Do you want some coffee with that sugar?

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Do you want some coffee with that sugar?

At my new food service site, there are two cafe's that sell Starbucks beverages to patient families and visitors. When I started to learn how to make some beverages I thought "well this couldn't be too hard, its just come coffee with cream or sugar?!" BOY, WAS I SOOO WRONG! I am not much of a Sbux girl myself, so I wasn't aware of the assortment of beverages customers can purchase at the infamous coffee shop. I also was not aware of just how much goes into one simple drink. For example, somebody orders a grande white chocolate mocha frappuccino (this is a popular item). In goes 12 fluid oz of whole milk, 5 pumps of chocolate syrup, 3 pumps of white chocolate sauce, some ice, some coffee and we blend it all up. Top that with a hefty portion of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle and you have yourself a sweet treat! Nutritionally, we have 420 calories, 16 grams of fat, 10 grams saturated fat, and 64 grams of sugar. I repeat, 64. Grams. Of sugar. To say I was shocked was an understatement...this beverage takes "rethink your drink" to a whole new level! Yet, most people don't even realize what they are actually consuming?

 Now, I am not dissing on people just looking for a little treat in the middle of the day at all. Most people stopping by the cafe are overworked nurses, fatigued physicians, and patient family or friends who probably don't want to be there anyways (this specific cafe is directly below the NICU and outpatient surgery). And most of the time when a sugary drink is ordered, you can see the guilty pleasure smile on the customer's face as if they know that what they are ordering is indulgent. It's okay to treat yourself! 

 The problem I feel is how society has painted a picture.  High-sugar beverages, like our white chocolate mocha frap friend (pictured above) are glamorized and seen as a "cool thing to do", while eggs, an extremely nutritious food option, are being demonized (thanks, Journal of the American Medical Association). Cue eye roll. Our view of food as a society has become skewed. We jump onto fads such as ordering a high sugar beverage to get the perfect instagram shot and to make sure our feeds are filled only with eye-catching meals, yet we hold restrictive diets such as keto and paleo to a higher standard than understanding what is actually in our food and listening to the food experts a.k.a dietitians.

 I am not placing blame on the cafe for selling Starbucks products, it is a huge money-maker for their business. This is just a great example of why I can't wait to begin my work as dietitian and help society get a better relationship with food. My desire to educate the community about food and everything it can do for us has grown to a point where it excites me! My ego is also pretty thrilled to bash every single fad out there and put the diet industry in its proper place (where is the evidence-based data, huh?!) 

 For now, I will continue to make fun beverages for customers and flash a big smile telling them "enjoy!" After all, "treat yo self" is an essential part of self-care. 

 AG 

 References 
https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/frappuccino-blended-beverages/white-chocolate-mocha-frappuccino-blended-beverage

 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2728487

Comments

  1. ksu internsApril 10, 2019 at 10:03 AM

    AG,

    I loved this blog! It was so informative and eye-opening to what goes on in today's modern world. I can not believe that drink has 64 grams of sugar but what I do believe is that social media is ruining this generation. If something like whole fruit smoothies made with kefir or something like that would be as popular as Starbucks coffee....this world would be a lot healthier! If individuals posted a picture of their delicious and fresh fruit smoothie and started a trend of that, that would be awesome. Overall, such a great post!

    IB

    ReplyDelete
  2. ksu internsApril 17, 2019 at 7:16 PM

    I loved this post as well! So many people don't realize what they are really consuming when they order these drinks. I agree that everyone deserves to treat themselves every once in awhile... I do that myself :) however, if we are able to educate people on the contents of these drinks it may turn into a once a week treat instead of a daily need. We could even educate on how to make these drinks better by making small adjustments like skim milk or half the amount of pumps of syrup... I definitely agree that our society has made it very hard for people to know what is healthy and what isn't. There is always new information coming out and unless you have a nutrition background it is hard to differentiate what is right and what is total crap. It will be our job as future dietitians to educate our patients on these myths and ridiculous diets.

    JM

    ReplyDelete

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