Sunday, December 14, 2008

Diet Busters: 10 High-Calorie Holiday Drinks Watch out for these diet-destroying beverages this holiday season.

Holiday celebrations can translate into lots of extra calories from drinks you don't normally consume, including the obligatory eggnog as well as other alcoholic and non-alcoholic favorites. And of course, there's the array of festive holiday concoctions found at coffee chains across America, including peppermint mochas and pumpkin spice lattes.

The most popular holiday drink at Starbucks is a perfect example. According to Alisa Martinez, communications manager for Starbucks Coffee Co., the No. 1 holiday drink at Starbucks in November and December is the peppermint mocha. A regular 16-ounce serving with all the trimmings comes to 470 calories and 22 grams of fat (including 13 grams of saturated fat). But the news isn't all bad for Starbucks fans: Make it a 12-ounce peppermint mocha and order it with nonfat milk and no whipped cream, and you're down to 220 calories and 2 grams of fat (none of which are saturated).

The peppermint mocha is by no means the only contender for the high-calorie holiday drink title. There are several other holiday drinks that are so high in calories and/or fat, they should either be avoided or considered your big dessert for the day. Some are actually higher in calories and fat than premium ice cream!

Here are 10 of the highest-calorie drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, that you're likely to come across this holiday season.

1. Peppermint Mocha (coffeehouse), made with whole milk and whipped cream.

Per 16-ounce serving:

470 calories

61 g carbohydrate

22 g fat

13 g saturated fat

80 mg cholesterol

2. Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino (coffeehouse), made with pumpkin spice flavors, milk, ice, and whipped cream.

Per 16-ounce serving:

470 calories

74 g carbohydrate

13 g fat

7 g saturated fat

50 mg cholesterol

3. Hot Buttered Rum, made with butter, brown sugar, spices, whipped cream, and rum.

Per serving:

418 calories

35 g carbohydrate

17 g fat

11 g saturated fat

51 mg cholesterol

4. Pumpkin Spice Latte (coffeehouse),made with pumpkin spice flavors, espresso, steamed milk, and whipped cream.

Per 16-ounce serving:

410 calories

51 g carbohydrate

17 g fat

10 g saturated fat

55 mg cholesterol

5. Margarita, made with limeade, tequila, triple sec, and ice.

Per serving (about 9 ounces, not including ice):

408 calories

25 g carbohydrate

0 g fat

0 g saturated fat

0 mg cholesterol

6. White Russian, made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and 1 1/2 ounces liquid light whipping cream.

Per serving:

355 calories (or 286 if you use half-and-half instead of whipping cream)

14 g carbohydrate

13 g fat (5 if using half-and-half)

8 g saturated fat (3 if using half-and-half)

47 mg cholesterol (16 with half-and-half)

7. Eggnog (regular store-bought, not including any added liquor)

Per 1-cup serving:

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