Fat, Sugar, and Calorie Overload (On The Rocks)

As temperatures rise, sweaters are replaced by short-sleeves, steaming cups of coffee by frosty concoctions that perfectly combat the sun's powerful rays. But, wait, be sure to make the right choice when seeking out that iced beverage.

Many special coffeehouse drinks come with outrageous amounts of calories, fat, and sugar.

If a Starbucks Frappuccino is calling your name, consider the following statistics:

A tall coffee frappuccino with no whipped cream comes in at 200 calories, 1.5 grams of cholesterol-raising saturated fat (8% of the maximum amount recommended) and 33 grams (8 teaspoons) of sugar.

A grande caramel frapuccino with whipped cream and caramel provides you with 390 calories, 10 grams (50%) of saturated fat, and 46 grams (11 1/2 teaspoons) of sugar.

Curious about a Venti? Let's look at a strawberries and creme blended frappuccino with whipped cream of that size. That would come out to 750 calories, 8.5 grams (45%) of saturated fat, and 117 grams (29 1/4 teaspoons!) of sugar.

I'm afraid Dunkin' Donuts doesn't fare much better.

Their Vanilla Bean coolatta contains 450 calories, 15 grams (75%) of saturated fat, and 73 grams (18 1/4) teaspoons of sugar.

Your absolute best bet is to order an iced latte -- just coffee and milk (a grande with non-fat milk provides 200 calories, 0 grams of saturated fat, and only naturally-occurring sugars found in milk). You really can't go wrong.

After all, if coffee and milk are sufficient during the winter months, why must that turn into liquid candy when the temperature goes above 70?