Thursday, July 30, 2009

Fattening!

Milkshake is as fattening as fish and chips
Could be batter ... Burger King's chocolate shake

Could be batter ... Burger King's chocolate shake

WE may watch what we eat, but should we look closer at what we DRINK too?

Experts this week warned that calories in coffees and fizzy drinks are contributing to expanding waistlines - and could be a dieter's downfall.

Scientists from the World Cancer Research Fund revealed some iced coffees are staggeringly high in calories and are essentially a meal in a cup.

Starbucks' venti dark berry mocha frappuccino blended coffee with whipped cream has one of the highest calorie counts at 561 - more than a hearty dinner of fish and chips.

Another recent report revealed the average Brit glugs an incredible 200 litres of soft drinks a year, with consumption peaking in the summer months.

Catherine Collins, from the British Dietetic Association, said: "A lot of people don't consider drinks part of their normal diet.

"They forget they drink calories as well as eat them."

And liquid calories pose an extra peril. Unlike food, drinks don't tend to make us feel full. A study of 800 adults by American researchers revealed cutting out sugary drinks instead of food could be a more effective way of losing weight.

Catherine added: "Lots of people would rather eat the calories instead of drinking them and would rather have a biscuit than a drink."

Tea and water are by far the best choice for dieters, she says. But if you need a coffee fix, go for an americano with skimmed milk.

She recommends sticking to one fizzy drink a day and choosing "diet".

If you do go for a full sugar version, opt for a can which is generally smaller than a bottle.

Here Sun nutritionist AMANDA URSELL gives you all the info you need to know about drinks

BURGER KING CHOC SHAKE

BURGER KING LARGE CHOCOLATE SHAKE - Calorie equivalent: Portion of cod in batter plus half a portion of chips.

An unbelievably calorie-rich drink.

One of these shakes could be drunk instead of a very hearty two-course meal.

It has the equivalent of more than 26 teaspoons of sugar, putting your body under quite a large metabolic strain.

Burger King say: "We have a wide variety of beverages ranging from milkshakes to Diet Coke and water containing as little as two calories. In April we signed up to the FSA calorie labelling scheme pilot, so customers can make informed decisions and opt to have a milkshake or Diet Coke depending on their lifestyle requirements."

CALORIES: 612


Not so Innocent ... smoothie is same as small fries

Not so Innocent ... smoothie is same as small fries

INNOCENT YOGHURT THICKIE

INNOCENT PROBIOTIC YOGHURT, VANILLA BEAN AND HONEY THICKIE (250ml) - calorie equivalent: Small portion of McDonald's fries.

The bone-building calcium in this drink is useful but, that said, you can get this amount of calcium from 325ml of skimmed milk which gives only 104 calories, virtually no fat, no added sugars and more protein.

With almost 250 calories per serving, this yoghurt smoothie has the same calories as a substantial snack.

Innocent say: "Our yoghurt, vanilla bean and honey thickie is a great option for people on the go who are looking for a quick and easy snack that's natural and low in fat.

"It's also a good source of calcium - providing 50 per cent of your RDA per bottle.

"It also contains probiotic cultures that aid digestion.

"Our Thickie is a natural blend of low fat probiotic yoghurt, fruit juices and honey and that's it.

"There are no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or additives."

CALORIES: 242.5

Shake it off ... milkshake is same as one and a half cornish pasties

Shake it off ... milkshake is same as one and a half cornish pasties

McDONALD'S DAIRY MILKSHAKE

McDONALD'S DAIRY MILK CARAMEL SHAKE - calorie equivalent: One and a quarter Cornish pasties.

This shake gives you the equivalent of a huge 17-plus teaspoons of sugar, although some of these will come from milk sugar (called lactose) as well as added sugars.

The advantage of a milkshake over non-milk drinks is that the protein in milk helps to make you feel full.

One serving has a third of a man's maximum daily saturated fats and half a woman's.

McDonald's say: "This promotional milkshake can be substituted as a dessert and there is no reason why it cannot form part of a balanced diet."

CALORIES: 505

Not a star drink ... Rockstar same as two portions of onion rings

Not a star drink ... Rockstar same as two portions of onion rings

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK (500ml) - calorie equivalent: Two portions of Tesco battered onion rings.

This drink has the same amount of caffeine as several strong coffees, along with more than 16 teaspoons of sugar. This combination will give you a swift "high".

It could be useful if you are a normal body weight and are going to work out within 30 minutes of drinking.

The caffeine may spare carbohydrate stores and use more fat, meaning you can train harder for longer. But limit the number you drink to avoid serious jitters.

Rockstar say: "Rockstar is formulated with herbal blends to provide an energy boost for people leading active and exhausting lifestyles."

