Starbucks coffee has become one of the most renowned and common beverages today. It is known by almost every coffee lover worldwide. With its rich and delicious taste, it is obvious to see people opting out for Starbucks coffee rather than any other brand. Starbucks coffee has become a daily beverage for many people. It also makes them wonder if consuming Starbucks coffee make them gain weight.
In this article, we will get to know all about ‘does Starbucks coffee make you gain weight’. Ans also, what can be done to minimize any negative effects.
The Caloric Content of Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks has a numerous option to choose from when it comes to coffee. From black coffee (with lowest calorie beverage) to a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (among the highest calorie beverage), Starbucks has a number of coffee variations. It all depends on which one you choose. It can have as low as 5 calories, in case of black coffee, to over 500 calories, in case of Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha.
Coffee itself doesn’t have much calories (almost negligible). It is the toppings and other ingredients that add up to the high overall calorie. These toppings and ingredients could be sugar, whipped cream, chocolate, milk etc.
Does Starbucks coffee make you gain weight? Yes or No?
Well the answer to this is simply, Yes and No. It highly depends on the coffee option you choose. It mainly depends on the calories your coffee beverage has.
Not only that, it also depends on the amount of the beverage you are having and how often. Keeping all that in mind, it very important for one to consider their other dietary lifestyle. Also, the nutritional intake a person is having in a particular day, plays an important role.
How Starbucks coffee can make you gain weight?
Starbucks coffee can definitely contribute to gain weight. If you are going for a coffee filled with milk, sugar, milk foam can increase your calories. This can add to your overall calorie for the day, which can lead to weight gain. Additionally, the sugar and milk content added to the coffee can increase insulin levels, which can cause your body to store fat.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that, your diet throughout the day describes your overall calorie intake. Overall calorie per day describes whether it will lead to weight gain or weight loss. However, having Starbucks coffee heavier on calorie will make it tough to maintain and balance your calorie for a day. This can make you gain weight.
How Starbucks coffee cannot make you gain weight?
As mentioned earlier, coffee itself contains negligible number of calories. So, opting for any low-calorie coffee from Starbucks will not add to your calories for the day.
Hence, this way it will not make you gain weight. In other words, it will not be the reason for the weight gain. Options like Americano, black coffee, dark roast coffee (without adding sugar) are great, which won’t add to your weight gain.
The main culprits of Starbucks coffee that leads to weight gain
Sugar
Yes, you guessed it right, it is the sugar that tops the list of ingredients in Starbucks leading to weight gain. Sugar, being a carbohydrate adds an enormous amount of calorie to the coffee. On top of that many people love to add extra sugar to it.
Milk
Milk contains lactose, a type of sugar, which can again increase the calorie count of the coffee. It is also not a very good option for people with lactose intolerance. It can also be said the same for steamed milk.
Syrups
Syrups, which are nothing but flavoured sugar. As it contains sugar, it is going add to the calorie of the coffee. This can also do the same effect to your body, i.e. weight gain.
Whipped cream
A by-product of milk, whipped cream of Starbucks is with filled sugar. This can again increase your calories of your diet.
The Impact of Frequently drinking Starbucks Coffee on weight
Many people are frequent Starbucks coffee drinker, some do it every day. Having any drink every day that is higher on calories can significantly add up to weight gain.
For example, if you have a Frappuccino, or a grand sized latte every day, it can add up-to 1000 calories per week or higher. This is obviously bad news for someone who is trying to lose weight.
How to drink Starbucks coffee and lose weight?
You can minimize the chances of weight gain from Starbucks coffee that are high in calories. Reducing the days of drinking such coffees can help. Switching to low calorie options can also help. If not, then reducing the calories intake from other sources of the diet will be necessary to balance.
If you’re a regular drinker of Starbucks coffee (especially those with high calories) and also worried about weight gain, you can follow some steps below that can help. There are many ways you can get both of the worlds. Here are some tips.
- Decrease sugar from the coffee – As you can customise coffee at Starbucks, you can reduce the sugar intake in them. This will reduce the calories from the beverage.
- Switch to black coffee, or other low-calorie coffee drinks available there.
- Reduce the calories from other dietary sources.
- Go for sugar-free syrups.
Is Starbucks coffee really bad for weight loss?
No, not at all, in fact Starbucks coffee can really help you lose weight as well. As said earlier, if you go for low calorie coffee beverages (like black coffee etc), it can help you a lot. Caffeine in Starbucks coffee can have many benefits in weight loss as well. Here are some –
- Increase metabolic rate – Caffeine increases your metabolic rate. Keeps you active and energised. Higher the metabolic rate, easier to lose weight.
- Hunger Killer – Caffeine in coffee can make you feel fuller for longer period of time. This will make you reduce your overall food intake. Hence, decreasing your daily calories.
Conclusion
Let’s sum it up and answer the question, does Starbucks coffee make you gain weight? Yes, the high calorie Starbucks coffee options can contribute to weight gain. On contrary, the low-calorie Starbucks coffee options can even help you lose weight.
However, Starbucks coffee is not the only factor that affects your weight management. It is the balanced diet that decides the overall outcome in weight management. Limit the amount of sugar, syrups, milk, whipped cream in your coffee to reduce the calories.
Also, drinking it in moderation is best advised. Nothing harms if done in moderation. You can enjoy those high calorie Starbuck beverages once in a while, for sure. Have an overall idea of your dietary calories and macros and you will be good to go.
FAQs
1) Does drinking Starbucks coffee contribute to weight gain?
Consuming black coffee without added sugars or high-calorie toppings is unlikely to cause weight gain. In fact, a study suggests that an extra cup of coffee a day may result in less weight gain over time. But adding a lot of sugar, cream etc can increase the over all calorie of the drink and can hinder in weight loss.
2) What effect does adding sugar to Starbucks coffee have on weight?
New research indicates that adding sugar to your daily cup of coffee, including Starbucks beverages, might contribute to unwanted weight gain.
3) Can cold coffee from Starbucks lead to weight gain?
Excess consumption of cold coffee, particularly those with additional ingredients, may increase weight according to some sources. But this can only be true if you add a lot of sugar and have it in higher dosage.
4) Is it better to opt for unsweetened Starbucks coffee for weight management?
A recent study suggests that drinking an extra cup of unsweetened coffee could potentially aid in weight loss. So, yes, it is better to opt for unsweetened coffee.
5) Does black coffee from Starbucks impact weight differently than coffee with cream or syrups?
Drinking black coffee without high-calorie additions is generally low in calories and is not likely to contribute to weight gain.
