If you stop by a coffee shop chain for a hot cup of your favorite coffee and pick a plant-based milk option instead of dairy, know that it may contain a lot more sugar than you anticipate. According to a study done by Action on Sugar, a Queen Mary University London-based charity, vegan options may seem healthier, but since there are no labels on products, you may be getting way more sugar in your drinks than needed.
What They Learned
The charity’s research analyzed the content of sugar and calories in large-sized hot chocolates and seasonal lattes in high street coffee chains available in the U.K. Based on their findings, the worst option comes from Starbucks—their venti Signature Caramel Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and oat milk contains 758 calories and 93.8 grams of sugar!
When it comes to lattes, the one with the most sugar is Starbucks’ venti Gingerbread Latte with oat milk which contains 523 calories and 14 teaspoons of sugar. Other chains are not much better; the study found that nearly all beverages they included contain excessive amounts of sugar and the customers often had no idea about it.