CALORIES: 290

Not too bad ... Tropicana is like eating five and a half satsumas

Not too bad ... Tropicana is like eating five and a half satsumas

TROPICANA

Tropicana Pure Premium Orange With Juicy Bits (330ml) - calorie equivalent: Five and a half satsumas.

One 150ml serving of any fruit juice counts as one of your five a day.

The advantage of orange juice is that most of the sugars are fruit sugar (fructose) and do not give you a massive blood sugar spike after drinking.

Tropicana say: "Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice is made from 100 per cent fruit and contains no added sugar or artificial additives.

"One glass is a source of potassium and folic acid, and provides a day's supply of vitamin C."

CALORIES: 142

Sugar rush ... can contains seven teaspoons of sugar

Sugar rush ... can contains seven teaspoons of sugar

RED BULL

RED BULL (250ml) - calorie equivalent: Slightly more than a packet of Quavers.

Known as an energy-boosting drink, this reputation comes from its caffeine content which makers say is about the same as a cup of coffee.

What you do not get in an average cup of coffee, though, is almost seven teaspoons of sugar.

While the calories seem reasonable next to some of the other drinks here, it is worth noting that the can is only 250ml, half that of many of the others.

Red Bull say: "A sugar-free version is available, which contains just 7.5 calories."

CALORIES: 112.5

Calorie-packed ... munch on jaffa cakes instead of a bottle of Coke

Calorie-packed ... munch on jaffa cakes instead of a bottle of Coke

COKE

COCA-COLA (500ml) - calorie equivalent: Four Jaffa Cakes.

Like diet cola, standard cola contains phosphoric acid which may be bad for women's bones so limit your intake to fewer than two 500ml servings per week.

Also be aware that each serving gives you more than 13 teaspoons of sugar - you wouldn't use this much in a couple of mugs of tea or coffee.

Coke say: "For those who want to reduce their sugar intake, the majority of our drinks are available in low or no-sugar variants. Coke Zero offers those who love the taste of classic Coca-Cola a way to enjoy their favourite brand without the sugar."

CALORIES: 210


Low on calories ... Diet Coke is calorie equivalent of munching some grapes

Low on calories ... Diet Coke is calorie equivalent of some grapes

DIET COKE

DIET COKE (500ml) - Calorie equivalent: A few grapes.

Low on calories, so good if you are cutting your energy intake. But a study of more than 1,400 women at Tufts University in Boston, US, revealed that females who drink four servings of cola a week have up to 5.4 per cent lower bone-mass density compared with those drinking less than one cola a month.

This could be down to cola's phosphoric acid content binding to bone-building calcium to block its absorption. Or down to the acid itself weakening bones.

However, the jury's still out.

Diet Coke say: "Diet Coke remains very popular and has a unique taste and no sugar. It is widely recognised that there's no clear evidence to suggest a link between soft drinks and osteoporosis."

CALORIES: 2.5

Not a fan-ta ... same as eating four mini scotch eggs

Not a fan-ta ... same as eating four mini scotch eggs

FANTA

FANTA (500ml) - Calorie equivalent: Four mini scotch eggs.

To be fair to Fanta, they do try to be slightly on the healthy side by using carrot and pumpkin extracts along with orange fruit concentrates.

But even the standard version contains artificial sweeteners along with sugar beet and sugar cane to provide sweetness.

One 500ml serving gives a total of almost nine teaspoons worth of sugar.

Fanta say: "All of our drinks can be enjoyed as part of a healthy balanced diet. We include full ingredients lists on our packaging, as well as GDAs on the front of our products, so you can see the amount of calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt in each serving.

"We recently reduced the sugar content of Fanta."

CALORIES: 148

High in sugar ... Lucozade is same as three onion bhajis

High in sugar ... Lucozade is same as three onion bhajis

LUCOZADE

LUCOZADE ENERGY ORIGINAL (380ml) - calorie equivalent: Three onion bhajis.

With the equivalent of just over eight teaspoons of sugar per serving, this version of the famous Lucozade drink will certainly make your blood sugar levels rise pretty rapidly after drinking.

A good drink if you are in need of a burst of energy.

However, this drink is not so good if you are simply trying to rehydrate.

Lucozade declined to comment.

CALORIES: 266

Not bad ... Oasis only has 90 calories, same as a rasher of bacon

Not bad ... Oasis only has 90 calories, same as a rasher of bacon(babi)

OASIS

OASIS SUMMER FRUITS (500ml) - calorie equivalent: One rasher of bacon.

With just 18 calories per 100ml and the equivalent of just over a teaspoon of sugar per 100ml, this is not a "bad" drink in the scheme of things.

But on the other hand, if you were to have just under a pint of water, would you spoon in five teaspoons of sugar (which is found in a bottle of Oasis) to make it taste nice? Probably not.

Oasis say: "The sugar content has recently been reduced. The drink is also available in an extra light version."

CALORIES: 90

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