fat and calories by adding heavy cream, milk and extra sugar.
If you don’t want to look like Santa Claus come the end of the year, the coffee shop is a simple place to make smarter choices.
“For every high-calorie drink you forego in December, it’s an hour on the treadmill you won’t spend in January,” editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of the best-selling “Eat This, Not That!” series David Zinczenko told the New York Post. “If you cut out caloric drinks, you can pretty much eat whatever you want this year.”
Zinczenko recommends choosing a cappuccino over a latte when contemplating your morning java order, since it contains less milk and fewer calories. If you fancy something more festive, you can customize your favorite holiday beverages to cut calories and fat.
If your favorite holiday coffee is a Caramel Brulee Latte… Save 110 calories by choosing nonfat milk and skipping the whipped cream: 240 calories, 0g fat, 9g protein, 50g carbohydrates.
If your favorite holiday coffee is an Eggnog Latte…Save 130 calories by choosing making your Eggnog Latte an Eggnog Frappuccino Blended Coffee – and skip the whip: 240 calories, 5g fat, 5g protein, 44g carbohydrates.
If your favorite holiday coffee is a Gingerbread Latte…Save 110 calories by choosing nonfat milk and skipping the whipped cream: 150 calories, 0g fat, 9g protein, 29g carbohydrates.
If your favorite holiday coffee is a Peppermint Mocha… Save 100 calories by choosing nonfat milk and skipping the whipped cream: 220 calories, 2g fat, 10g protein, 26g carbohydrates.
Of course, if you want to skip the calories altogether, brewed coffee and plain tea are figure-friendly options. If you crave flavor, instead of downing a sweetened latte, consider adding a flavor shot (preferably sugar-free) to regular coffee — which is only about 5 calories in its natural state.