Utterly Shocking Sugary Drinks!

True, but if a 20 oz espresso drink is equal to the sugar in 8 1/2 scoops of ice cream, then a tall at 12 oz is still sort of like 5 scoops of ice cream! (and I rather have ice cream! 2 scoops should do! every now and again!).

I shared this with my coworkers and many of them pointed out drinks that they drink regularly. Our receptionist drinks the SOBE iced tea that is in the article quite often.

This is one of the reasons why I get the chai bags in my chai lattes instead of the concentrate. Not to mention it just tastes so much better.

Cofftea – Leinenkugel’s beer is available in bottles all the way out here in NC (at beer/wine shops and mid-range to high-end supermarkets). They are one of my favorite brewers – I always like whatever I try of theirs!

Oh ok cool:) I was so made they got rid of their apple spice and big butt beers a couple yrs ago. They were the only 2 beers I drank.

AmazonV- ypu can also get skim (which the article mentions) and soy milk.

i get soy b/c i am lactose intolerant, but their soy is vanilla flavored and has sugar, so if sugar is the concern i recommend AGAINST soy

I also hope people getting these things know they are treats, the frappachino (prepared not bottled) is a very high calorie and sugar drink, yet the baristas tell me some people get them daily!

I should also mention (and I didn’t know this til recently) that their whipped cream isn’t just whipping cream- it has vanilla syrup in it. Over kill much?

Yes, and also when you make them at home you can control what you put in them. I like to make a version of a frap with just 3 teaspoons of sugar for 2 servings.

I don’t do fake sweeteners, but it is always an option to ask for less syrup in the drinks that have flavored syrup.

I think Starbucks is the least of our worries, though – once we know what is in them we can modify them. But the energy drinks and the bottled teas and that snapple “water” – they are what they are – and I had no idea they were so full of sugar!

JacquelineM, if you’re ok w/ the “base” issue- the new frappuccino base is actually made w/ stevia- YAY! So they are healthier than the old ones at least. I disagree w/ you, sure RTD bottled teas are what they are- but we can still modify them by making our own out of much better loose leaf (or good bags) that come in any flavor imaginable. I drink a RTD iced tea (save Fuze Unsweetened and the occasional instant chai latte using mix) less than once a year. I actually find it easier to make a version of RTD iced tea than a Starbucks spin off of an iced beverage- I can never get them to taste as good as a blended iced latte for some reason.

To add onto the previously mentioned whipped cream + vanilla syrup: Starbucks (as of a few years ago) makes their whipped cream with heavy cream and 12 pumps of vanilla syrup. Barnes and Noble Cafes (that serve Starbucks drinks) do not use the same whipped cream. They do the equivalent of a light Reddi-Whip (depends on who the milk vendor is across the country as to what brand it’ll be — you can ask to see it at any B&N Cafe). So you get less calories, but some added chemicals :P

Thanks for posting such an interesting article! Having the food equivalents next to the drinks was visually stunning and drove home the issue.