From frozen coffees to chillers, slurpees to smoothies, Leslie Beck reveals the best and worst sippers this summer and shares these tips on ordering healthier drinks.

How bad are frozen coffee drinks?

Consider that a cup of coffee with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk has 35 calories. But order a frozen coffee drink and you've turned a low calorie beverage into a 500-plus calorie liquid dessert. You also buy frozen drinks that don't have any coffee in them – frozen hot chocolate, yogurt chillers, and chocolate chillers.

Consider that Second Cup's large (24 ounce) Frrrozen Hot Chocolate with whip cream serves up 780 calories, 19 grams of fat and 30 teaspoons worth of sugar. When it comes to calories and sugar, that's equivalent to eating 10 President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip cookies. If you were to sip on one of these drinks everyday for a month, you'd consume 23,400 calories and gain 6.5 pounds!

Here's a look at some of the worst drinks I found in terms of calories, fat and sugar:

Worst Chillers (Large, w/whip)

  • Second Cup Frrrozen Hot Chocolate: 780 calories, 19 grams fat, 30 teaspoons sugar
  • Second Cup Iced Caramel Corretto: 700 calories, 14 grams fat, 30 teaspoons sugar
  • Starbuck's Double Chocolately Chip Frappucino: 640 calories, 22 grams fat, 25 teaspoons sugar
  • Tim Horton's Iced Capp Original, with cream: 540 calories, 21 grams fat, 18 teaspoons sugar

What's in these drinks that add so many calories?

Although there are variations, chillers, iced cappuccinos and frappuccinos are blended drinks are made from coffee, milk, ice and plenty of sugar in the form of syrup. Depending on the flavour, coffee drinks can come with added chocolate, coconut, caramel or vanilla (i.e. more sugar). Some are made with cream and come with a whip cream, which bumps up the calorie and fat content.

What are some lower calorie choices?

There are lighter frozen coffee drinks available. Starbucks have light versions of their Frappuccinos. And you always order iced non-fat latte (just espresso and skim milk poured over ice) – only 80 calories for 16 ounce size. Here are some lighter options:

Lighter Summer Drinks (Medium, 16 oz)

  • Second Cup Iced Latte, 2%: 220 calories, 9 grams fat, 5 teaspoons sugar
  • Tim Horton's Iced Coffee, with milk: 110 calories, 1 gram fat, 5 teaspoons sugar
  • Starbucks Iced Skinny Latte: 80 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 sugar
  • Starbucks Shaken Iced Passion Tea: 0 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 sugar

What about fruit smoothies – how do they compare?

They are typically lower in calories because they are not made with cream and they have less added sugar. For example, a medium Tim Horton's Mixed Berry Smoothie (without yogurt) has 180 calories and 0 grams of fat. The sugar in this drink is coming from the fruit, not syrup! Even though they're lower in calories than many frozen coffee drinks, not all fruit smoothies can be considered low in calories. For instance, a medium sized Second Cup's Strawberry Fruit Chiller has 380 calories and 22 teaspoons worth of sugar.

What about slurpees…how much sugar is in that huge cup?

When it comes to sugar, this is definitely the worst! This very large slurpee delivers 500 calories and 1.8 litres worth of pure sugar…34 teaspoons worth! You may as well drink 4 cans of pop.

Tips for ordering a healthier frozen drink.

Treat these slushy summer drinks as splurge or your dessert for the week. The following tips will help you cut calories, fat and sugar.

  • Order the smallest size. Moving from a large (20 ounce) to a small (10 ounce) Tim Hortons' Iced Capp Original (with cream) will save you 290 calories.
  • Choose non-fat. Order your chiller with skim milk or soy milk to reduce your intake of saturated fat. Say no to whipped cream and you'll save another 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.
  • Keep it simple. Order an iced non-fat latte (just espresso and skim milk poured over ice). To sweeten, add one packet of sugar or one pump of flavoured syrup (20 calories per pump). Some coffee houses have sugar-free flavoured syrup.
  • Read nutrition information. Starbuck's, Second Cup, and Tim Horton's post detailed nutrient breakdowns of menu items on their websites. To make a healthier choice, consult this information in advance.