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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview with Lisa Drayer
Aired August 20, 2002 - 06:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I know you're probably relaxing right now with a mocha machiatta (ph) or maybe a nice grande latte with extra foam. So it's with some trepidation that we bring up the fact that you may be drinking a cup of fat.
Lisa Drayer is a registered dietitian and the director of nutrition services for Dietwatch.com Incorporated, and she's joining us live this morning from New York to talk about fatty coffee.
Do you think many people realize that their coffee is just a cup of fat in some instances?
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Gosh, you know, I don't know. But if you see these numbers, they can be shocking. Did you know a Starbucks -- they have this new drink now, it's called a tiazzi berry. And basically it's a blend of fruits, fruit juices and sugar and teas. And do you know it has just as many calories and fat as a Starbucks cinnamon chip muffin and a small iced cafe latte with low fat milk.
COSTELLO: Do I really see 23 grams of fat there?
DRAYER: Twenty-three grams of fat. Yes. That's close to half of your daily fat budget right there.
COSTELLO: Unbelievable.
Let's head on to the next one, this example you have, Au Bon Pain.
DRAYER: Right.
COSTELLO: Large frozen mocha blast...
DRAYER: Exactly.
COSTELLO: ... 480 calories.
DRAYER: Exactly. You know, this has, actually, it has Hershey's chocolate in it as well as espresso and milk. So you're definitely boosting calories with all the chocolate. That extra sugar and fat from the chocolate significantly boosts calories. So be careful with all those hidden extras.
COSTELLO: And this is one of my favorites. I love this. Dunkin' Donuts medium vanilla bean coolatta.
DRAYER: Yes. But did you see the calorie count on that? COSTELLO: Six hundred and -- what do they put in that stuff?
DRAYER: You know, surprisingly there's oil. It's a mixture of oil and sugar in there. So that will significantly boost your calories. But if you choose a fruit-based beverage, that's basically just sugar and fruit. So you're avoiding all that extra fat and calories that you would get from the cream and the oil. So the vanilla bean is actually more like a milkshake. And it has, do you know, that's 660 calories. That's more calories than three of the Dunkin' Donuts jelly donuts combined.
COSTELLO: That's insane.
DRAYER: Yes.
COSTELLO: So, OK, give us some recommended choices.
DRAYER: Yes, well, you know, my first recommendation is try to cut back on the whole milk. If you're a fan of whole milk, cut back to two percent or skim milk if you can. You will save a lot of calories. So that goes for any beverage, whether it's a chai latte or whether it's a cafe latte or a frozen beverage. Try to cut back on the milk and you will save a lot of calories.
Also, the whipped cream. With that Tazaberry, if you cut out the cream and the whipped cream, you are saving close to 300 calories and you're skimming all of the fat.
COSTELLO: It's not as good, though, Lisa. It's just not as good.
DRAYER: It's better for your heart and your body and your waistline.
COSTELLO: OK, and you have some beverage tips for us, too, and we want to put those on the screen right now.
DRAYER: Sure.
COSTELLO: Watch out for hidden calories, and you just explained that. Get rid of that whipped cream and stuff like that.
DRAYER: And the syrups, too.
COSTELLO: Yes, oh yes. Choose smaller sizes of your favorites.
DRAYER: That's right. You know, you can shave off half the calories and half the fat. For example, if you do a large frappaccino, you can cut back half the calories just by choosing the smaller version. So be smart. Go for the 12 ounces as opposed to the 20 or 24.
COSTELLO: And this is an interesting, this is an interesting one. Don't count on a beverage as a meal replacement.
DRAYER: Right. COSTELLO: And I know that I do that all the time.
DRAYER: Exactly. You know, we all do. We all have a tendency to skip lunch and we think, oh, you know what? Let me get a big beverage or a smoothie. But it does contain a lot of calories. And more important, it doesn't contain a lot of nutrition. So you're not going to get a lot of vitamins, minerals and protein.
COSTELLO: Wait a minute...
DRAYER: You will get a little bit.
COSTELLO: You brought up smoothie. That's bad for you?
DRAYER: You know, smoothies are OK. They can contain a lot of calories. The good news if it's made with milk, you'll get a boost of calcium, again, the low fat milk or the skim milk. You'll get the calcium and a little bit of extra protein. But you will likely crash later on because you're getting so much sugar in your body at once. So it will not take the place of a balanced meal. So just keep that in mind.
COSTELLO: Got you. And you say avoid high calorie and high fat baked goods, which is pretty much all coffee shops have.
DRAYER: Yes. Oh, absolutely. You know, a Starbucks coffee cake, that has 800 calories and 38 grams of fat. So combine that with one of those beverages, you're maxing out for the entire day. So be careful and if you do choose, you know, an indulgent drink, then be sure to avoid some of those higher calorie baked goods. But there are some good low fat options at Starbucks and the other coffee chains.
COSTELLO: Yes, like what, water?
DRAYER: No. No. Believe it or not, it's not just -- no, it's not just water. Seriously, there are low fat muffins, and that means that there's only three grams of fat. So you're saving a lot of fat and a lot of calories by choosing those low fat muffins as opposed to the full fat versions.
COSTELLO: OK. Advice taken.
Thank you, Lisa Drayer, for checking in with us this morning. And we'll check back with you next week at this time.
DRAYER: Thank you.
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