That was Latte and not Late by the way, there was no spelling mistake. Anyone who knows Elaine and I will be fully aware of our passion for Costa Coffee. A “Skinny Medium Gingerbread Latte” is the drink of choice. Totally disregarding the expense it probably hurts me to say this but there was a definite addiction somewhere.
At almost a fiver for two drinks it’s no cheap place to drink on a daily basis. Our Costa visits were dropped quite sharp-ish when I started my journey to the Kingdom of “Thin-dom”. Firstly, the dairy content as skinny as it maybe, skimmed milk is only for instant coffee in very small quantities and not for 85% of a Costa Latte. Ouch! Then, if things weren’t sounding bad enough there is the shot of Monin Pain D’Espices.. Which roughly translates in to Gingerbread to save you adopting a quick French lesson. Big Ouch.
Last year we were fortunate enough to win a “Home” Costa machine in a competition. Not quite the same, but good enough and certainly acceptable if you know what I mean. As opposed to paying out more than a fiver it actually works out that a Gingerbread Latte is £0.53 each excluding a shot of Pain d’Espices. Which brings me on the cost of the “juice”… it pans out at about 11p a shot. So there you have it, Costa at home is £0.64 per glass of Latte. The biggest drawback of all this is the lack of Chocolate Muffins at Winterbourne Towers… Prior to Christmas it was probable that you could have located something within the bounds of the kitchen that would have gone down quite nicely, you know what I mean…a biscuit or three, a slice of cake or similar; these days……? No chance, the only thing you wil find is a sweet potato, an apple or a banana..take your pick. I know, its no compensation is it? Well, it is to me. So if you are thinking of calling for coffee, Costa or not…bring your own munchies.
So, I browsed the www for information on how bad things were and I came across an article that was published in the Daily Mail. Normally I would quote items and shed my own opinion on the views that were outlined. After reading the full article I decided to re-blog the whole thing as there are one or two valid points and the whole story reads quite well. It also fits quite well in to the theme of this post.
The following is an excerpt from “Don’t be a Latte fatty – The awful truth”
Don’t be a latte fatty – the awful truth about your daily caffeine hit
Whether you prefer skinny or whipped, with an extra shot of caffeine or a pump of syrup, your favourite beverage probably contains more calories, fat and sugar than you imagine.
Britons once favoured plain coffee or tea, but we’ve developed a love of gourmet drinks such as lattes and spiced teas – all bad news for our waistlines.
A recent report in The Journal Of The American Dietetic Association revealed that non-alcoholic beverages account for almost one quarter of Americans’ calorie intake and half of all their added sugar. Figures, experts say, are much the same in the UK.
The American nutritional advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, now says anyone who feels virtuous for grabbing a Starbucks latte, rather than something from McDonald’s, is misguided.
“Most people wouldn’t consider packing in a quarter-pounder between breakfast and lunch,” says the centre’s nutritionist, Jayne Hurley.
“But it’s perfectly possible to get more than 500 calories in a Starbucks drink.
“Many people assume that drinks are not calorific, but some contain huge amounts of calories and fat,” says Bridget Aisbitt, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation.
“Some of the fashionable gourmet teas and coffees have the same number of calories as a small meal and should be drunk infrequently and with caution.”
All figures given here are based on averages in drinks made from whole milk (where relevant) from High Street coffee chains.
LATTE
What is it: 1-2 shots of espresso with steamed milk.
Calories: Small, 200; large, 341.
Fat: Small, 10.6g (6.6 saturated); large, 17.9g (11.2 saturated).
Verdict: Surprisingly unhealthy. A large latte contains almost one third of the daily recommended fat intake for women. Add a vanilla shot and you 380 calories and 14.5g of fat in each large cup. This is equivalent to ten rashers of bacon.
How to make it healthier:
Stick to skimmed milk and the calories in your large latte drop to 160, reduce saturated fat to zero and still provide a healthy dose (450mg) of calcium. Soya milk contains 50 calories more per large serving, but is still healthier than whole milk.
CAPPUCINO
What is it: A mix of steamed and foamed milk added to an espresso shot.
Calories: Small, 122; large, 207.
Fat: Small, 6.4g (4g saturated); large, 10.7g (6.7g saturated).
Verdict: Better than lattes. But, with 6.7g of arteryclogging saturated fat in a large mug, it’s hardly healthy.
How to make it healthier: Ask for skimmed milk. This will remove the fat and cut the calories to 129 in a large drink (76 in a small). Sprinkle on cinnamon instead of chocolate.
AMERICANO
What is it: 2-3 espresso shots topped with water, and optional milk.
