SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - Some frappuccinos and other iced coffees may contain as many calories as a double cheeseburger and fries, a British-based cancer charity warned Monday. The World Cancer Research Fund said the combination of sugar, full fat milk and cream in some beverages push the drinks into the upper levels on the calorie scale.
"The fact that there is an iced coffee on the market with over a quarter of a woman's daily calories allowance is alarming," Dr. Rachel Thompson, the group's science program manager, said in a statement. "This is the amount of calories you might expect to have in an evening meal, not in a drink." Thompson suggested shopping around, as low calorie iced coffee options are available.
As a general rule, it's best to go for an unsweetened version with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and to stay clear of beverages containing a lot of cream or sugary fruit syrups that tend to be higher in calories, she said. The group also recommends water as the best drink for cancer prevention. Unsweetened tea and coffee made without cream are preferred over sugary drinks.
Coffee chains give details on the contents of their drinks and food items on their websites and stress consumers can ask for the drinks to be made with skimmed or soy milk. The estimated daily calorie requirement for an average woman is 2,000 calories and 2,500 calories for an average man. Dieters are advised to aim for 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day.
