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Is it unhealthy to drink one latte a day?
EnergyBender667
Posts: 6 Member
in Debate Club
I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
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Replies
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Drinking one latte every day would not generally be unhealthy I don't think, even with regular milk and a little sugar. But if it causes anxiety or heart palpitations for you personally, it could be.
Individual foods are rarely "unhealthy", it is your total diet that is either healthy or unhealthy. If your latte increases your anxiety symptoms, you should lay off. Otherwise, if it fits in your calories and you enjoy it, it's fine.
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee, a diet soda, and often 1-2 cups of tea per day.4 -
What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?2
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Track your macros, if you are keeping in the green across most of the board most of the time then nothing is 'unhealthy'. I find MFP sugar difficult as I have a lot of fresh fruit and milk in lattes and porridge. It is not hindering my progress at all as I still get withing my net calories, net fat, carbs, etc and always get my calcium quota.0
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quiksylver296 wrote: »What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?
My goal is currently maintenance, but I wouldn't mind losing another pound. On days that I have a latte, I make sure I have the calories left to do so beforehand. Aside from having a granola or protein bar as a snack, the latte is my only other treat for the day. I eat healthy the rest of the time.0 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
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EnergyBender667 wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »What are your goals? Are you trying to lose weight? Does the latte fit within your calorie target for the day?
My goal is currently maintenance, but I wouldn't mind losing another pound. On days that I have a latte, I make sure I have the calories left to do so beforehand. Aside from having a granola or protein bar as a snack, the latte is my only other treat for the day. I eat healthy the rest of the time.
Then what is your concern exactly? I don't see a problem.4 -
EnergyBender667 wrote: »I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
Assuming it fits in your cals, why would this be unhealthy?
Why would even a non decaf latte with milk and a bit of sweetener be "unhealthy" within cals?
I prefer my coffee black, but not because I think milk or the various milk alternatives or a little sweetener/sugar within one's goals are unhealthy? I just am not sure what you are concerned about.0 -
I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.7 -
it doesn't do much nutritionally but if it fits in your calorie allotment, it's fine
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Doh! I missed where you were getting a "decaf" latte. OP, what exactly about the latte are you thinking would be unhealthy?2
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At the root of this is the assumption that foods have some inherent good or bad quality they impart onto you once ingested.
Rid yourself of this baseless assumption.11 -
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I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
greens are healthy Big Macs and Coke are not -- neither is vaping
Having a Big Mac and Coke now and then isn't unhealthy.
If all you ate were greens all day every day, you'd be missing important macro- and micronutrients. That's unhealthy.
An overall diet can be healthy or unhealthy, but a single food in seclusion is not.
As for vaping, it appears with all the news articles coming out that it is unhealthy, but I have no idea why you threw that into this conversation.9 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
greens are healthy Big Macs and Coke are not -- neither is vaping
And this relates to the decaf latte how?
Also, of course, one can eat greens in an unhealthy diet and an occasional Big Mac and Coke in a healthy one. Usually people who get obsessed with whether individual foods are healthy or not seem to be missing the forest for the trees, nutritionally.
If you think OP's latte is "unhealthy" or -- more to the point -- precludes her from having a healthful diet, I'd really like to know how.8 -
EnergyBender667 wrote: »I recently got myself into starbucks because I've always loved the taste and smell of coffee, but I like to avoid caffeine due to it's effects on anxiety and heart palpitations, so I started ordering tall decaf lattes and have one almost every day. I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?
Are you personally noticing any negative effects?2 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?7 -
I believe the point is, worrying about the nutrition or healthiness of every single bite of food you might eat can lead to someone being concerned that drinking a decaf unsweetened latte is "unhealthy".
It's possible to get plenty of nutrition and still have some things you just consume because you enjoy them. Micro-managing isn't necessary or, ironically, healthy.10 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?
If I had written "YOU should NOT spend three dollars a day on coffee! You idiot" then I would see where you are coming from.4 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »bmeadows380 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?
