NOW that December is officially upon us, it’s out with the Pumpkin Spice – and in with the Gingerbread Lattes and Mint Hot Chocolate.
Christmas is a time of indulgence, and with your favourite coffee shops rolling out delectable seasonal coffees and drinks, how can you resist?
From Millionaires Hot Chocolate at Cafe Nero, to Gingerbread Lattes at Pret and Butter Pecan Cookie Lattes at Costa, there’s much to choose from.
But taking a closer look at the ingredients and calories of these beverages might give you pause.
With generous dollops of whipped cream, sprinkles, syrups and even cookies, these drinks can teeter between 200 and 500kcal.
That’s certainly more calories than a mince pie – and almost a quarter of your typical calorie allowance for the day.
For reference, the average woman needs 2,000kcal a day, and the average man 2,500kcal a day, though this can vary if you’re trying to lose weight or gain some muscle.
“In terms of enjoying holiday treats like Christmas coffees, a little can go a long way,” Melissa Jaeger, Head of Nutrition at MyFitnessPal tells Sun Health.
“These likely would not be my top recommendation as an everyday beverage, but as an every once in a while [drink], certainly that’s okay.
“At the end of the day it’s not one meal or one drink or one snack that’s going to break your progress towards your goal,” Melissa points out.
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“But if we start incorporating these more frequently and we’re not paying attention to what the rest of our diet looks like, it can make it a little bit more challenging to reach those goals as we approach the New Year and really think about our health and well-being.”
So, how to strike the balance between enjoying the season’s offerings and keeping your health in mind?
According to Melissa, “it’s always good to be armed with some tips to still enjoy [festive drinks] while making progress towards your goals”.
The dietitian shares five ways to ‘hack’ Christmas coffees, without compromising on taste.
1. SHRINK IT
Want to get your Christmas coffee kick but wary of the calories?
Going smaller is a good way to start.
“If you’re looking for kind of a way to dip your toes in the water but without going overboard in terms of calories, sugar and fats, I always recommend opting for a smaller drink size if possible,” Melissa recommends.
“If you look at some of the sugar amounts in these drinks, they exceed NHS recommendations of 30g of free sugars per day for an adult.
“So by modifying that portion size, you can still get those favourite tastes and flavours of the holiday season, but with a little less hit to that total daily calorie goal.
“Because I imagine that there’s other festive treats that you want to be able to enjoy.”
Say you’re getting a Toffee Nut Latte at Starbucks.
A Grande size with trimmings – whipped cream and sprinkles – will add up to 237kcl per serving, along with 9.5g of fat and 28.1g of sugar, as per its website.
Whereas going down to a Tall will slash this to 192kcal, 8.4g of fat and 20.9g of sugar.
2. BALANCE OUT
Melissa says: “Oftentimes we forget just how quickly the calories in a drink can add up.
“Just looking through the nutrition facts of some of these beverages, [they can be] in excess of 400 calories.
“If you’re somebody who is following a 1500 calorie a day diet or an 1800 calorie a day diet and you’re getting over 400 calories from a singular drink, think about how that impacts all the rest of your meals and snacks.”
Striving for perfection when it comes to your diet can in fact “hinder” you, Melissa says, even if you’re trying to watch your calorie intake or lose some weight.
There’s no need to feel guilty after sipping on a sweet coffee – just adjust what you consume for the rest of your day.
The dietitian suggests using a nutrition tracking app like MyFitnessPal to log the calories, sugar and fat in each drink and see how it stacks up against what you’re consuming throughout the day.
Based on that, you can “make some adjustments” in order to “balance out” your Christmas coffee indulgence.
3. SUGAR AND SPICE
Added or free sugars refer to sugar that is not naturally occurring, like those in fruit, vegetables and dairy.
They don’t provide much “nutritional advantage” and having too much of them has been linked to “negative health impacts”, Melissa notes – from weight gain and diabetes to tooth decay.
“Lowering or paying attention to the amount of free sugars we’re consuming daily is really key when we’re trying to think about their impact on our overall health,” the dietitian says.
In festive drinks, these added sugars will come in the form of sweetened syrups, whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate shavings and cookies.
Sugar: The facts
Eating too much sugar can make you gain weight and can also cause tooth decay.
The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are “free sugars”.
These are:
- Any sugars added to food or drinks, including sugars in biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks.
- Sugars in honey, syrups (such as maple, agave and golden), nectars (such as blossom), and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies – the sugars in these foods occur naturally but still count as free sugars
Sugar found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables does not count as free sugars.
