3. Coffee
Sixty-four percent of Americans drink at least one cup a day. A plain cup of brewed coffee has only 2 calories — and no fat. But if you dress up your coffee with extras, whether at home or your favorite coffee shop, you also add extra calories.
See how many calories 1 tablespoon of these extras can add to your coffee:
- Table sugar: 49 calories
- Heavy whipping cream: 52 calories
- Half-and-half: 20 calories
- Fat-free milk: 5 calories
*High Calorie Coffees:
Dunkin Donuts Frozen Mocha Coffee Coolatta
Nutrition Facts: (32 oz) contains 990 calories, 47 g fat (29 g saturated fat), 125 g sugar and 8 g protein.
Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino:
Nutrition Facts: (16 oz) 410 calories, 16 grams fat (10 saturated), 270 milligrams sodium, 54 grams sugar
4. Juice/Smoothies
Pure fruit juice contains 100 percent juice and no other ingredients. Fruit drinks, in contrast, may contain some real fruit juice, but they can also contain added sugars, such as corn syrup, sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. These add calories without additional nutrients. Fruit drinks are similar in calorie content to 100 percent fruit juice, with 114 calories in a cup of apple juice. However, fruit juice is a healthier choice because of its higher content of natural nutrients, such as potassium in apple juice, vitamin C in orange and grapefruit juice and folate in orange juice. A lot of fruit in one smoothie can spike your blood sugar and cause digestive problems. A good rule of thumb is to stick to avocados and berries. Small amounts of sweeter fruits such as banana, apple, mango, and pineapple is fine, but keep those to a minimum. Smoothies high in sugar are a recipe for weight gain.
At the smoothie stand:
- Order a child’s size if available.
- Ask to see the nutrition information for each type of smoothie and pick the smoothie with the fewest calories.
- Hold the sugar. Many smoothies contain added sugar in addition to the sugar naturally in fruit, juice, or yogurt. Ask that your smoothie be prepared without added sugar: the fruit is naturally sweet.
Siddiqu “The Personal Trainer” is a CPT, motivational speaker, author of How Are You Fat and Saved?! He is also the Co-creator of the largest bootcamp in Chicago The No Excuse Bootcamp and the exercise series “You Would Think I Invented Sweat” for booking information or more fitness tips visit our NEW WEBSITE www.chicagofit4life.com Youtube www.youtube.com/chicagofit4life