Its summer time and you want a cool refreshing drink. You pass Dunkin’ Donuts on every street corner and notice the promotion for a small Coffee Coolatta for only $1.99! Before you know it, you’re in the store debating which flavor to get. This morning, your summer diet really started, so you order a small Strawberry Fruit Coolatta. Little do you know, this drink is the third most fattening option you could have chosen. Do not be tricked by the name of the drink!
| Name of drink | Calories in Size Small | Calories in Size Medium | Calories in Size Large |
| Vanilla Bean Coolatta | 430 cal. | 650 cal. | 860 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with cream | 330 cal. | 490 cal. | 650 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with whole milk | 170 cal. | 250 cal. | 330 cal. |
| Coffee Coolatta with skim milk | 140 cal. | 210 cal. | 270 cal. |
| Tropicana Orange Coolatta | 220 cal. | 330 cal. | 430 cal. |
| Strawberry Fruit Coolatta | 300 cal. | 440 cal. | 590 cal. |
In comparison the Coffee Collatta with skim milk is the option with the least calories. Ordering a small iced coffee with skim milk and Splenda is only 30 calories and is just as refreshing. If you’re craving an extra twist to your daily iced coffee choose Hazelnut or French Vanilla flavor.
If you’ve been on a roll with making healthy choices and switched from a regular Latte to ordering a Latte Lite, here is the approximation of calories that you’ve been saving. A small regular Latte is 120 calories; with sugar added it is 170 calories. A small Latte light is 80 calories; with vanilla added it is 90 calories. Therefore, you save approx. 40-90 calories.
Dunkin Donuts has recently updated their menu offering healthier options under their DDSMART menu. One of their healthiest choices is a freshly brewed unsweetened iced tea, with only 5 calories in a small.
You’ll be surprised to learn that choosing an Old Fashioned Donut over a plain bagel will save you about 50 calories. The healthiest way to satisfy your sweet tooth is to order plain cake munchkins, 50 calories each. This way, you’ll curb your cravings for a sweet snack and save some extra calories.
If you’re more of a Starbucks fan, READ HERE.
Instead of stopping by Dunkin’ for a Coolatta, you run to Starbucks for a Frappuccino. The healthiest frap is a, brace yourself, Tall Espresso Frappuccino with light blended coffee. The light blended coffee fraps are not milk based. Therefore, ordering with skim over whole milk will not affect the calorie count in your drink. By choosing light blended coffee over regularly blended coffee you are saving yourself 60 calories.
If you’re not a Frappuccino lover, you may want to try an iced latte. The healthiest way to order your iced latte is with skim milk and sugar free, aka the “Skinny Latte”. This drink has a calorie count of 60 calories for a tall.
Tip: Always opt for no whipped cream. The addition of the whipped topping on your drink adds up as hidden calories you may not be counting!
The Bottom Line:
While ordering your coffee, don’t rush. Use these smart tips to lessen the calorie count of your drink.
- Always ask for skim milk instead of whole milk.
- Order sugar free options and add Splenda to sweeten your drink.
- A simple coffee is always the smartest, lowest-calorie choice. Coffee has almost no calories; it’s what you add to it that counts.
- Make sure you say NO to whipped cream. Even the smallest amount of whipped cream topping could add about 100 calories on to your drink.
