The hidden sugars in iced coffee revealed by health blogger
Some iced coffee drinks have more sugar than soda
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Your support makes all the difference.With summer around the corner, iced coffee drinks may sound like the perfect energy-boosting treat - but in reality, they can be full of hidden sugars and calories.
Fitness and health blogger Amanda Meixner shared the facts about those delicious but potentially unhealthy iced beverages on her Instagram - and how you can swap ingredients for healthier alternatives without compromising on taste.
In a series of Instagram stories, Meixner, 26, informed her 633,000 followers that a grande Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 400 calories and 61g of sugar - and almost no coffee.
To back it up, Meixner shared a screenshot of a conversation with a former Starbucks barista who wrote: “I used to work at Starbucks and it was seriously the smallest little driblet of coffee. Like less than 1/10th of the cup.”
Essentially, Frappuccinos offer a lot of sugar, syrup, calories, and milk - but a minimal caffeine hit.
And to put the sugar content into perspective, Meixner informed her followers a bottle of Coca Cola has less sugar than a grande Frapp - 9g less.
Nixing the whipped cream topping does save you 100 calories, according to the Starbucks website - or you could swap the drink for a similar-tasting healthier option.
Fortunately, Meixner offered her followers an alternative - iced coffee with coconut milk, which has just 25 calories and 2g of sugar.
However, she warned that you have to remember to order the beverage unsweetened, as “you’re already sweet enough” and each pump of sweetener adds 20 calories.
According to Meixner, who regularly posts food comparisons and healthy alternatives, swapping Frappuccino “sugar bombs” for unsweetened iced coffee with coconut milk is “an easy swap that will save you a ton of calories and sugar.”
Or, if you were looking to lose weight, ditching the flavoured coffees altogether in favour of black coffee may be of help.
According to nutritionist Sarah Flowers, drinking a cup of coffee in the morning can boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite.
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