Where are the calories coming from?

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iRun4wine
iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
in Food and Nutrition
I got an iced coffee from starbucks today, thinking I was being good- put skim milk and splenda in it and get home and look online and there are 90 calories in it!?!?!? :noway: How can that be? Regular coffee has next to zero calories in it! The woman asked if I wanted it sweetened and I said "no." On their website, the little blurb about their coffee mentions:

"A delicious and refreshing blend of freshly brewed Starbucks® Terraza Blend served chilled and slightly sweetened on ice." with 90 calories :grumble:

So... my question is: How do I count this? Do we think it's actually 90 calories, or because I said "no" to the sweetening, is it almost zero calories like normal coffee? :ohwell:

Replies

  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    I got an iced coffee from starbucks today, thinking I was being good- put skim milk and splenda in it and get home and look online and there are 90 calories in it!?!?!? :noway: How can that be? Regular coffee has next to zero calories in it! The woman asked if I wanted it sweetened and I said "no." On their website, the little blurb about their coffee mentions:

    "A delicious and refreshing blend of freshly brewed Starbucks® Terraza Blend served chilled and slightly sweetened on ice." with 90 calories :grumble:

    So... my question is: How do I count this? Do we think it's actually 90 calories, or because I said "no" to the sweetening, is it almost zero calories like normal coffee? :ohwell:
  • sewsinthesouth
    sewsinthesouth Posts: 23
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    how much skim milk? That could be where they came from if there is a cup of milk or close to it?
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
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    It sounds like it already has the sweetener in it...that's strange. Let us know what you find out!!
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
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    I bet they are calculating the coffee with sweeter added, I wouldn't think a iced coffee would have a full cup of milk and there shouldn't be any significant amount of calories in coffee. Email the company if you are really curious, they will have info somewhere on where they came up with 90 cals.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    I think I just might! Not to sound obsessive, but that really ticked me off! Here I was doing fine... or so I thought. I just put a dash of skim milk in it. The 90 calories listed on the website are just for the coffee as I understand it (no cream, sugar, etc.) Of course, now I'm over my calories for the day by 86... would have been under by 4 if it weren't for that stupid Starbucks!!! :grumble:
  • sonia2
    sonia2 Posts: 154
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    i got one and i asked them what was in it, They said just coffee and whatever i wanted in it. Therefore, its only 5 cals. i ordered mine with a splash of milk and a splenda. its in the mfp database as SB's iced coffee with sugar free syrup-- only 5 cals. hope this helps!:smile:
  • MTGirl
    MTGirl Posts: 1,490 Member
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    An iced coffee is basically a latte on ice - a shot or 2 of espresso, about a cup of milk, flavorings and ice. Yup - 90 calories is about right for that, but that would be an iced latte - just coffee with a splash of milk probably wouldn't be in the data base because not many order that. You would have to enter info for it probably guesstimate the milk - maybe just make it at home so you can measure the milk - then tell them how much to use so you know the numbers.
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
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    It's probably the flavorings.
  • fiddlechic
    fiddlechic Posts: 196
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    I worked at starbucks in college.

    if you got the iced coffee with a splash of skim milk and no sweetener (they add syrup like basically sugar water) then the only cals would be from the milk. on the website an "iced coffee" comes with the classic sweetener so thats why it says 90cals.

    You can order an iced americano from now on which is a little stronger than coffee bc it's espresso and water over ice but comes without milk and sweetener and you can add the skim milk and the splenda at the condiment station. OR just keep ordering it the way you did- example "grande nonfat unsweetened iced coffee"

    hope this helps!
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    Perfect- see I bet you never thought workin there in college would pay off:laugh: ! I ordered just plain unsweetened iced coffee- I put my own skim milk and splenda in. So, I'm counting it as 5 calories- thanks so much! You made my day, fiddlechic :happy:
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
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    So the calories are coming from sweetener or the milk...:huh: I can graduate from college but an iced coffee at starbucks is stumping me...who ever knew coffee could be so complicated!
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    I added a dash of regular old skim milk and splenda to mine- hardly any calories at all so the sweetener that Starbucks mysteriously puts in their "iced coffee" is where the calories came from. To me, iced coffee is just that- coffee on ice:noway: but apparently Starbucks has a different idea. I'll stick to Dunkin Donuts!:laugh:

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