It is that beautiful time of year when the colors on the trees start to change, everyone goes apple picking and the kiddies are sent back to school. We also start to realize that those “extra few pounds” we put on over the summer need to come off! However, did you ever think that your “daily morning coffee”, “cup or tea” or “snack” from Starbucks could actually make a difference in this weight gain? Guess again. You would be shocked at how important the choices you make are when considering your health and waistline.
Most often when I go to Starbucks, I avoid getting a treat/baked good because of the million calories! Instead, I often opt for a white hot chocolate instead and feel really proud of myself (can still get rid of that chocolate craving without eating the giant brownie that I secretly want more than anything in the world). You would be shocked to know that, a white hot chocolate from Starbucks (with which cream and 2% milk) is EQUAL TO EATING 12 FRENCH CRULLERS FROM COUNTRY STYLE!!! …so I could have had that brownie I secretly wanted and it wouldn’t have made a difference anyways!
Yep, a Starbucks “white hot chocolate”, has 490 calories!!!! That is just insane. Now keep in mind, this is including the whipped cream and 2% milk …but who doesn’t get the whip cream on their hot chocolate? 😉
Have no fear though, there is a better option which still includes “chocolate”. The crazy thing about all this, is that a regular “hot chocolat”e from Starbucks has HALF THOSE CALORIES (290 calories total) and only 9g of fat (versus the 19g of fat in the white hot chocolate!!!). Who would have thought?! ..a much more healthy snack idea for your mid-day break or “pick-me-up” on the way home from work.
So why is the”white hot chocolate” more calories?
Simple. It is more processed. As if Starbucks melted the chocolate and spent hours making it! We have all seen the 100 syrup pumps behind the counter of “artificial flavors/sweeteners”. This is just a guess, but lets face it, to get all their products tasting soo amazing and consistently getting us to come back day after day, they most likely had to add more sugar and artificial flavors.
We wanted to show you how important the choices you make are in your everyday eating. What may be “perceived” as less calories is not always the case. So next time you feel like a hot drink, opt for a “hot chocolate” at Starbucks as a healthier snack idea.
Feel free to leave a comment if you liked this article. I can post more healthier snack/lunch ideas if you are interested.
