When most of us have a craving for our daily coffee, we don't usually think about what's going into it. Especially when we're running late for work or school. When it comes to many of our favorite coffee places, like Starbucks, we just order on our app, and head to our nearest shop to pick up our latte or frappuccino or macchiato. Calories and sugar aren't usually at the forefront; it's caffeine we seek.
But many of the drinks at Starbucks are loaded with calories and sugar that might have us thinking twice before we place that order. A standard cup of black coffee has many health benefits, and only has around two calories, with no fat or sugar. Compare this to the same-size Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, which has 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 15 grams of sugar, and you might think of making that switch.
The recommended calorie intake for fully-grown, active adults is between 1,600 and 3,000 per day. Some of the drinks at Starbucks that are shockingly high in calories could account for nearly half of the recommended calorie intake. By choosing black coffee alone, you're getting a beverage that is better for you, is packed with antioxidants, and has some connections to disease risk reduction, and mood improvement.
Let's look into these 10 Starbucks drinks that are shockingly high in calories.
Starbucks Calorie Bombs
Just to clear something up right away, most of the Starbucks frappucinos pack a huge caloric punch. The ones included here each have their slight calorie differences, but any time you order a variation on a frappuccino, you can count on it coming with a whole lot of calories (350-480+). Now, let's get into it.
1. The White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino®
There are 350 calories in the White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino with 43 grams of sugar and 17 grams of fat. This is more dessert than coffee drink as it doesn't include caffeine unless asked for.
2. Caffè Mocha
Starbucks's Caffè Mocha clocks in at 370 calories for 16 fluid ounces. This includes 15 grams of fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of protein, and 35 grams of sugar.
3. Mocha Frappuccino®
The blended Mocha Frappuccino also has 370 calories per 16 fluid ounces. It has 15 grams of fat, 22 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of protein, and 51 grams of sugar to its name. While you'll also get around 100 milligrams of caffeine, the frappuccinos at Starbucks come with a whole lot of unhealthy numbers.
4. Caramel Frappuccino®
This icy blended beverage from Starbucks has around 380 calories in 16 fluid ounces. There are 16 grams of fat, 230 milligrams of sodium, 55 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of protein, and 54 grams of sugar. Don't forget that these typically come with whipped cream and caramel sauce, so up the sugar!
5. White Chocolate Mocha
A grande (16oz) White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks has a whopping 390 calories and that doesn't even account for added whipped cream! If you use Starbucks's handy customizable calculator, you can see how adjusting for things like more pumps of flavoring, or types of milk might change the calories.
6. White Hot Chocolate
Honorable mention here for the White Hot Chocolate from Starbucks. While not a caffeinated drink, this one keeps pace with the other options on this list, clocking in at 400 calories. It has 48 grams of sugar and 18 grams of fat with white chocolate sauce, steamed milk, and whipped cream.
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7. Iced Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino®
The Iced Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino has 410 calories with 63 grams of sugar and 15 grams of fat. Check out the website to see how further customizations on the 16-ounce order affect its overall calorie count. Note that this is the same calorie count for a few other frappuccino variations including chocolate chip.
8. Matcha Crème Frappuccino®
While you may be thinking “Hey, green tea is healthier,” this drink actually isn't all the much better than the chocolate variations. The Matcha Crème Frappuccino from Starbucks has 420 calories per 16 fluid ounces. There are 61 grams of sugar and 16 grams of fat.
9. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino®
Jumping up a few notches, in terms of calorie count, we have the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino with 470 calories in 16 fluid ounces. With whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and crunchy caramel candies, there are 60 grams of sugar, and 22 grams of fat in this blended Starbucks drink. This drink's cousin, the Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappucino clocks in at only 10 calories less overall (460).
10. Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino®
Cranking it up to 480 we have the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. The 16-ounce grande has 55 grams of sugar and 24 grams of fat. With whipped cream, mocha sauce, and chocolate cookie crumble on the outermost layer of this coffee drink, those 95 milligrams of caffeine definitely have a sugar rush!
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