It's holiday season, and with the festivities come creative ways to enjoy our favorite winter drinks. When it's cold outside and you're battling the winter weather, you feel somewhat justified in drinking what you want. However, you may be surprised at the calorie costs for some of the more common winter drinks. Take a peek and see if you can make the better choices - because when it comes to staying fit, it's all about the "better" choices.
[ To Download This Podcast as an MP3 file Right Click Here. Select "Save Target As" and Save on Your Desktop. ]
Hot Chocolate vs. White Hot Chocolate vs. Dunkaccino
What is white hot chocolate? Basically, it's traditional hot chocolate with added white chocolate and vanilla syrup. The key word is "added." At Starbucks a 16-ounce White Hot Chocolate with whipped cream is 520 calories - 450 without the cream, and 360 calories made with nonfat milk. Compare that with their classic hot chocolate, which is made with steamed milk, mocha syrup and whipped cream and comes in at 400 calories. Without the whipped cream and made with nonfat milk, it drops to 240. Not exactly a Calorie Bargain, but not bad for hot chocolate. A Dunkin' Donuts medium (14-ounce) White Hot Chocolate is 340 calories, and their Dunkaccino, which is a combination of coffee and chocolate, is 230 calories for 10 ounces. However, your best bet is the Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate Coffee, which is just 20 calories for 10 ounces - not bad. Or try making your own. One packet of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows mix has just 120 calories if you make it with water.
Hot Buttered Rum vs. Eggnog Eggnog has 340 to 460 calories per 8-ounce glass, depending on the ingredients used (typically egg, heavy cream and cognac). You can, however, make your eggnog lower in calories by using nonfat milk, egg whites and artificial sweetener, which would drop it down to about 100 to 110 calories per 8 ounces. And if you think hot buttered rum is much better - think again. It's made with rum, of course, but also loads of butter (just 1 tablespoon has 100 calories) and brown sugar, and it weighs in at anywhere from 220 to 350 calories per 8 ounces.
Hot Apple Cider vs. Hot Toddy A hot toddy is typically made with tea, honey and brandy, so depending on the recipe (a couple of teaspoons of honey is about 45 calories) you're looking at around 145 to 165 calories. The hot apple cider is a slightly better choice at 140 calories for 8 ounces, because it also has some nutritional benefits, such as a bit of niacin, riboflavin and a dash of vitamin C. Unfortunately, however, the processing strips out most of the really good benefits from the apple, including the fiber.
Gingerbread Latte vs. Eggnog Latte
A Starbucks Eggnog Latte, which is espresso, milk and steamed eggnog, has 480 calories for 16 ounces. If you shift from whole to nonfat milk, you'll save 30 calories. Move to a small (12 ounces) with nonfat milk and it drops to 350 calories. A Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, made with espresso, steamed milk and gingerbread-flavored syrup, will cost you 290 calories for 16 ounces without the whipped cream if it's made with whole milk. If you choose the 12-ounce version with nonfat milk it drops to 160 calories. Keep in mind that these numbers are just for Starbucks. If you go with the Gingerbread Latte from Dunkin' Donuts, it will cost you 400 calories for only 10 ounces.
Other holiday offerings at Starbucks include the Peppermint Mocha Latte, which has 350 calories for 16 ounces when made with whole milk - and if you choose whipped cream, add another 70 calories, making it 420. And the 16-ounce Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream has 560 calories. Your best bet is to go with a 16-ounce Gingerbread Latte made with sugar-free syrup and nonfat milk for 130 calories.
Irish Coffee vs. Spanish Coffee vs. Chocolate Martini
Spanish coffee usually contains coffee, coffee liqueur, (e.g., Tia Maria or Kahlua), rum and sometimes brandy, but it always has whipped cream and will cost you 350 to 400 calories for about 8 ounces.
Irish coffee is made with coffee, Irish whiskey or with Bailey's Irish Cream, sugar and heavy cream (or half-and-half), and will probably have slightly fewer calories: about 250 to 325. As for the chocolate martini, made with vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream and dark crème de cacao, it has about 440 calories. What about a simple Bailey's Irish Cream and hot coffee? Without any whipped cream or added sugar that's about 120 calories.
Christmas Punch vs. Champagne (Sparkling Wine)
A 4-ounce glass of champagne or sparkling wine is only about 85 calories, whereas the Christmas punch can be made with juice, soda (e.g., 7UP or Sprite), liquor, fruit and sugar. So, clearly the punch has a lot more sugar than the champagne and will cost about 130 to 150 calories per 4 ounces. And because punch goes down pretty easily (with all that sugar), you will probably drink about twice as much of it as you would of champagne.
Tom and Jerry vs. Mulled Wine
First of all, you need to know the basic ingredients in both these drinks. Mulled wine has a combination of red wine, sugar/honey, spices (e.g., cloves, nutmeg), orange peel and lemon peel for a total of about 210 to 300 calories per 5 ounces, depending on how much sugar (or honey) is added. A Tom and Jerry has eggs, milk, sugar (sounds like breakfast), rum and spices. It's sort of a hot version of eggnog, and the calories are similar, too - about 340 to 460 per 8-ounce glass. Mulled wine is the better choice, but your best bet would be a glass of dry red wine with a cinnamon stick - it's only about 125 calories for 5 ounces.
_____________________________________
CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible (Simon & Schuster, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com
Starbucks didn't always provide nutritional information. They were pressured by public health advocates and consumers to do so. They are getting smarter though -- now they launched their "Skinny" line -- 90 calories per drink.
Thanks for the useful information! Especially for my favorite drink, the chocolate martini. I had no idea they contained 440 calories... another reason why I don't drink them too often.
