Beans that Boost Bellies

Watch out for hidden sugar in chain shop coffees

Caffeine fiends can choose from a seemingly endless array of coffee drinks at chain cafés. Apart from cappuccinos and short blacks, there are iced mochas, frappucinos, hazelnut chillers and caramel macchiatos. But some contain more sugar than a can of cola. According to a recent study in Choice magazine, chilled coffees sold in major chains are laden with kilojoules, some containing the equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar. The worst offenders are chilled, iced and frappé coffees, with the most fattening containing a scary 2280 kilojoules – one quarter of a person's daily intake. The best way to reduce your sugar intake, yet still indulge? Pass on the whipped cream, choose a smaller size and go for skim milk.