‘Tis the season for holiday beverages! Who doesn’t want to warm up on a cold wintery day with a creamy latte?
We’ve rounded up some popular beverages at well-known coffee chains to give you their Points values – plus some tips to reduce the values so you can treat yourself and still have some wiggle room left in your Points bank.
Starbucks
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: 23 POINTS A classic holiday drink if you’re not into coffee, this combines chocolate mocha sauce, peppermint syrup, steamed milk and is topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls. A grande comes to 440 calories, 16 grams of fat and 55 grams of sugar.
Peppermint Mocha: 23 POINTS This festive favourite combines espresso and chocolate. Need I say more? Espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce, peppermint syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate curls combine to make this a go-to each holiday season. A grande (a.k.a. a medium) made with 2% milk is 440 calories with 16 grams of fat and 54 grams of sugar.
Caramel Brûlé Latte: 22 POINTS Walk through a winter wonderland while sipping on this seasonal sipper that combines steamed milk, caramel brûlé sauce, whipped cream, and a crunchy caramel brûlé topping. A grande made with 2% milk is 410 calories with 14 grams of fat and 48 grams of sugar..
Chestnut Praline Latte: 17 POINTS Espresso, steamed milk and flavours of caramelized spiced chestnuts come together in this holiday standard. A grande made with 2% milk is 330 calories and has 13 grams of fat and 39 grams sugar.
Sugar Cookie Oat Latte: 12 POINTS Sugar cookies meet espresso in this new holiday beverage from Starbucks. A grande, made with oat milk, clocks in at 270 calories, 8 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar.
Tim Hortons
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate: 20 POINTS Peppermint, chocolate, whipped cream, what’s not to love? A medium is 375.5 calories, with 10 grams of fat and 50.7 grams of sugar.
Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate: 27 POINTS The white chocolate version of this minty drink comes in at 423.9 calories for a medium, with 17.6 grams of fat and 53.3 grams of sugar.
Second Cup
Cinnamon Toast Latte: 14 POINTS If you love cinnamon toast, this is the drink for you. Think espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon and caramelized sugar. A 12-ounce drink made with 2% milk is 250 calories and has 7 grams of fat and 34 grams of sugar.
Eggnog Latte: 11 POINTS Coffee and eggnog – you can’t get more holiday than that. A 12-ounce cup has 200 calories, 3.5 grams fat and 32 grams sugar.
Pistachio Latte: 13 POINTS Hot espresso, steamed milk, pistachio and vanilla – a nice alternative to the typical peppermint-flavoured holiday beverages. A 12-ounce made with 2% milk is 240 calories and has 6 grams of fat and 33 grams of sugar.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s has brought its holiday drinks back this year, after a hiatus last season because of simplified kitchen operations to allow for physical distancing in the height of the pandemic.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: 18 POINTS For this drink, steamed and frothed milk is mixed with chocolate peppermint syrup and topped with crushed candy cane and whipped cream. A medium is 370 calories and has 12 grams of fat and 43 grams of sugar.
Peppermint Mocha: 18 POINTS Espresso, milk and chocolate peppermint syrup are mixed together for this warming beverage, and topped with whipped cream and crushed up candy canes. A medium is 370 calories and has 12 grams of fat and 43 grams of sugar.
Tips to reduce Points values
Choose a smaller size: This may sound like an obvious tip, but sometimes we get suckered in by advertising and cravings, or a price deal, and default to a larger size, when a small might be just as satisfying and would save some calories and some Points.
Ask for one less pump: If you’re choosing a drink made with syrups, you can always request fewer pumps. This will reduce the sugar content and you probably won’t notice a taste difference – a lot of these drinks are sweeter than they need to be.
Try an alternative milk: Dairy alternatives are becoming more widely available and often have fewer calories, fat and sugar than regular cow’s milk. They typically have less protein, however, so you can weigh the pros and cons for your lifestyle.