Are you drinking all your calories?
If you're a busy person on the go you're probably consuming a popular beverage at least 3 times a week (if not every day). Starbucks has taken over every corner of the city, Jamba Juice is ever so popular and energy drinks such as; Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar are go to drinks when people are tired.
Now, I will be the first person to admit that I love all of these places and drinks. I had my parents ship me monster when I was in Las Vegas for Miss USA to help give me needed energy on the long days. One problem is that many people will fore go a nutritious meal for one of these drinks. Or consume them in addition to their diet, when perhaps their goal is to loose weight or be more nutritious.
A Starbucks grande caramel Frappuccino Blended Coffee is 380 calories, 130 of them being from fat. and for fall one of my favorite ingredients, (pumpkin), a grande Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Blended Creme is a whopping 470 calories. If you drank roughly 3 of these in one week you could potentially gain 1/2 a pound. -3500 calories = 1lb. Now you may not think thats a lot, however after one month you will have gained 2 pounds and after one year 24 pounds. (obviously, there are various factors to take into account such as exercise, age, etc.)
The great thing is Starbucks, as well as many other chains, have more nutritional options to help you stay on track with your goals. Getting a tall instead of a larger size will automatically help you keep your calories down. Starbucks also has skinny options, with numerous sugar free syrups to add for flavor. Ask for fat free milk as well. Here are a few options to try:
A tall Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee is only 120 calories.
A Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, which uses sugar free syrup and fat free milk is only 130 calories.
Tall Nonfat Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte with 120 calories.
You know I am all about a great treat every once in a while. So
definitely treat yourself to a great drink once in a while. I have to
get at least 1 tall Caramel Apple Cider with Extra Caramel from
Starbucks every fall. :)
At Jamba Juice try a Jamba Light smoothie. My personal favorite is the
Tropical Awakening, which is not on the menu anymore. However, most of
the people still know how to make it a Jamba (thanks for that by the
way, and sorry I just told everyone haha).
A popular and delicious smoothie the 16 oz.Peanut Butter Moo'd has a
whopping 530 calories. So consider that when choosing your next
smoothie. Jamba Juice is great about displaying the nutritional
information about all of their drinks in a book located in each store.
Check it out before you order next time.
When you're heading out for the evening and reaching for that energy
drink, grab a sugar free or a low carb one instead of the original. It
will save you many many calories.
These are ideas for those of you looking for healthier options at some
of your favorite places. I wanted you to know that your goals can
still be achieved without foregoing some of your favorite stops along
the way.
Have a fun and fit day, Chicago.
Let me know if you have any other suggestions or questions.
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2 Comments
Tim said:
People need to read this before they EVER drink another energy drink again. It's a real eye-opener. http://phkey.com
EatRightAroundChicago said:
You are so right, Ashley, to call attention to this! Liquid calories can sneak up on us and it's not like we eat less when we drink more. A 2006 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article estimated that 21% of our total calorie intake comes from beverages! Depending on the source of data, our total calorie consumption has increased by 5-15% in the past 20 years.
Thanks for the great post!
Sincerely,
Jenna
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