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The Perfect Bite: Which iced coffee is the least healthy?

With a wide array of frozen and iced drinks, big chains really know how to entice coffee drinkers during the summer. But often these drinks are loaded with hidden calories. On this episode of The Perfect Bite, host Andrea Jenna is joined by Megan Ogilvie, health reporter and author of Menu Confidential, a book that covers the nutritional value of popular takeout foods. They examine the nutritional value of five popular iced coffees to find out what the best and worst options are.

“What can be so problematic with these drinks is that they’re full of calories – and not just a little bit of calories – a lot,” Megan explains. “Some of these have as many calories as what you would find in a sandwich or hamburger, others the same amount of calories as a big piece of chocolate cake. So clearly not something that you should be drinking every day.”

Second Cup Iced Moccaccino (Megan’s favourite and the healthiest choice and: 230 calories, 7 grams of fat, 29 grams of sugar – medium, 2 per cent milk)

“It’s really rich,” Andrea comments after taking a sip. “It has a lot of chocolate in it.”

Megan agrees. “It tastes like a chocolate bar,” she says.

Taste-wise, this was Megan’s favourite blend, because it “tastes like chocolate in a cup.”

But despite its bold taste, it’s actually the healthiest option with 230 calories and 29 grams of sugar.

Also see: The Perfect Bite: The most sugary soft drink

McDonald’s McCafe Iced Mocha (Andrea’s favourite: 300 calories, 10 grams of fat, 38 grams of sugar – large with 2 per cent milk)

“It’s definitely creamy,” Megan notices.

“It’s sweeter, a lot sweeter,” says Andrea. “But it doesn’t taste as thick as [Second Cup Iced Moccaccino], maybe it’s milk.”

This sweet pick was Andrea’s favourite of the bunch.

“It wasn’t as sweet, and it was still really refreshing,” she explains.

Timothy’s Mocha Frozen LatteBenne (Tied for least healthy choice: 410 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 84 grams of sugar – medium with no whipped cream)

Both taste testers noticed this blend had a lot of ice and was very thick. It was also a very sweet option.

“Woah, sugar overload!” Andrea laughs. “This is a sugar shot for sure.”

“Candy in a cup,” says Megan.

The taste testers were right – this blend is loaded with sugar, and tied with the Tim Hortons Mocha Iced Capp as the worst for your health.

“They both have around 400 calories which is about a quarter of what you or I would need in a day,” Megan tells Andrea. “They have some grams of fat, but it’s the sugar count that really puts them over the top.”

This iced latte has the equivalent of a whopping 20 teaspoons of sugar.

Also see: The Perfect Bite: The worst fast food frozen treat

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (290 calories, 4 grams of fat, 58 grams of sugar – grande, whole milk, no whipped cream)

“I get chocolate again in this one, but not as creamy – more icy,” Megan says.

Andrea agrees. “It’s not as sweet,” she says.

Tim Hortons Mocha Iced Capp (Tied for least healthy choice: 410 calories, 16 grams of fat, 56 grams of sugar – medium with cream)

Both Andrea and Megan notice that the Iced Capp is extremely creamy and frothy.

“This one’s really sweet,” Andrea says. “I know which one this is.”

Tied for worst, this is another option packed with sugar – 56 grams to be exact. That’s the same as eating six chocolate glazed Timbits.

Also see: The Perfect Bite: Which coffee chain smoothie is worst for your health?

How to choose a healthier iced coffee

Even though some of these iced coffees are packed with sugar and empty calories, you can enjoy an occasional cup without guilt. “You can do that by having the person that’s making your coffee customize it for you,” suggests Megan. “So ask for skim milk, get a smaller size, maybe cut off some of the whipped topping, and you’re going to do a lot better.”

“I would only do the whipped cream on your birthday,” Megan says, “because that really adds another 100 calories and 10 grams of fat to your drink. That would be like having one of these drinks plus a small order of French fries.”

Megan also suggests going for a straight iced coffee or even an iced latte instead of a frozen coffee beverage.

“Even an iced latte probably has fewer than 100 calories and not too much fat,” Megan says. “You could have that every day and not have a problem.”

Do you care about the nutritional value of your favourite iced coffee? Do you buy from a coffee chain or prefer to make your own at home?