One of my favorite summer treats is the iced mocha. I like it from pretty much anywhere. With McDonald's joining the coffee market at a dollar cheaper than the usual coffee places, I decided to see how they compare. All are 12 oz iced mochas with 2% milk and no whip cream. Here's what I found:
Brand: Carib McD Starbucks
Calories 190 190 150
Fat cont 30 90 40
Choleste 10 35 10
Sodiums 70 95 60
Sugars 34 19 20
Calcium 10% 20% 20%
Caffeine 180 NA 95
So there you have it.
McCafe is the worst by far save sugars. But the degree to which is outranks its competitors in other categories makes sugars meaningless. The fat and sodium contents alone are enough to make me run away! Plus, though the taste is comparable, it is my least favorite. The benefit of McCafe is the price. At a dollar less than the competition, it might be worth it. Plus, I can walk to McDonald's, burning 120 calories round trip, leaving 70 to shed off later.
Caribou is my favorite by taste. With its numbers being close to Starbucks' low ones, I am not running away from Caribou yet. The caffeine is what astounds me the most as Starbucks has always struck me as stronger. While Caribou is pricier than McDonalds, they do send out coupons frequently. Another disadvantage is I can't readily walk to Caribou the way I can McDonald's and Starbucks. Though, if I did walk, I would more than burn off my mocha!
Starbucks mocha has a good flavor. It is very rich and tastes like it would be the worst nutrition wise. I am surprised it ranks lowest of the three in many categories! The price is what gets me. This is the most expensive of the three drinks, but I can get gift cards from my favorite non-profit and they get 7%, so I can justify the occasional splurge. Walking to Starbucks I burn 149 calories! Perfect for indulging in the mocha!
Looking it all over, I realize this little indulgence counts for 10% of ones caloric intake for the day! No matter who has the best one, it is still an indulgence and money spent!
2 comments:
Ok, I'm no coffee expert, but a mocha with no whip cream should be nothing but espresso and steamed milk - and chocolate syrup of some kind. If all the drinks you're comparing use 2% milk, it's hard to believe there should be much difference at all in fat content. What on earth is McDonald's putting in their mocha's to double the fat content?
a mocha also has a shot or so of chocolate syrup and that makes a lot of difference.
Who knows. Maybe McDonald's grinds up french fries with their coffee beans. :-)
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