We do not need to cut down on these sugars, but remember that they are included in the “total sugar” figure found on food labels.
The government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5 per cent of the calories you get from food and drink each day.
This means:
- Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to seven sugar cubes)
- Children aged seven to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (six sugar cubes)
- Children aged four to six should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (five sugar cubes)
- Children aged two to three should have no more than 14g of free sugars a day (three and a half sugar cubes)
- Children aged one should have no more than 10g of free sugars a day (two and a half sugar cubes)
- There’s no guideline limit for babies under the age of one, but sugars should not be added to food or drinks given to babies.
A can of cola can have as much as nine cubes of sugar – more than the recommended daily limit for adults.
Source: NHS
“Toppings can seem like a really extra festive way to showcase these drinks, but oftentimes we’re putting a lid on the drink anyways and taking it out the door,” Melissa points out.
“Are you even noticing the toppings or the decoration, or is that something you could skip?
“Whipped cream and extra chocolate sauce or syrups can make calories add up really quickly, so if you want to quickly shave off a few of those calories you could simply skip the toppings.”
Another option is to ask for fewer pumps of syrup.
4. MILK IT
If you’re looking to shave off a few calories, it’s worth thinking about your milk base too.
“Oftentimes, the base may be something like a whole milk or a half and a half, which just has a little bit higher calorie and fat content,” Melissa says.
“So if you’re paying attention to that calorie amount, opting for something a little bit lower in fat content can help.
“Switching to something like a semi-skimmed or skimmed milk or even an unsweetened dairy milk alternative if you do have sensitivity to dairy milk could be a great option.”
Melissa advises checking with your barista to make sure your dairy free alternative – be that oat, coconut, almond or soy – isn’t sweetened or flavoured with vanilla.
“That can add additional calories and or sugar without you realizing it,” Melissa says.
But don’t assume plant-based is immediately better than dairy milk.
“Regular dairy milk will give you a bit of protein, but you can lower the fat content by having semi-skimmed or skimmed,” according to the dietitian.
5. PERFECT PAIRINGS
Starting your day with a festive drink or having it as an afternoon pick me up can give you a burst of energy – but as you’re basically consuming ‘empty calories’, it won’t keep you full and it can spark your blood sugar too.
You might soon find yourself “crashing” and craving snacks, Melissa says.
“When we’re grabbing these Christmas drinks with excess sugar calories, sometimes it’s really hard to recognise what’s filling us up,” she explains.
Melissa recommends pairing your drink with a meal, ideally one rich in protein and fibre.
“Regardless of what time of day you’re enjoying these treats, having them with other food is a good way to help navigate a potential spike in blood sugar and the subsequent crash that happens if we don’t have any extra fuel.
“That way your body has something else to be working on breaking down.
“Balancing it with nutrient-dense foods or sources of protein and fibre that can really help to satiate you, keep you full until your next meal and give you the sustained energy you need, while still enjoying or embracing these treats.”
But steer clear of pastries, cookies and mince pies, or other foods high in fat and sugar.
Let’s put these hacks to the test. I tried out Melissa’s tips on a couple seasonal coffees and asked the health team to give it a go too!
Pret A Manger
Highest: Frosted Mint Hot Chocolate 437 kcal
Lowest: Iced Gingerbread Latte 129 kcal
- Gingerbread Latte 335 kcal
- Frosted Mint Hot Chocolate 437 kcal
- Iced Gingerbread Latte 129 kcal
MAKE IT HEALTHIER
My first stop was Pret, where I ordered the Gingerbread Latte.
Described as “Pret’s organic latte with the warming flavour of gingerbread, topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon”, the drink adds up to 335 Kcal.
I ordered one with the works and another with a few tweaks.
The coffee usually contains three pumps of syrup so I asked for one and a half – one felt a little measly – and substituted for oat milk.
My first thought on trying the original was ‘decadent’! The cream and milk gave the drink a rich, silky feel. The first sip was delicious, but the cream and sweetness started to taste a bit sickly. I loved the dusting of cinnamon on top though.
My hacked version tasted subtly sweet and spiced, and I was able to pick up the coffee flavour more. The lower syrup amount was more to my taste and I continued sipping on it. It felt festive, without bringing on a sugar headache.
