Many Fancy Coffee Drinks Loaded With Calories

PHILADELPHIA -- Millions of people jumpstart their day with coffee, but do you really know what is in that cup of Joe?

As popular as a regular cup of coffee is, fancy flavored drinks are all the rage these days.

Philadelphia television station WCAU found that Starbucks has the highest calorie coffee drink. A venti -- or a 24-ounce -- double chocolate chip Frappuccino with whipped cream is 750 calories with 28 grams of fat. That's about the same as a McDonalds double quarter pounder with cheese.

"A Frappuccino and all those other highly caloric, sugary drinks have just as much calories as a meal, often," said Majorie Nolan, a registered dietician.

The station compared the popular Starbucks Grande Cafe Mocha with whipped cream at 400 calories and 22 grams of fat with Dunkin' Donuts most caloric blend -- a 16-ounce coffee Coolatta with cream at 350 calories, 14 grams of fat.

At Delancey Street Bagels in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., Eric Dahl showed the station how he makes a Snickers latte -- two shots espresso, 2-percent milk, a shot of caramel syrup and a shot of vanilla syrup, topped with chocolate. It all adds up to 318 calories.

"I have two of them in the morning. I enjoy it for breakfast. It can be a treat," Dahl said.

Delancey's, like most coffee houses, offers low-fat versions of the fancy drinks.

A regular cup of coffee has zero calories.

We still see more people getting coffee than fancy drinks," said Trish McFillin, of Delancey's.

Coffee companies are becoming more health-conscious. You can go online to Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks and plug in your favorite drinks and check calories and fat. You might even be able to formulate a lighter version of your favorite coffee drink without compromising taste.

Related Resources:
Dunkin' Donuts Nutrition Information
Starbucks Coffee Nutrition Information