Iced coffees 'a meal in a drink' (contain as many calories as a hot dinner)

BBC News ^ | 7/26/2009

[SeekAndFind]

Some iced coffees being sold on the high street contain as many calories as a hot dinner, a cancer charity warns.

The chief offender had 561 calories, others contained more than 450, and the majority had in excess of 200.

It is the combination of sugar, full-fat milk and cream which appear to push some of the cool coffees into the upper echelons of the calorie scale.

The World Cancer Research Fund, which identified the drinks' calories, noted healthier versions were available.

The "venti" or largest version of Starbucks' Dark Berry Mocha Frappuchino - a limited offer for the summer - contains 561 calories - more than a quarter, WCRF notes, of a woman's daily calorie intake.

Take away the whipped cream and it has 457 calories. The smallest version, without whipped cream, provided 288.

But even some options with skimmed milk are high in calories. At Caffe Nero, the skimmed version of a Double Chocolate Frappe and a Mocha Frappe Latte contain 452 calories, WCRF said.

Costa Coffee's summer offerings are rather more modest but may still contain more calories than a chocolate bar. The Massimo Coffee Frescato contains 332 calories, while the primo-size, the smallest available, just under 200.

WCRF said it was highlighting calorie content, because after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight "is the most important thing you can do to help prevent cancer".

In fact it suggests people should become as lean as possible without being underweight.

Earlier this year it estimated that 19,000 cancers a year in the UK could be prevented if people lost their excess weight.

Dr Rachel Thompson, Science Programme Manager for WCRF, said: "The fact that there is an iced coffee on the market with over a quarter of a woman's daily calorie allowance is alarming.

[SeekAndFind]

Be prepared for iced coffee to be taxed as something that contributes to obesity. You read it here first.

[al baby]

I love iced coffee whats left in the pot in the afternoon gets poured over ice no sugar no nothing thats an ice coffee not that crap you buy at starstrucks

[GOPJ]

Mildly overweight people live longer - we should be taxing tofu.

[gwilhelm56]

Leave off all that stuff .. 0 calories..
this is a new group.. or is it just the Center for Science in the public interest with a NEW FAX MACHINE!!??

Remember ... No Fat, no sodium, no cholesterol, no sugar = NO TASTE!!

[FlingWingFlyer]

A “cancer charity” studying iced coffee? What the hell is that all about?

[Rodamala]

Quoting al baby-

I love iced coffee whats left in the pot in the afternoon gets poured over ice no sugar no nothing thats an ice coffee not that crap you buy at starstrucks

Everyone thinks it's odd, but ME TOO! Italian Roast 8 O'Clock Coffee, FTW!including the online rewards points, I can get it on sale for $1.47/lb. It beats EVERYTHING out there, hands-down.

I do everything in my power to brew my own iced coffee and save a TON of money. No cream, no sugar, thanks.

[Prodigal Son]

I first had an ice coffee in Greece. Was in Thesaloniki I believe. Ordered a salad and coffee and when the waiter brought it it was ice coffee. It was a wickedly hot day. It went down really well. Been a fan ever since (although I don’t drink as many here in Edinburgh where the sun rarely shines and the temperature rarely wanders past 65 in the summer :-(

[Lawgvr1955]

Some busybodies forget that life is to be enjoyed.

Anything that gives another human pleasure is a target of these leftists.

They should consider taking a high colonic and leaving others alone.

[JoeProBono]

[death2tyrants]

The chief offender had 561 calories

They must have skimped out on the creamery. I like DQ's Blizzards. A medium Brownie Batter is 900+ calories of sheer heaven.

[Minn]

I love iced coffee whats left in the pot in the afternoon gets poured over ice no sugar no nothing

I don't drink coffee at all, so I'm in no position to judge relative coffee preparations that all taste bad to me, but that sounds horrible.

[blueplum]

because after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight "is the most important thing you can do to help prevent cancer". In fact it suggests people should become as lean as possible without being underweight.

heard over loudspeakers in the not-to-distant future:
"You will not eat food. You will not smoke. You will not eat food. You will not smoke. Smoking causes cancer. Food causes cancer. Smoking is bad. Food is bad. Food causes cancer. You will not eat fo....

[Minn]

this is a new group.. or is it just the Center for Science in the public interest with a NEW FAX MACHINE!!??

"Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine". Google it with this supposed cancer outfit and get a bunch of hits.

Anytime you see some stupid article like this complaining that people are enjoying food, these people and their animal rights activism are behind it.

[al baby]

Its an acquired taste my mom turned me on to it

[dmz]

I contend that the best iced coffee can be found in those little vietnamese pho joints. (OK, it was best in little cafes in Hanoi or Saigon).

Ca phe sua da.

Single serve press with a healthy glop of sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice.

Hmmm, getting on to lunchtime. Pho Tai Nam with a ca phe sua da?

[SeekAndFind]

I contend that the best iced coffee can be found in those little vietnamese pho joints.

Is it also your contention that they don't contain a lot of calories ?

[dmz]

Is it also your contention that they don’t contain a lot of calories ?
_______

Sweetened condensed milk is 130 calories per tablespoon. Coffee none, so I would guess 130-200 calories per cup, depending on the sweetness factor. Certainly nothing like the gucci drinks being discussed in the article, and IMHO, way more satisfying and tasty.