Coffee Culture

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ismailosman904
ismailosman904 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey Guys,

I'm from Melbourne Australia just wanting to ask, its very popular here to go out for
coffee, have a latte before you start work. I personally work behind a desk in an office
and really like to sip on a latte especially If I'm sleep deprived.

Just wanting to know is it only the calories in the milk that I should worry about? Is there any accurate way to track this? and also if anyone else has nice alternatives, thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Hey Guys,

    I'm from Melbourne Australia just wanting to ask, its very popular here to go out for
    coffee, have a latte before you start work. I personally work behind a desk in an office
    and really like to sip on a latte especially If I'm sleep deprived.

    Just wanting to know is it only the calories in the milk that I should worry about? Is there any accurate way to track this? and also if anyone else has nice alternatives, thanks in advance!

    Lattes are higher in calories and fat because of the milk, yes. Sugar can go up too, depending on if it's flavored. I personally drink them once and while when I'm really feeling like one, but I likely have a lower calorie allowance than you do.

    Alternatives?
    --Skinny latte (most coffee shops will make it with skim milk if you say "skinny" or "nonfat")
    --home brew coffee with creamer (1 Tbsp is about 35 calories and I love peppermint mocha or vanilla)
    --chai tea with almond milk (I buy a liquid chai blend and coconut almond milk) It's a delicious drink to sip on for under 70 calories.

    As far as tracking, MFP has some good entries for lattes and such because they are all made pretty similarly (1 shot of espresso, 2%milk, etc)
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
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    Yes, you should track them, because calories really easy add up for the day. Make sure you left a few extra calories just for the coffee.
  • brandid34
    brandid34 Posts: 154 Member
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    It's the milk, sweeteners, syrups, whipped cream etc that they add. You can lighten it with fat free milk and sugar free syrups and skip all the extras.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,031 Member
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    If you want really low cal, order a long black, like I do. :)
  • ismailosman904
    ismailosman904 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I like my coffee with calories. Almost a mini-meal. I tend to add whipping cream or coconut cream with a a bit of protein powder and stevia for sweetness.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I like black coffee or expresso (I think black coffee is just regular coffee, whatever type they are making that day) or an Americano (here expresso with more water). As a bonus, minimal calories.

    The calories will come from what's added -- the dairy or many sweeteners or syrups. Calorie counts should be available from the website or in the database.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited November 2015
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    No, the only calories you have to worry about are the calories that go over your TDEE at the end of the day.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I'm pretty sure this is what we call an Americano (US) which is two shots of espresso over hot water. Low cal, high caffeine.
  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
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    Lattes have a lot of milk in them relative to the amount of coffee-when I was a barista we typically heated/poured over a cup of milk per average sized latte. The amount of espresso that goes in isn't a lot-it's maybe 1/4 of the bottom of the cup, and the rest of the liquid is all steamed milk. And remember too that a lot of places will just increase the milk, not the espresso, if you order a larger size.

    You could order something like an Americano (that's espresso with hot water, so it's the same volume of liquid as a regular coffee), and just add a splash of half and half. Then you still get the espresso flavor, and if you can learn to reduce how much milk you need, a little will start going a long way. Or see if they'll make you an americano and top it with a dollop of foamed milk instead of a huge slug of it.
  • VisofSer
    VisofSer Posts: 130 Member
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    I love mochas, and in general I am a coffee fiend.
    A long black is an Americano. No(Do you really count 2-6kcal?) calories, no milk, just espresso and hot water. If you are just coming away from using milk, add cinnamon to it. It tastes lovely, and if you have enough it helps reduce blood sugar.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,031 Member
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    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

    Order a short black instead- less one shot of espresso you may not need to tone it down. Still not that same as regular black coffee though.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,031 Member
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    kkenseth wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

    Order a short black instead- less one shot of espresso you may not need to tone it down. Still not that same as regular black coffee though.

    Is that the difference between long and short? Somehow I had always thought it was the size of the cup or mug. :grin:

  • tificreole
    tificreole Posts: 18 Member
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    I have discovered piccolo latte. I don't like it black... so it has a shot of coffee plus a dash of milk..
  • votkuhr
    votkuhr Posts: 276 Member
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    Hello. Can I order a skinny flat white, please? Thank you. x
  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

    Order a short black instead- less one shot of espresso you may not need to tone it down. Still not that same as regular black coffee though.

    Is that the difference between long and short? Somehow I had always thought it was the size of the cup or mug. :grin:

    No, a long shot (lungo) is the same amount of espresso with more water forced through the grinds. At least if it's made properly that's what it is.

    I worked as a barista on and off for several years, and I can only recall a handful of people who ordered long shots. Most of them liked the taste of espresso and wanted a little bit more volume and flavor than the short shots. Short shots were usually for milk+espresso drinks.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    questionfear wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

    Order a short black instead- less one shot of espresso you may not need to tone it down. Still not that same as regular black coffee though.

    Is that the difference between long and short? Somehow I had always thought it was the size of the cup or mug. :grin:

    No, a long shot (lungo) is the same amount of espresso with more water forced through the grinds. At least if it's made properly that's what it is.

    I worked as a barista on and off for several years, and I can only recall a handful of people who ordered long shots. Most of them liked the taste of espresso and wanted a little bit more volume and flavor than the short shots. Short shots were usually for milk+espresso drinks.

    Ohhhh. Okay. I was off then, sorry!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    kkenseth wrote: »
    questionfear wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    ismailosman904 wrote: »
    Thanks for that guys, the Chai tea with Almond milk definetly sounds really nice.
    And is a long black, sorry if its a silly question is that like espresso without the milk?

    I don't know what it is ... in Canada we just order a black coffee, and we usually get a decent black coffee.

    But here in Australia, I was told that the closest equivalent was a long black. However, I often have to add a splash of hot water to it to tone it down just a bit.

    Order a short black instead- less one shot of espresso you may not need to tone it down. Still not that same as regular black coffee though.

    Is that the difference between long and short? Somehow I had always thought it was the size of the cup or mug. :grin:

    No, a long shot (lungo) is the same amount of espresso with more water forced through the grinds. At least if it's made properly that's what it is.

    I worked as a barista on and off for several years, and I can only recall a handful of people who ordered long shots. Most of them liked the taste of espresso and wanted a little bit more volume and flavor than the short shots. Short shots were usually for milk+espresso drinks.

    Ohhhh. Okay. I was off then, sorry!

    It seems like you were basically right -- it is an Americano (I just assumed it was a large black coffee, so I was off).

    From wiki:
    The drink consists of a single or double-shot of espresso brewed with added water. There seems to be no universal consensus on the way the water is added, but typically in the UK (and in Italy) between 1 and 16 fluid ounces (30–470ml) of hot water is added to the double espresso.

    Long Black is an Australasian term for an Americano (in contrast to Short Black for espresso), with an emphasis being placed on the order of preparation, adding water to the cup first before pouring the espresso on top.

    Lungo and Ristretto describe the ratio of ground coffee to espresso. Ristretto generally being a 1:1 ratio and lungo a 3:1 ratio.

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