Starbucks
Highest: Eggnog Latte 365kcal
Lowest: Toffee Nut Latte 237kcal
- Eggnog Latte 365kcal
- Gingerbread Latte 274kcal
- Chocolatey Mousse Latte 288kcal
- Iced Chocolatey Mousse Latte 281kcal
- Toffee Nut Matcha Latte 272kcal
- Toffee Nut Latte 237kcal
- Gingerbread Matcha Latte 310kcal
- Iced Toffee Nut Cream Matcha Latte 274kcal
- Iced Gingerbread Cream Matcha Latte 273kcal
MAKE IT HEALTHIER
Assistant Head of Health Vanessa Chalmers hit up Starbucks, and gave the Chocolatey Mousse Latte a go.
It’s described as “a blend of espresso and nutty flavour sauce, combined with steamed milk, finished with a chocolatey cream whipped topping and a light dusting of cocoa powder”.
A Grande packs in a total of 288kcal, but Vanessa went for a Venti.
She was able to get her hacked version down to 217kcals, changing the size to a Short, switching the milk to coconut and having one shot of the sauce instead of four.
“The Chocolatey Mousse Latte is exactly what it says on the tin,” she says.
“It tastes like chocolate mousse, yum! With the added benefit of coffee. It’s a creamy, velvety hot chocolate with a twist.
“But to my surprise, the altered version tasted exactly the same, albeit more coconutty, because I got coconut milk (one of the least calorific milk alternatives).
“I got one shot of Nutty Sauce. You can’t even taste the nuttiness with the original, so this is a huge waste of calories (four shots!) and probably sugar.”
“The texture wasn’t that different, despite having no whipped cream – this was my biggest FOMO, though. The original has a lot of seemingly unnecessary frills.”
McDonald’s
Highest: Coconut Hot Chocolate 249kcal
Lowest: Grinch Frozen Lemonade 132kcal
- Grinch Frozen Lemonade 132kcal
- Coconut Hot Chocolate 249kcal
- Coconut Latte 228kcal
MAKE IT HEALTHIER
Senior health reporter Isabel Shaw liked the sound of the McDonald’s Coconut Latte – an option for those who prefer their festive beverage a little less on the sweet side, perhaps?
It’s described on the website as “a smooth latte, blended with coconut flavour syrup, topped with cream and glistening sprinkles”.
The larger size packs 228 calories when garnished with the toppings.
Wanting something lighter, Isabel went for the smallest option – the regular – which came to a more acceptable 180 calories.
Ordering from the self-service touchscreen kiosks, she was able to remove the cream and sprinkles, bringing the calorie count down again.
“As someone who actually quite enjoys the taste of coffee I found this drink a bit underwhelming,” she says.
“Any coffee flavour was completely masked by the syrup. It had a hint of coconut, but mostly just tasted like very sweet hot milk.”
She adds: “McDonald’s automatically puts two shots of coconut syrup into each of these drinks, and I couldn’t find a way to cut it to one on the kiosk.
“If I could, perhaps I would have felt like I got my coffee fix and so enjoyed the drink a bit more!”
Caffé Nero
Highest: Orange Hot Chocolate 466kcal
Lowest: Iced Nero Baileys Matcha 187 kcal
- Millionaires Hot Chocolate 424kcal
- Gingerbread Latte 352kcal
- Orange Hot Chocolate 466kcal
- Iced Nero Baileys Matcha 187 kcal
- Nero Baileys Tiramisu Latte 248kcal
MAKE IT HEALTHIER
“Caffe Nero’s Millionaire’s Hot Chocolate is a decadent treat for the festive season – if you’re looking for a hot chocolate with all the trimmings, you won’t be disappointed,” Health News Editor Katrina Turrill says.
She tried it with all the trimmings first – “indulgent hot chocolate flavoured with salted caramel, topped with chocolate cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce”, according to Cafe Nero’s website.
The whole lot is a hefty 424kcal.
“A healthier alternative is cutting down on the pumps of salted caramel, from two to one,” Katrina adds.
“Although if you don’t like things so sweet you could cut this out completely – there wasn’t much difference between one and two pumps of the syrup.
“Of course, you could give the chocolate whipped cream and caramel sauce drizzle a miss, but then you run the risk of having just a classic hot chocolate.
“So if you’re looking to cut down on the calories, skip the salted caramel syrup, opt for a low calorie milk, but keep the chocolate cream and caramel sauce drizzle topping for that true ‘Millionaire’s’ taste.”
Katrina customised hers by opting for semi-skimmed milk, one pump of salted caramel syrup, and no chocolate cream or caramel sauce.