I do appreciate Starbucks because they lay our all their nutritional data, in all the possible permutations, on their website. I think if you choose wisely (e.g. nonfat milk), Starbucks drinks can be part of a healthy diet. They have less sugar than other chains.
From the "hmmm" files. This is from the prestigious journal Lancet. Promotion of healthy urban transport policies, such as walking and cycling, would help reduce both world oil demand and global food insecurity — not only through less car use overall, but by reducing the excess demands on food and car use from the obese part of the population. The issues are discussed in this week’s edition of the Lancet by Dr Phil Edwards and Dr Ian Roberts, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
The authors say: “Motorised transport is more than 95% oil dependent and accounts for almost half of world oil use. Because oil is a key agricultural input, demand for transportation fuel affects food prices. Increased car use also contributes to rising food prices by promoting obesity, which, for the reasons outlined below, increases the global demand for food.”
(Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine ) Contrary to long-held assumptions, high-salt diets may not increase the risk of death, according to investigators from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. They reached their conclusion after examining dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of adults in the U.S. The Einstein researchers actually observed a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with lower sodium diets. They report their findings in the advance online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The researchers analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which was conducted by the federal government among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. These data were then compared against death records that had been collected by the government through the year 2000. The sample of approximately 8,700 represented American adults who were over 30 years of age at the time of the baseline survey (1988-1994) and were not on a special low-salt diet.
My husband and I are not big drinkers but recently we both wanted a beer. In trying to make our home, and lives, greener we decided to try an organic beer. On a recommendation from a Whole Foods employee, we bought Peaks Organic Amber Ale. The beer was tasty and a great alternative to our favorite non-organic beer Sam Adams.
International Fitness Expert, authorof Sexy in 6, creator/star of over 15 exercise DVD's, Tracey Mallett has become a fitness icon to millions of moms and working women across the world. After her first pregnancy, a 55 pound weight gain she placed her career on hold with a complete lack of confidence. Tracey knows first hand that it's easy to lose sight of one’s identity and self-confidence with life’s daily stresses, and what it takes to get back into shape. She has made it her mission to help and motivate women to find their path to weight loss success with quick, simple, practical healthy solutions and sound nutrition.
The latest additions to Tracey’smany top rated fitness books, DVDs and workout solutions is Sexy in 6 and the 6 Minute QuickBlast Method, receiving rave reviews worldwide. The fast-paced and customizable book (offering workouts for pear-shaped and apple shaped women) two companion DVDs (6 Minute Quick Blast: Total Body Fat Burner and Total Body Calorie Blaster) and easy diet plan are designed to deliver results in just six weeks.
A pioneer in the fitness industry, who has helped millions to get fit, Gilad Janklowicz, continues to inspire and lead, with his consistent message, “keep it simple”.
This year Gilad’s television show, Gilad’s Bodies in Motion, now airing on Discovery Fit TV, celebrates its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running fitness show in history. Seen in over 80 countries world wide, in a viewer’s poll conducted by Discovery, Gilad won the title of “Television Fitness Instructor of the Year” in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Recently Gilad created a new fitness show for Fit TV, Total Body Sculpt withGilad, designed to give viewers a dynamic new concept in fitness that focuses on functional exercises, dynamic strength, toning and core training. Gilad was inducted into Israel’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the US National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2007.
No matter the medium, the message is consistent and commanding, states Gilad, "Fitness is a journey not a destination".
Calorie Bargain: Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, 2008) by Lisa Lillien
The Why: Lisa Lillien is fabulously creative when it comes to making fun healthy food taste great. She’s also a real person, a hungry girl, “not a nutritionist,” and relates well to her audience in this fantastic recipe book. The recipes are easy to follow, great tasting, and practical. She has recipes for healthy burgers, chocolate cake, frozen margaritas, fudge, French fries and onion rings. The book is a great gift or treat for yourself.
Calorie Bargain: Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The Why: The reality is that one in four American women dies of heart disease, and according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “most fail to make the connection between risk factors—such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol—and their personal risk of developing heart disease.” Plus It’s a 2 days away from Mother’s day – and if this is a pretty good way to say you love your mom --- recipes to help her live longer. As the recipes in this special collection show, you do not have to lose flavor to gain heart health and "keep the beat". Enjoy "Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken," "Red Hot Fusilli," "Crunchy Pumpkin Pie," and "Summer Breezes Smoothie." Contains more than 100 pages of tempting heart healthy, taste-tested recipes sure to please you and your family. Turn your meals from "ho-hum" to "yum-yum" experiences.
Join the Diet Detective's Weight Loss Program for unlimited access to meal plans, food and activity trackers, education sessions, and all the tools you need to lose weight. just $49.95 PER YEAR!
It's holiday season, and with the festivities come creative ways to enjoy our favorite winter drinks. When it's cold outside and you're battling the winter weather, you feel somewhat justified in drinking what you want. However, you may be surprised at the calorie costs for some of the more common winter drinks. Take a peek and see if you can make the better choices - because when it comes to staying fit, it's all about the "better" choices.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
International Fitness Expert, author of Sexy in 6, creator/star of over 15 exercise DVD's, Tracey Mallett has become a fitness icon to millions of moms and working women across the world. After her first pregnancy, a 55 pound weight gain she placed her career on hold with a complete lack of confidence. Tracey knows first hand that it's easy to lose sight of one’s identity and self-confidence with life’s daily stresses, and what it takes to get back into shape. She has made it her mission to help and motivate women to find their path to weight loss success with quick, simple, practical healthy solutions and sound nutrition.
A pioneer in the fitness industry, who has helped millions to get fit, Gilad Janklowicz, continues to inspire and lead, with his consistent message, “keep it simple”. 
Calorie Bargain: Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, 2008) by 
Calorie Bargain: Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
