The temperature is finally warming up here along side Georgian Bay and with that comes the sights and sounds of summer, including our much loved Canadian coffee house promoting their ever popular summer favourite: the Iced Cappuccino.
While on the best of days this misnomer of a drink is a grave insult to coffee lovers and talented baristas everywhere, it's also laden with a substance that is as addictive as cocaine and as harmful to your liver as alcohol. Yup, that would be sugar.
Now, I'm not in the business of vilifying foods (or drinks). However, I AM in the business of educating, so that you can make an informed choice about your diet.
Let's break this down!
A small (380mL) Iced Capp contains 33g of sugar, equivalent to a whopping 8.25 teaspoons.
A medium contains 47g of sugar, or almost 12 teaspoons.
A large contains 62g of sugar, or 15.5 teaspoons (that's 1/3 of a cup!)
FYI: the American Heart Associated recommends a maximum of 6 teaspoons per day of added sugar for women, and 9 teaspoons per day for men. A medium Iced Capp obliterates those recommendations for both men and women!
Craving an iced capp this summer? Make your own at home (there's lots of recipes available online) or stop by your local coffee house. I guarantee that you will add much less than 8 spoonfuls of sugar into your homemade version.
If you still want to go ahead and enjoy Tim's, choose it sparingly and brace yourself for the sugar crash!
Happy soon-to-be summer,
Dr. Katie Rothwell, ND