Best And Worst Summer Coffee Chain Beverages
Au Bon Pain
Worst: Coffee Blast (440 calories / 21 grams of fat )
Best: Iced French Vanilla Coffee (15 calories/ 0 grams of fat)
Want something sweet and a bit creamy? At Au Bon Pain, the Iced French Vanilla coffee will be your best option with 15 calories and zero grams of fat. Steer clear of the Coffee Blast, which will certainly deliver a blast, of calories that is. The addition of ice cream means this drink has 440 calories and 21 grams of fat, just as much as a regular meal.
Caribou Coffee
Worst: Espresso Cooler (210 calories/ 4 grams of fat)
Best: Iced Northern Lite Mocha (140 calories/ 3 grams of fat)
While words like "mocha" generally indicate a high-calorie drink, the Iced Northern Lite Mocha at Caribou Coffee is one of the better options to satisfy your craving for a frosty drink. With 140 calories and 3 grams of fat, it packs less of a punch than some of their other, unassuming drinks. Despite the innocent name, the espresso cooler will give you 210 calories and 4 grams of fat for a small.
Dunkin' Donuts
Worst: Iced Caramel Mocha Latte (220 calories/ 3 grams of fat)
Best: Iced Caramel Mocha Coffee (120 calories/ 0 grams of fat)
Headed to Dunkin' Donuts to satisfy your sweet coffee craving? If it's the caramel-mocha combo you crave, the Iced Caramel Mocha Coffee is your best bet. With 120 calories and zero grams of fat, it'll satisfy your sweet tooth without destroying your diet. Ditch the Iced Caramel Mocha Latte, which, at 220 calories and 3 grams of fat for a small, will leave you with a sugar and caffeine high.
McDonald's
Worst: Chocolate Chip Mocha Frappé (530 calories/ 24 grams of fat]
Better: Iced Coffee (all flavors) (140 calories/ 5 grams of fat)
Best: Regular Coffee (0 calories/ 0 grams of fat)
McDonald's Chocolate Chip Mocha Frappé may seem over-indulgent, and it is. This drink manages to put 530 calories and 25 grams of fat into the single serving size. While an iced coffee would normally be a better option (it certainly is a healthier option on most menus), steer clear of the McDonald's version. With a laundry list of ingredients and a high calorie count — it comes with added milk and sugar — this drink clocks in at 140 calories and 5 grams of fat. Must go to the McCafé? Choose the regular coffee and add the milk and sugar yourself.
Starbucks
Worst: Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino Blended Beverage (480 calories/19 grams of fat)
Better: Mocha Frappuccino Light Blended Beverage (130 calories /.5 grams of fat)
Best: Iced Coffee (90 calories/0 grams of fat)
Starbucks is promoting the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino as its new summer drink, but this fat-laden Frappuccino contains roughly the same calories and fat as a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger. To get a similar chocolate and coffee frozen blend with significantly fewer calories, try a Mocha Frappuccino Light Blended Beverage and save a whopping 350 calories and 18.5 grams of fat. While it may be the best of the cold coffee beverages, just be aware that Starbucks sweetens its iced coffee when they brew it, so before you add any milk or sugar, your coffee is hitting the 90 calorie mark.
Starbucks
Worst: Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino Blended Crème (470 calories/ 17 grams of fat)
Best: Strawberry Smoothie (300 calories /2 grams of fat)
All the milk and whipped cream added to your Strawberry Frappuccino drink cancels out any nutritional value it would have had. For a fruity flavor without the unnecessary indulgence, swap the Frappuccino for the Strawberry Smoothie and save 170 calories and 15 grams of fat. With strawberry purée, a whole banana, and whey protein inside, this smoothie satisfies even the strongest sweet tooth while nourishing your body.
Starbucks
Worst: Tazo Chai Frappuccino Blended Crème (360 calories/ 15 grams of fat)
Better: Tazo Iced Chai Tea Latte (270 calories/ 7 grams of fat)
A blend of sugary chai tea, whole milk, and ice, topped with whipped cream, can set you back 360 calories. While the iced versions of these tea lattes do lower the calorie count, watch out for the hidden calories still lurking in your favorite drink. For a healthier chilled chai experience, try a nonfat Tazo Iced Chai Tea Latte, with 200 calories. It's not the healthiest tea drink on the menu, but it'll still satisfy your cravings.
Starbucks
Worst: Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Crème (430 calories/16 grams of fat)
Better: Tazo Iced Green Tea Lemonade (130 calories/0 grams of fat)
Best: Tazo Iced Green Tea (0 calories/0 grams of fat)
Don't be fooled by the green tint and deceiving title. Adding milk, sugar, and whipped cream to heart-healthy green tea counteracts any health benefits it may have, and makes the Tazo Green Tea Frappuccino one of the most high-calorie Fraps on the Starbucks menu. It may be tempting to add lemonade to the green tea to give it that extra sweetness, but your Tazo Green Tea Lemonade will still have as many calories and as much sugar as a can of soda. Your best bet is a Tazo Iced Green Tea which contains zero — yup, zero — calories. You can sip guilt-free on this cancer-fighting, heart-healthy drink all day long!
Tim Hortons
Worst: Iced Cappuccino (310 calories / 15 grams of fat)
Best: Iced Latte (210 calories/ 6 grams of fat)
While a traditional cappuccino may have less milk than a latte, Tim Hortons' iced cappuccino is anything but traditional. An iced cappuccino has 310 calories and 15 grams of fat, while ordering an iced latte will save you 100 calories an 9 grams of fat. Choose the iced latte for a moderate milky coffee indulgence.