If I had written "YOU should NOT spend three dollars a day on coffee! You idiot" then I would see where you are coming from.
Ah but that is the tone the comment came across as, even if it wasn't said in so many words. After all - why post an unsolicited comment such as that in the first place, especially being as it was irrelevant to the OP's question?7 -
There have been recent studies stating that dairy in general is not really a necessity in a good diet. Apparently we are the only creatures on earth that drink the milk of another animal after the necessary growing period..any kind of sugar is a no for me (sans fruits)..the debate can take you many places but it is fact that sugar in general is as addictive as recreational drugs..and finally coming from a family of heavy coffee drinkers (it is a staple in my culture)..ive seen some folks drink cofee but only black..the modern american drinks a lot of cafeine and lattes sold at the starbucks and other places are more like a highly sugary milk shake..the cofee is the last thing on their mind.
To answer your question more directly..it depends on what your school of thought is..if you follow IIFYM regardless of what type of food you ingest then you shouldnt have a problem if it fits your macros right? But quality and quantity are very different things..0 -
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There have been recent studies stating that dairy in general is not really a necessity in a good diet. Apparently we are the only creatures on earth that drink the milk of another animal after the necessary growing period..any kind of sugar is a no for me (sans fruits)..the debate can take you many places but it is fact that sugar in general is as addictive as recreational drugs..and finally coming from a family of heavy coffee drinkers (it is a staple in my culture)..ive seen some folks drink cofee but only black..the modern american drinks a lot of cafeine and lattes sold at the starbucks and other places are more like a highly sugary milk shake..the cofee is the last thing on their mind.
To answer your question more directly..it depends on what your school of thought is..if you follow IIFYM regardless of what type of food you ingest then you shouldnt have a problem if it fits your macros right? But quality and quantity are very different things..
Just because dairy isn't a necessity in a good diet doesn't mean there's anything bad about drinking it. Regardless, OP said she uses almond or coconut milk, not dairy.
It is not even remotely true that we are the only creatures on earth that drink the milk of another animal. We are just the most able to figure out how to get it regularly. Any farmer or rancher will tell you stories of other animals enjoying fresh cows milk. But again, OP isn't using dairy.
Sugar is not as addictive as recreational drugs. Regardless, OP said her latte is unsweetened.
Lots of Americans drink black coffee, even those who go to Starbucks. Plenty of Americans drink the high calorie coffee concoctions as well. OP is drinking an unsweetened latte with almond milk, so there is no reason to think it is a "highly sugary milk shake".
None of this has any bearing on whether OP's daily decaf unsweetened latte with almond milk is good for her or bad for her or neutral.16 -
Had to look it up.
For me it is not good or bad, but I can see it could give me a nice little caffeine kick when out shopping, and help fill more of my nutritional needs than a cup of coffee with a splash of sugar and milk.
I’d get a better helping of fat, calcium, VitD and 6g of protein, for 120 cals as opposed to my 45 for reg coffee.
It isn’t healthy or unhealthy (food can’t be), but it may help me fill my nutritional goals, taken in context, on a particular day.
(Especially when I’m out Christmas shopping then go straight to a workout and nearly pass out from lack of fuel
)
Cheers, h.1 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »bmeadows380 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »I'd get really sick of lattes (decaf or otherwise) drinking them that frequently. I don't think it's bad for you, in the fuller picture of a balanced diet, and probably not super high calorie since it is basically decaf coffee with a small amount of milk (or milk alternatives) in it.
Unsolicited comment, I know, but I'd be more concerned about spending roughly $1,000 per year on Starbucks (assuming they're about three dollars per day). For me that's an extra mortgage payment.
well, that might be true enough, but to each his own, I'd think. We all of us have things that we spend money on that seem to be frivolous to others, but if it brings us a bit of comfort or enjoyment, why should it be denigrated? Isn't the point of money to aid us in bringing peace, health, and enjoyment to our lives?
