How Do I Best Log Coffee?

pwoodroof
pwoodroof Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have transformed my diet almost completely with one exception.....I am still addicted to coffee! The most troublesome aspect of this is that I love cappuccino. My logging accuracy is improving with time on MFP but I have to admit that I'm struggling on this item. I will generally buy two large cups per day from coffee shops as well as a couple or more small ones on my home Tassimo machine. I don't know how much or what type of milk these shops use so I'm logging brand coffees like Nero for the large ones I buy (because they are the only ones I can find). I'm trying to hit about 200 calories below my daily target to compensate for potential inaccuracy and under recording my daily calorie consumption. I have been doing this for two months and successfully lost one and a half stone in that time but I want to improve. I suppose I should really stop drinking so much of the stuff! Can anyone help me on this?

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    I'm sure if you ask they'll tell you what kind of milk they're using.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    If you want to be accurate, ask the shops what kind and how much dairy they are adding. The coffees you prepare yourself should be easy to figure -
  • marebear31485
    marebear31485 Posts: 36 Member
    Most of the larger shops already have their regular menu items put into the system. I used to drink a venti caramel machiatto from Starbucks every day. I haven't kicked my habit yet but I now get a grande skinny caramel machiatto. Try looking it up (if you haven't already) and see if it's in there. Or you may be able to get nutrition information from the shop.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/cappuccino
    maybe a place to start?
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    You can try to make a cup from home that matches closely to the shop ones in term of creamy and sugary taste. I'm sure you can tell if you are an avid coffee drinker.

  • celadontea
    celadontea Posts: 335 Member
    I always have to specify the kind of milk I want them to use at my local coffee shops. Most coffee shops use a whole milk and many of them carry a large variety of milks. If you are really addicted to coffees like I am you probably won't like anything under 2%. To my shock, when I ordered iced lattes at my local place they were using "breve" which is half and half (which is half cream!). So now I do try and specify what I want.
  • pwoodroof
    pwoodroof Posts: 26 Member
    Yes...thank you all. I will ask how much and what type and compare to my own too. Tassimo is easy to record because it's listed. The main difficulty is the strange variations on the database......for example, a large Cafe Nero Skinny Cappuccino is 68 calories, whereas a large Esquires Skinny Cappuccino is 120. A large normal Cafe Nero (1 big) says 92 calories whereas a large normal Costa Coffee (1 cup) says 163. Maybe I need to check the confirmations on these entries?
  • pwoodroof
    pwoodroof Posts: 26 Member
    Lol celadontea....I wonder how many calories breve is per serving! I have tried all sorts of milk.....the lowest calorie I can find is unsweetened Alpro almond which is just 13 calories per 100ml and I think it tastes really nice. I think you are right about the whole milk though and I am not sure how flexible these shops are in what type of milk they use
  • stormyview
    stormyview Posts: 81 Member
    The very first thing you need to figure out is the actual size of the drink you are ordering. It's going to vary from shop to shop because not everyone uses the same size large. Find out (ASK) how many ounces or ml are in your drink size. Specify the milk you want used. How many shots of espresso do you get? Subtract that number from the amount of milk. A shot is about an ounce, which is about 29.5 ml.

    For example, I always order a short cappuccino at Starbucks. They use an 8-ounce cup for that. I get a triple, so 8 ounces - 3 ounces of espresso = 5 ounces. I ask for my cappuccino to be dry, and there's a lot of foam (2 inches or so) left in the cup when I'm done, so I knock another ounce off to get about 4 ounces of milk per cappuccino. I specify whole milk, so for my Starbucks cappuccino, I log 4 ounces of whole milk.

    It gets more complicated if you're using sweetened syrups or milks. You mentioned almond milk. Is that unsweetened? Are you sure? Ask to see the carton because I can guarantee you the barista does not always know, even if they answer confidently! If you're not at a chain that has nutrition information available online, I'd suggest ordering drinks without syrups or chocolate and then adding your own sweetener. That just makes it easier to log.
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
    When I take my coffee/espresso black, I don't log it. I am not bothered by the 5-10 calories.

    I only log the milk or cream involved. Skip adding sugar or syrup unless you are able to get an accurate weight, it's hard to eyeball that.

    A lot of places will use whole milk by default, but they will absolutely use whatever you request! Their job is to make your drink to order. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. A cappuccino will be "wetter" some places than others, aka have a higher milk to foam ratio. The more European way to do it is to have a smaller drink, closer to 8oz total. An "american" cappuccino tends to be more like a latte, 12 oz or larger. Figure out what size cup you are getting, and perhaps what size espresso shots they are using. A lot of places use double shots by default, which is like 2 oz if I remember correctly.
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
    edited April 2016
    Might I also suggest cold brewed coffee? Packs the same caffeine punch and has smoother profile than regular iced coffee. It's my go-to diet drink because it rarely requires much milk/cream at all, if any. I know it's not hot but I just thought I'd recommend it, from one coffee addict to another :)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    pwoodroof wrote: »
    Lol celadontea....I wonder how many calories breve is per serving! I have tried all sorts of milk.....the lowest calorie I can find is unsweetened Alpro almond which is just 13 calories per 100ml and I think it tastes really nice. I think you are right about the whole milk though and I am not sure how flexible these shops are in what type of milk they use

    It probably depends on your area, and likely will vary by shop as well. I'm in a major metropolitan area in the eastern U.S., and all the chains (Starbucks, etc.) offer several different types of dairy milk (whole, 2%, nonfat) as well as at least a couple of vegan options (e.g., soy, almond, coconut) for their lattes and cappuccinos. Some of the independent places may only offer whole and nonfat dairy milk and one vegan option.

    All you can do is ask. Very few places are going to respond "no cappuccino for you!"
  • pwoodroof
    pwoodroof Posts: 26 Member
    Thank you all...I will be more assertive in future about defining my requirements. nuttynanners.....I really like the idea of the cold brewed coffee
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    When in doubt I log the worst case scenario just to be sure
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Yep, I just asked my local coffee place "what is the default kind of milk in your lattes? As in 2%, whole, etc?"
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    Not sure, but I think if you just say "Cappuccino", you're getting whole milk. Specify the kind you want (2%, nonfat, etc.). I can't imagine that they'd have trouble accomodating you. Starbucks does it.
  • monicaw44
    monicaw44 Posts: 71 Member
    type in "starbucks cappucino", mfp will give the calories for it, milk included.
  • Vennwood
    Vennwood Posts: 3 Member
    Hi All - I'm new to this so bear with me. I'm unsure how to log coffee (or tea for that matter) I've been taking the view that tea or coffee is mainly water (I don't take sugar and use a small drop of skimmed milk) - I understand that I'm not recording calories strictly accurately but would like to know what others think. Am I the only one logging coffee as a water drink? What do the experts say?
  • shortcdngirl
    shortcdngirl Posts: 56 Member
    An at home tip.

    I love my coffee with cream so I opted for a lower fat. I use a large mug and found it tedious to measure out tablespoons. So I take a shot glass and use that. Three tablespoons fills my shot glass.and it keeps me consitant
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    shortcdngirl wrote: »
    An at home tip.

    I love my coffee with cream so I opted for a lower fat. I use a large mug and found it tedious to measure out tablespoons. So I take a shot glass and use that. Three tablespoons fills my shot glass.and it keeps me consitant

    Great idea with the shot glass!

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