Winter is the season of tantalizing winter beverages. Spiced cider, rich lattes, creamy eggnog, all these winter beverages provide great opportunities to curl up with something warm and soothing. But you really do need to watch out – many of winter’s most popular drinks are full of cream and sugar and have unappetizing calorie counts. Here’s a countdown of the season’s worst offenders.
7. Hot Cocoa
Hot cocoa or hot chocolate, that quintessential winter beverage, doesn’t have to pack a calorie-laden punch.
Prepared from a mix with water and no whipped-cream topper, two cups of hot cocoa contain a relatively slim 220 calories and 2.2 grams of fat. Each serving can go up to 400 calories and 31 to 41 g of sugar, depending on what kind of milk you use. But things get really hairy when you add booze: 1.5 ounces of rum tacks on another 97 calories, while a splash of a sweeter spirit, like coffee-flavored liqueur, adds 160 calories and another 17 g of sugar. That means a single mug can have as many as 560 calories and 58 g of sugar—that’s more sweet stuff than the FDA says you should eat in an entire day.
But one homemade recipe with all the toppings—we’re talking chocolate chips, vanilla extract, whipped cream, sugar and milk—contains a decadent 775 calories and 66 grams of fat per two-cup serving.
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6. Eggnog
Try to stay away from the pitcher of eggnog at all those holiday parties this year: A two-cup serving contains 686 calories and 36 grams of fat. If you must give in, either drink a smaller portion or mix with milk or coffee.
RELATED: 5 Drinks That Help You Lower Cholesterol Quickly
5. Hot Apple Cider
Apple cider is high in vitamin C, but it’s packed with sugar, too, which leads to its hefty calorie count. A two-cup serving without any extras can cost you 286 calories and has a whopping 55.2 grams of sugar. That’s more sugar than you’ll find in a 2.17 oz. bag of Skittles candy (47 grams).
4. Irish Coffee
Spiking an innocent cup of black coffee with alcohol and cream will ratchet up the drink’s unhealthiness.
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One shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream contains 94 calories and 5.8 grams of fat, and you can multiply that by however many shots it’lltake to keep you, well, warm. Double it for a nice big mug of coffee, and you’re talking 188 calories and nearly 12 grams of fat.
3. Chai Tea Latte
This spice-laden seasonal favorite is chockfull of the sugar and milk used to flavor the tea.
A grande chai latte from the café chain Cosi has 191 calories and 3 grams of fat; a grande Starbucks chai latte has 250 calories and 4 grams of fat.
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte
It’s not the holiday season until Starbucks breaks out its festive red cups, and with them the chain’s winter flavors, from gingersnap to peppermint mocha.
But look before you sip: a grande pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream, delicious as it may be, will set you back 380 calories and 13 grams of fat.
1. Hot-Buttered Rum
This colonial-era recipe combines sugar, butter, cinnamon, ice cream and rum for a rich, warming treat.
One large serving (two cups’ worth) of the fireside favorite packs 600 calories and 26 grams of fat.
Best Drinks This Winter
Hot Toddy
You may consider a hot toddy if you want to enjoy a low-calorie alcoholic beverage during the holiday season. Alcohol is a source of “empty calories,” meaning it has a lot of calories but no nutrients. A hot toddy uses whiskey, which is a lower-calorie option. There are about 100 calories per 1.5-oz serving.1
A hot toddy also doesn’t require add-ins or mixers that are high in calories or added sugar. The recipe requires honey and lemons. Honey is a natural sweetener that’s been shown to have antibacterial properties.13
Add one shot, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of honey, and the juice of half a lemon to 1 cup of hot water to make a hot toddy. You can also add fresh ginger for a boost of flavor.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is a refreshing and naturally calorie-free beverage that’s made up of the peppermint herb. Peppermint’s roots can be traced back to ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, where it was used to treat digestive problems.3
It’s believed that the potential health benefits of peppermint are related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.4 People use peppermint not only to address digestive issues but also to treat headaches, colds, and sinus infections.3
You can enjoy peppermint tea—available in tea bags or loose leaves—hot or cold. Peppermint tea’s cool and minty flavor is a refreshing palate cleanser. It offers a delightful contrast to the heavy, savory dishes and sweet baked goods that characterize the holiday season.