If I had written "YOU should NOT spend three dollars a day on coffee! You idiot" then I would see where you are coming from.
Ah but that is the tone the comment came across as, even if it wasn't said in so many words. After all - why post an unsolicited comment such as that in the first place, especially being as it was irrelevant to the OP's question?
It's a chat forum. I even prefaced my comment with "this is unsolicited". I don't know what more you want but thanks for the laugh.9 -
There have been recent studies stating that dairy in general is not really a necessity in a good diet. Apparently we are the only creatures on earth that drink the milk of another animal after the necessary growing period..any kind of sugar is a no for me (sans fruits)..the debate can take you many places but it is fact that sugar in general is as addictive as recreational drugs..and finally coming from a family of heavy coffee drinkers (it is a staple in my culture)..ive seen some folks drink cofee but only black..the modern american drinks a lot of cafeine and lattes sold at the starbucks and other places are more like a highly sugary milk shake..the cofee is the last thing on their mind.
To answer your question more directly..it depends on what your school of thought is..if you follow IIFYM regardless of what type of food you ingest then you shouldnt have a problem if it fits your macros right? But quality and quantity are very different things..
I am confused at how you think this post is responsive to OP's. Remember that OP said: "I use almond or coconut milk and don't usually add any sweeteners to it. Would this be considered unhealthy? Should I cut down my consumption?" She also said she drinks decaf.
Of course, the fact that dairy is not a necessity in a good diet (which is true), does not somehow mean it's bad for us. Nor is the claim that we are the only animals that drink the milk of another (which is not true in that other animals will drink it if it is available -- it's more about human ingenuity and that we in some parts of the world have done it long enough that many people are born with lactase persistence).
It's also not true that sugar = recreational drugs.
But luckily we don't have to get into any of these far out claims, because none of them are relevant to OP's post.7 -
I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later. How about this for an entry into the debate:
greens are healthy Big Macs and Coke are not -- neither is vaping
And this relates to the decaf latte how?
Also, of course, one can eat greens in an unhealthy diet and an occasional Big Mac and Coke in a healthy one. Usually people who get obsessed with whether individual foods are healthy or not seem to be missing the forest for the trees, nutritionally.
If you think OP's latte is "unhealthy" or -- more to the point -- precludes her from having a healthful diet, I'd really like to know how.
I was responding to the quote which I quoted
Which was: "I hate the whole "healthy" or "unhealthy" labels put on certain types of food and drinks. Too much of anything can have a detrimental affect. Even if it doesn't at the moment, our bodies change as we age and what we can tolerate now we may develop an intolerance for later."
I would agree with the quote. What matters is overall diet, and no one, including the quoted poster, said that overall nutrition does not matter. Like I said before, it's entirely possible to be obsessed with eating only self-defined "healthy" foods and to have a worse diet than someone who focuses on overall nutrition and includes some treats.
It just puzzles me why you would object to this as a response to OP consuming some decaf coffee with coconut milk, as if everyone saying "why wouldn't it be okay?" are recommending she consume only Big Macs and Coke.
I think a sensible understanding of nutrition would result in a focus on overall diet, not whether foods are classified as "bad" or "good."
If someone is eating a fruit only diet, a BigMac wouldn't be my first recommendation, but it would be a lot healthier than the same amount of cals from more fruit (or even more fruit and veg).7 -
Personally, I consider a nonfat* unsweetened** latte a great way to get a nice wholesome glass of milk without feeling like I need some cookies or a slice of cake to go with it.
*Nonfat because it tastes too rich with that much whole milk in it. I drink my coffee (as opposed to lattes) black these days, but back when I wanted a splash of something, I preferred a half ounce (at most) of half and half, which seemed to be about the right amount of fat to use without completely covering up the coffee taste.
**Unsweetened because I detest sweet coffee. So vile. It does not mesh at all with the beautiful bitterness of coffee. The most sweetener I can stand is stirring my coffee with the molasses-filmed spoon I used to scoop molasses on my oatmeal.3
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