Calories: Small, 11; large, 23 (more with milk and sugar).
Fat: None (unless you add milk).
Verdict: Most people add milk, but to cut calories make sure it is skimmed. A few studies suggest that a high intake of caffeine promotes the leeching of calcium from bones, but the National Osteoporosis Foundation says adding milk will offset any such risk.
How to make it healthier: Avoid full-fat milk and sugar. Better still, take it black.
ESPRESSO
What is it: Coffee and water.
Calories: Single, 6; double, 11.
Verdict: If you don’t add sugar (10 calories per sachet), this is the lowest-calorie coffee. Consuming more than 5-6 cups a day is not recommended by doctors or nutritionists, but a strong black coffee 1-2 hours prior to exercise has been shown to be beneficial.
Substances in caffeine trigger the release of fats into the bloodstream during activity, enabling the body to use fat as its primary energy source, say researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport. You will also burn up the fat faster.
How to make it healthier:
A macchiato (espresso with foamed milk) provides some calcium and not many more calories (there are only 20 in a double shot drink). But avoid caramel and other flavoured macchiatos – a large one has 390 calories and 17.4g of fat.
HOT CHOCOLATE
What is it: Chocolate drunk with whole milk, often topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 357; large, 549.
Fat: Small, 18.7g (10.7g saturated); large, 27g (15.2g).
Verdict: A large cup has the calories and fat content of three hot dogs, according to the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. Worse is a large, white, hot chocolate containing a whopping 719 calories and 33.4g of fat.
Be wary of fast-food chains that make hot chocolates not with milk, but with a mix of sugar and non-dairy creamer (containing the unhealthy partially hydrogenated soybean oil and more sugar).
How to make it healthier: Go for a small, no-whip, skinny hot chocolate to drop your calories to 209.
VANILLA FRAPPUCCINO
What is it: A blended creme drink made from a coffee-free mix of sugar, syrup, milk and ice, possibly topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 344; large, 530.
Fat: Small, 12.5g (7g saturated); large, 18g (9.9g saturated).
Verdict: Blended cremes are a mix of sugar, milk and ice and contain just 190 calories in a small cup. But, the addition of syrups, such as banana and chocolate, turn them into a dieter’s disaster. You’d be better off with a small pizza.
How to make it healthier: Skip the whipped cream to save 94 calories (131 in a large frappuccino). Choose a small, low-fat coffee frappuccino with no cream – just 119 calories.
MOCHA
What is it: Three-quarters steamed milk, 3-4 pumps of chocolate sauce and 2-3 shots of espresso topped with whipped cream.
Calories: Small, 255; large, 484.
Fat: Small, 9.3g (5.4g saturated); large, 25.3g (14.3g saturated).
Verdict: Very fatty. This is sweetened with a massive 41g of sugar in a large cup. Things could be worse: a large white chocolate mocha with whipped cream contains 628 calories and 28.9g of fat.
How to make it healthier: Order a small skinny (skimmed milk), no-whip (without cream) dark mocha and your calorie count drops to 175.
CHAI TEA LATTE
What is it: A spiced tea mixed with whole milk and honey.
Calories: Small, 210; large, 362.
Fat: Small, 5.3g (3.3g saturated); large, 9.2g (5.7 saturated).
Verdict: Though it sounds healthier than coffee (tea has antioxidants), whole milk and honey bumps up calories and fat. A large drink is more calorific than a cheese sandwich.
How to make it healthier: Choose a milk-free iced tea (black or green) for just 80 calories and no saturated fat. A sugar-free black tea is better still. It is fat-free and rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.
Five ways to cut down the calories
It’s not all bad news – coffee has been shown to have several health benefits. Caffeine is thought to prevent memory loss in old age and can cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers in the Netherlands analysed cognitive decline in elderly men and found it to be four times greater in non-coffee drinkers than in those who drank three cups a day.
Here’s how to make your daily cup healthier…
1 Ask for skimmed, non-fat milk (known as a ‘skinny’).
2 Skip the whip: Whipped cream adds 80-120 calories and 7g of bad fat.
3 Sugar (10 calories per sachet) and syrups (70 calories per shot) bumps up your total. Ask for sugar-free syrups made with artificial sweeteners.
4 Low-fat milky drinks are a good choice as they contribute around 200mg of calcium to the recommended daily total of 800-1,000mg. The best sources include a skimmed milk latte (320mg of calcium) and a skimmed café mocha (277mg calcium).
5 Avoid adding sugary toppings to your coffee. Chocolate and caramel add between 6 and 15 calories.
Where is my skeleton? 