Festive Sugar Shockers

Picture this: You're watching someone make a cuppa. They add a teaspoon of sugar. And a second. Then a third. Okay maybe that's a bit excessive, they must have a very sweet tooth – but then they keep on going, adding a whopping 15.5 teaspoons of sugar!! Impossible you say, it would be completely undrinkable?

Well prepare to be shocked by the sugar content of some of the seasonal special drinks served up by our favourite coffee shops. Check out the info below!

Grande Caffè Nero Winter Spiced Hot Chocolate

61.9g of sugar

That's 62 grams of the sweet stuff, dissolving in your mug. How is there even room for so much sugar?

Venti Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte

51.5g of sugar

Nutritionist Emma Brown (MSc) explains: "These drinks should be an occasional treat, not a replacement for your daily coffee. Many are laden with an unbelievable amount of sugar and calories, and we often accompany them with a high sugar and fat snack too.

Mince pie martini

48.9g of sugar

"And be wary of the 'upsell': coffee shops are great at encouraging us to 'upsize' our drink or add a pastry. They also use different words for drink sizes – massimo, medio, grande, venti – bit of a smokescreen? 'Venti' doesn’t sound quite the same as 'massive'!

Medio Costa Coffee Hazelnut Praline & Cream Latte

35.5g of sugar

"By all means enjoy a treat, just be aware of the cost – in sugar content and calories".

Mulled wine

35.3g of sugar

Emma's coffee shop tips:

1. Drink calories aren't free! Check calories and nutrients the same way as you would for high sugar, high calorie foods
2. Don't 'upsize' – choose the smallest serving
3. Skip the pastries

Eggnog

21.6 of sugar

*Note: The hot drinks are typically made with milk – so around 4 tsp (16g) of sugar will be made up by natural milk sugars. Sugar from natural sources is not of concern, it’s the added sugar we need to be mindful of.