Starbucks Latte Abuse: Enough Already
First there was espresso - a rich dark caffeine fix full of anti-oxidants - 1 fluid ounce (30mls) and 5 calories. Then comes the latte - add lots of milk to that espresso. And then.... comes that worldwide favorite Starbucks. Starbucks have created more coffee abominations than you can throw a stick at. Coupled with their delightfully over-sized portions (and why is the smallest cupsize called Tall?), you have the privilege to imbibe an absurd concoction of sugar and fat. And somewhere deep down in that cup is the poor humble shot of espresso.
The Village Voice observes some of the recent holiday-flavored Starbucks creations.
The eggnog series, though a cute idea, was offensive in execution. An eggnog latte consists of espresso, a lot of eggnog mix from a supermarket carton, and milk. It is the color of a Caucasian baby's knees and the smallest size contains 25 grams of fat. Do people think because it is in some abstract sense "coffee," that it doesn't count?Other holiday specialties include the Pumpkin Spice Crème - where a medium size (Grande) comes in at 500 calories. There is also the super-sweet Gingerbread Latte (have a play with the Starbucks nutrition calculator).
Starbucks coffees are also known for their shockingly high caffeine levels.
Shoot me down for being a coffee snob, but this ever-increasing obsession with extravagant taste-titillation and over-blown portions is at the heart of society's weight problems.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo De Vinci
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58 Comments
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Created / Updated: January 11, 2012
If the coffee weren't so awful, you wouldn't need all these flavours, creams and syrups to disguise it. People need to reconnect to the wonderful flavour of honest, well made coffee.
ReplyFail. I don't believe you realize that taste is unique to each person (as color can be, theoretically, completely different for each person.) What makes you think just because you think a certain coffee is the real kind and the best tasting, everyone else should believe the same thing? This goes to everyone Stick to your own opinions and stop trying to force people to listen to you.
ReplyWell said - why is everyone on every forum I go to so quick to put others done & be negative!
ReplyUgh, I hate Starbucks coffee. It's so nasty you almost HAVE to put a bunch of creamer and stuff in it until you can't taste it anymore. :P
ReplySpectra, I hate Starbucks too. You do have to add a bunch of crap to make it taste decent.
ReplyThere is more than just coffee at Starbucks. There is so much that you have to like something there, unless all you eat is dirt. We don't serve dirt. I work there, I should know.
ReplyThe other problem I see is how much they market the sweet drinks and have them appealing to kids.
ReplyI'm shocked by the number of kids i know who drinkMochas and Lattes
Starbucks have always had this "brand" thing going on. Supposedly sitting in a Starbucks sofa sipping your mocha was hip (and I say "was"). This has always hidden the fact that as far as quality espresso goes - Starbucks is atrocious.
ReplyI used to drink frappucinos until I made myself realize how many extra calories and fat grams were in those things...and that yeah, their coffee tastes awful! I started brewing my own and have saved a lot of money--and calories. A mug of plain house blend coffee made at home with a spoonful of fat-free or skim milk is much more satisfying than shelling out $5 for a huge cup of a drink that's mostly sugar.
ReplyI am grateful I don't like coffee. If I did, I'd probably have been all over Starbucks stuff (seeing as how I seem to generally like things best that are worst for me) for the last few years.
I do wonder if this sort of outrage will make it to the mainstream. It certainly should be more widely understood that an average Starbucks drink packs a lot of food energy, but that doesn't seem to be common knowledge among my friends who like the place.
ReplyDieteer, that doesn't seem to be coffee anymore, anyway ;)
I like my coffee black, and possibly so strong that it can stand by itself, which is a blessing. No risk for me of packing extra calories due to added sugar, cream or milk. Even less risk of settng foot in a Starbucks (or whatever the equivalents are in my country--see, I don't even know their names!). I can't remember where I read that, that some of these latte-mocha-frappuccino-stuffa-thingitto can be about 300 calories. 300 calories for THAT? No way. If I'm really to get 300 extra calories, then I want them to be solid, not "only a drink" (that tastes awfully sweet on top of it).
ReplyStarbucks came out with light frappucinos and they taste the same as the regular ones- but they have less calories. a grande mocha light frappucino is 180 calories instead of 290 for a regular. if i go there i always ask for light on nonfat and no whip cream- like a nonfat tall vanilla latte with 170 calories
ReplyStarbucks also have many sugar free surups that can cut back on calories. Also someone could get an Americano and can add how ever much milk they want to it, half and half, whole milk, or skim. As for the taste, I like it, coffee is something that is an individual taste. Also, it is not just Starbuck that has high cal and fat beverages, every latte stand someone drives by makes their beverages the same way, with lots of fat and cal, unless you ask them to do it differently.
ReplyStarbucks actually isnt too bad for you depending on what you order. if you just get a regular latte or cappucino with soy milk or non fat. Although i dont like the idea of splenda their sugar free syrups have no calories. BUT the regular syrups have about 110 calories per pump. most drinks have 3-5 pumps of syrup in them. so hold the syrup!
ReplyLauren who the hell told you they have 110 calories per pump!? That's such a lie. I used to work at a Starbucks and I can assure you that the normal syrups have 25 calories per every 2 TABLESPOONS. That's maybe 4 pumps. ;)
ReplyHi - Starbucks nutritional information from their website says that the flavoured syrups have 81 calories for 4 pumps... less calories for less pumps.
ReplyMight sound like a silly question but how many calories do the sugar free syrups have? Just asking as you worked there and it isn't listed on the website. x
ReplyYou must have the biggest tablespoons in the world. Each pump is more than a tablespoon just by itself.
ReplyI think everyone is "attacking" starbucks, personally I think they have wonderful coffee (straight black, nothing in it) and it's about the uninformed decisions people make there, There are items that can fit in to a healthy lifestyle. if I want a latte, and want something sweet, I get a small skim, with sugar-free syrup.
ReplyBack off the Bucks!! I think people are just jealous they did not think of it first. There is one on every corner of my town and they all know me!!;) I used to get the Mocha but found out how fattening it was switched to light. Then someone told me about the vanilla sugar free fat free and went to that. Have been drinking them for months and when I tried a regular Mocha almost threw up it was so sweet and rich. I will keep my Vanilla ff sug free thank you. Oh and what IS in them to make me addicted. My 21 year old niece is convinced there is something!!!!!
ReplyActually, the Starbucks syrups have about 70 calories per ounce (2 tbsp). This is about 3 pumps. There are 4 pumps in a Grande and 5 in a Venti. Just order less pumps.
ReplyTry drinking an americano from Starbucks. I'd rather down a gallon of instant Nscafe classic (which by the way tastes suspiciously like dishwater).
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