Few people would eat ice cream every day, but many of us will buy one or more iced drinks to quench our thirst on a hot summer day. Frappuccinos (frozen coffee-type blended beverages), milkshakes and slurpees have permanent spots on the top frozen drinks list. They may be refreshing the moment you drink them, but when you regain your senses after the brain freeze, you may be shocked to find out the drink you just downed has more calories than an entire meal, with heaps of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, saturated fat, and trans fat. In many cases, artificial coloring is lurking in these drinks as well. Not so refreshing after all, is it?

Blended Coffee Drinks Hall of Shame

Strategies for a Healthier Blended Coffee Drink

Starbucks Frappuccinos

• Asking for skim milk and skipping the whipped cream saves 160 calories and 16 grams of fat for the Venti Java Chip Frappuccino!
• To trim it down even further, order the “Light” version (which does not come with whipped cream by default). You will save 270 calories and 16 grams of fat from the original drink, as the base that is used to make the “Light” version contains less calories.
• Consider downsizing to a Grande (16 oz.) or even a Tall (12 oz.). This will shrink your drink to 200 calories and 1.5 grams of fat for the Grande, and only 140 calories and 2.5 grams of fat for the Tall. The sugar is still high no matter how you slice it or dice it, but at least it is healthier than the original 560 calories and 21g fat Venti version!

Tim Horton’s Iced Capp

• Switch your Iced Capp from a cream base to a milk base for a 23-gram fat and 190-calorie savings. Even with this change, the fat and sugar contents are still way too high for everyday enjoyment, so reserve the Iced Capp for a special treat.

Milkshakes Hall of Shame

We were completely shocked and appalled by the findings in this category! From this cross-chain comparison of the most popular flavors (chocolate and strawberry), the numbers from the Cold Stone Creamery and McDonald’s shakes were so outrageous that they made the Starbucks numbers look good – even though they aren’t! This is by far the worst of all the frozen drinks categories, with sky-high levels of fat, ridiculous amounts of sugar, and heart-damaging trans-fats lurking in almost all of them. Our worst contestant – the Cold Stone Creamery Oh Fudge! Shake – packs one day’s worth of calories and 1.5 days’ worth of fat into a single drink! There is simply no strategy for having a healthy milkshake. Consider getting a fruit smoothie that is made with real fruits only, and save the milkshake for a really special occasion.

Slurpees Hall of Shame

Although the calories are not as high as the other frozen beverages, all of the calories are from sugar. Very much like sodas, there are absolutely no nutrients (but tons of junk like artificial coloring and flavoring) in slurpees. Sugar-free versions may bring down the caloric content, but you will be faced with artificial sweeteners instead. Why not try unsweetened iced teas or unsweetened iced tea lemonades as an alternative?

The Bottom Line

Next time you have the urge to down something icy cool on a scorching summer day, stay away from the not-so-cool iced blended drinks! To enjoy something refreshing, go for iced lattes with non-fat milk, unsweetened iced teas (e.g. iced passion tea), or unsweetened iced tea lemonades. If you must have something frozen, try building your frappuccino from non-fat or reduced-fat milk and skip the add-ons (such as whipping cream, caramel sauce, chocolate chips, etc.), or enjoy a fruit smoothie that is made with real fruits. Simply forget about milkshakes and slurpees altogether – who needs the sugar, fat, and other junk when all you want is a drink?

Owennie Lee, RD

Alumni: University of British Columbia – Owennie is a registered dietitian with a soft spot for chocolate and coffee. She is a believer in balance and moderation, and is committed to keeping healthy eating enjoyable and fun. Owennie received her dietetics training in Vancouver, and is a member of Dietitians of Canada and the College of Dietitians of British Columbia. She has experience in a wide variety of settings, such as clinical nutrition, long-term care and outpatient counseling. Owennie has also worked for a community nutrition hotline and participated regularly as a guest radio host, where she enjoyed sharing her passion and knowledge about food and nutrition with people.